Back to the Basics

I hope everyone is having a good Monday!  It snowed all day here yesterday, but the sun is now out and it is beautiful (from inside).  I was inspired by the quiet stillness of a snow covered morning to introduce a discussion on the daily application of yoga to "real life".  Let's start with the basics...

What is Yoga?
The word yoga literally means union, stemming from a Sanskrit word meaning 'to yoke'.  The purpose of yoga is to liberate the soul from the constraints of the mind and the body so it may join, or yoke, with the Universal Soul. There are four paths of yoga which lead to this union; Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, and Raja Yoga.  Each path can be followed on its own, or combined with each other, dependent on the nature of the practitioner.

Bhakti Yoga is the yoga of devotion.  It is a path of deep spirituality, often consisting of ritual worship of the Divine, singing devotional songs, and listening to the ancient scriptures as well as several other practices designed to unite the practitioner with the Divine.

Jnana Yoga is the yoga of wisdom.  It is considered the most difficult path of yoga, using the mind to inquire into its own nature and thus transcend the confines of its thoughts and ego.  This path follows the Four Pillars of Knowledge requiring dedicated self-questioning, reflection, and conscious illumination.

Karma Yoga is the yoga of action. It is a cultivation of purely selfless acts, dedicating all actions, both internal and external, to the Divine and thus purifying the practitioner of ego and attachment.

Raja Yoga is the yoga of science.  It is essentially a step-by-step method of 'controlling' the mind and body.  Also known as Ashtanga Yoga, this eight-limb path leads the practitioner towards enlightenment. (This is the path of yoga I have chosen to follow, so most of my discussions in this blog will also follow this philosophy.)

The Eight Limbs of Raja Yoga - Ashtanga

• Yama - the yamas shape your actions, speech, and thoughts as they relate to the outside world.
• Ahimsa - nonviolence
• Satya - truthfulness
• Asteya - non-stealing
• Brahmacharya - divine conduct, purity in relationships, moderation
• Aparigraha - non-acceptance of gifts or bribes
• Niyama - the niyamas shape your mind and emotions to begin detachment from the ego and the outside world.
• Saucha - purity, cleanliness
• Santosha - contentment
• Tapas - austerity
• Swadhyaya - study of sacred texts
• Ishwara Pranidhana - self-surrender
• Asana - asanas are the physical postures most commonly associated with "yoga" today. 
• Pranayama - pranayama is the control and extension of breath, the life source.
• Pratyahara - pratyahara is the withdrawal of senses.  It is the bridge between external and internal aspects of yoga.
• Dharana - dharana is one-pointed concentration.  The mind is effected by the fluctuations of thought.  Focus on a single object helps to prepare the mind for meditation.
• Dhyana - dhyana is meditation. Meditation, in short, is non-thought.
• Samadhi - samadhi is the super-conscious state. In this state, the body and mind have been transcended and the soul dissolves into the Universal Soul.

Over the next several days I will be going through each of the above stages, discussing them in a bit more detail and talking about ways they can be incorporated into everyday life!  Stay tuned!