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Saturday, July 19, 2008

The Four Stages of Yoga Evolution

...it.

Classical Yoga

When Yoga became widely spread, and due to it different forms, people thought about standardizing it. Therefore, in the second century, Patanjali composed a seminal text, Yoga Sutra and Classical Yoga. At these times the 195 sutras in Yoga Sutra, used in Raja Yoga (the eightfold Yoga path).The eightfold Yoga paths are:

  1. Yama (restraint)
  2. Niyama (observance of purity, tolerance and study)
  3. Pranayama (breath control)
  4. Asana (Physical exercises)
  5. Pratyahara (preparation for Meditation)
  6. Dhyana (Meditation)
  7. Dharana (concentration)
  8. Samadhi (is the absorption in the sublime).
Patanjali supports studying the sacred scriptures as part of the Yoga practice, which became Classical Yoga's distinct feature. Yoga sutra main characteristic is its philosophical dualism. Patanjali believed in the importance of prakriti (the matter) and purusha (the spirit) separation to purify the spirit. Which differs from the Vedic and Pre-classical Yoga believes in the importance of body and spirit union. The Patanjali presented Yoga far from the traditional non-dualistic Yoga, and prepared it for the Post-classical Yoga. After the Paranjali, Yogis focused on the Meditation and neglected the Asanas. Then, by t...more

plus Size Yoga Pants

...t the body be stretched. This stretching is going to require more elasticity that you will find in a pair of blue jeans. Certain types of materials are required for the plus sized Yoga pants that you will need to properly, without distraction, perform the yoga ritual movements. You will need something that is not distracting, that does not cling to you, and is not scratchy. There are plenty of different types of material that are good for this, but in the end, you really need ...more

Laughter Yoga - Laughter Heals Body, Mind, and Soul

..."Most people think they have to feel good first in order to laugh. But you can start from nothing, you can even start feeling unhappy and just laugh as a form of exercise, and happy feelings follow." Jeffrey Briar, Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher

In 1995 an Indian family physician, Doctor Madan Kataria, started the first Laughter Club in a park in Bombay, India to put into practice what he aptly named Hasya or Laughter Yoga ("Hasya" means laughter in Sanskrit). Dr. Kataria was conducting research on the effects of laughter on health and was amazed by the number of studies showing the profound physiological and psychological benefits of laughter.

Armed with determination and a wish to help others improve their health and feelings of wellbeing through laughter, he went to a public park near his home and convinced four other people to start a Laughter club there. This action was at first considered a bit bizarre by his friends and colleagues. However, little by little, more and more people joined in. Today, his friends aren't laughing at him anymore, now they're laughing with him: laughter is contagious, and Laughter Yoga has swept the globe.

Since the beginnings of Laughter Yoga in that park in Bombay, Dr. Kataria has taken Laughter Yoga to schools and orphanages, prisons, hospitals, senior homes, instit...more

A Brief Timeline of Yoga

...ate the real from the unreal and thus discover and liberate the True Self. Jnana yoga uses meditation, introspection and contemplation techniques to attain wisdom and enlightenment.

Mantra Yoga

This is primarily the yoga of sound. The word mantra comes from a combination of the Sanskrit words man 'to think' and tra 'instrumentality' . Mantra is intention expressed as sound, unlike bhakti yoga , which is strictly the yoga of song and chanting; for instance when you chant 'OM' you are combining mantra yoga and bhakti yoga. Mantras have been chanted for thousands of years (some continuously for thousands of years!) to guide the mind into meditation and to establish an intention to create states of consciousness or ask for divine guidance.

Raja Yoga

Raj is the Sanskrit word for king and Raja yoga is known as the royal Yoga because it brings out the king/queen in all of us; the noble inner self that is so infrequently acknowledged in our every day lives. Raja yoga provides an opportunity to focus on the quality of our daily thoughts and deeds, being careful to reveal the goodness that the workings of the mind often conceal or disregard. Most closely associated with the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, it is most commonly expressed in the eight limbs of Classical Yoga.

namaste (the Divine in Me Honours the Divine in You)<...more

Beginner Relief Stress Video Yoga