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What is Yoga?


The word yoga means "union" in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India where yoga originated. In reality it's a very general term that encompasses many different disciplines, from the purely physical to the purely spiritual - and everything in between. Yoga is a vast collection of spiritual techniques and practices all aimed at integrating or uniting the mind, body and spirit and achieving a state of enlightenment or oneness with the universe.
What is normally thought of as "yoga" in the West is really Hatha Yoga, one of the many paths of yoga. Yoga is said to have 8 paths in all known as the 'Eight limbs of Yoga'.
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3. Asanas: Practice of yoga postures. The heart of any yoga practice is the performance of yoga positions (called asanas), each of which has specific physical and and mental benefits.
6. Dharana: Concentration or dharana involves teaching the mind to focus on one point or image. Concentration, meaning the ability to focus on something uninterrupted by external or internal distractions.
What we commonly call 'Yoga' in the West is technically Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga (ha="sun" tha="moon") attains the union of mind-body-spirit though a practice of Asanas (yoga postures), pranayama (yoga breathing), mudra (body gestures) and shatkarma (internal cleansing). These body centered practices are used to purify the body and cultivate prana (life force energy) and activate kundalini, the subtle energies of the body.
Raja Yoga is viewed as the “royal path” to attaining the state of yoga or unity with mind-body-spirit. Raja Yoga is so highly revered because it attains enlightenment from direct control and mastery of the mind. This approach makes Raja Yoga an extremely challenging and difficult practice to engage in. Hatha Yoga, what we usually know as just “yoga” in the West is a much easier path. Hatha Yoga aims to control the body and breath to still prana (energy) that in turn stills the mind. Although Hatha Yoga was developed as a preparation for Raja Yoga, they can be practiced simultaneously.
Jnana (wisdom or knowledge) is considered the most difficult of the four main paths of Yoga, requiring great strength of will and intellect. In Jnana yoga, the mind is used to inquire into its own nature and to transcend the mind’s identification with its thoughts and ego. The fundamental goal of Jnana yoga is to become liberated from the illusionary world of maya (thoughts and perceptions) and to achieve union of the inner Self (Atman) with the oneness of all life (Brahman). This is achieved by steadfastly practicing the mental techniques of self-questioning, reflection and conscious illumination that are defined in the Four Pillars of Knowledge.
Bhakti Yoga is one of the four main yogic paths to enlightenment. Bhakti means “devotion” or “love” and this path contains various practices to unite the bhakta (Bhakti Yoga practitioner) with the Divine.