Therefore, both self-reflection and self-analysis are vital steps in choosing which branch of Yoga to pursue for spiritual gains.Īre you a person of action? Perhaps you are more emotional by nature and chiefly motivated by the call of your heart? There exists a yogic path that can facilitate your advancement and evolution, according to your primal inclination or inspiration. A spiritual aspirant should contemplate and meditate before choosing which branch of Yoga best suits their temperament and tendencies.
Types of yoga how to#
In the same way as a person would not choose to invest time and energy in learning how to play a musical instrument if she disliked music, a yogi would be wise not to choose a yogic path that contradicted his natural disposition. It was as though there was already wind in his sails, so to speak, because the chosen path fostered his strengths and his strengths propelled him along his path expeditiously. In effect, his efforts had a degree of leverage and progress came as if by a kind of grace. In ancient times, a spiritual aspirant would choose the branch of Yoga that best aligned with his temperament and nature, according to personal qualities that were already prevalent in him as well as usually the advice of a competent guru. Yoga happens beyond the mat, anything you do with attention to how you feel is doing yoga. They have time, history, and results on their side – virtues generally missing among the proliferation of modern Yoga styles.įortunately (or unfortunately, according to your disposition), spiritual liberation and self-realization are not discovered at the bottom of a beer bottle, but rather through deep internal contemplation and faithful commitment to a proven path. These are considered the classical paths of Yoga and are backed by tradition as well as lineage. If you are a genuine spiritual seeker, it is beneficial to understand the authentic roots of Yoga as a sacred spiritual science and to familiarize yourself with the aforementioned paths. However, others seem to steer practitioners away from the true meaning of Yoga entirely, even going so far as to deface its sacred name and purpose. It is true that some contemporary styles of Yoga can be revitalizing and athletic in nature, assisting a person with general health and well-being. This is a far stretch from the classical forms of Yoga. Contemporary styles of Yoga are more acrobatic and gymnastics oriented. In today’s era we are witnessing an emergence of what we can call “modern variations of Yoga” – from Vinyasa to Acroyoga, Ashtanga to “Beer Yoga” (yes, the latter actually exists and combines Yoga with drinking beer), and more. It’s more than relaxation and athleticism We will explore each path individually along with the features that define it. If practiced with seriousness and devotion, these four great pillars are ultimately a road to self-realization, or enlightenment. They are like independent pathways leading to the same mountaintop, although in practice many yogis combine techniques from each of the four paths.
Through these four different paths a human being can reach the peak of his or her spiritual evolution. In the classical Yoga tradition there exists four types of Yoga, each a distinct path of its own. The four types of Yoga are Karma Yoga – the Yoga of action, Jnana Yoga – the Yoga of knowledge, Bhakti Yoga – the Yoga of devotion, and Raja Yoga – the integral “royal” Yoga path that specializes in training the mind.
In India, historically, there exist four classical Yoga traditions, each one leading to this state of union through the use of different sets of tools, and therefore appealing to different human constitutions and characteristic typologies. The true meaning of the word Yoga is “union” – union of the body, mind, and spirit with the Divine.
0 kommentar(er)
