Yoga (Sanskrit: योग Yog, IPA: [joːgə]) is a group of ancient spiritual practices designed for the purpose of cultivating a steady mind. Asana ( Sanskrit आसन sitting down < आस to sit down) is a body position typically associated with the practice of Yoga, intended Shiva:(pronunciation; Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, lit "Auspicious one" One of the Trimurtis Shiva is the supreme God in the Shaiva Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical It originated in India^[1] possibly as early as 3300 BCE. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Events The Great God "Krishna" who is worshiped in all forms as a boy lover warrior brother king teacher son husband etc A practitioner of Yoga is called a Yogi or Yogini. A yogi ( Sanskrit, feminine root Yogini) is a term for a male practitioner of various forms of the path of Yoga, maintaining A yogini is the female origin of a practicing male Yogi: having a steadfast mind cultivated by the disciplined pursuit of transcendence through Yoga

Yoga has been defined as "technologies or disciplines of asceticism and meditation which are thought to lead to spiritual experiences and a profound understanding or insight into the nature of existence. Ascetic redirects here You might also be looking for Acetic acid. Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the conditioned "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness "^[2] Outside India, yoga is mostly associated with the practice of asanas (postures) of Hatha Yoga or as a form of exercise. Asana ( Sanskrit आसन sitting down < आस to sit down) is a body position typically associated with the practice of Yoga, intended Hatha Yoga ( Sanskrit हठयोग hʌʈʰʌjogʌ also called Hatha Vidya (हठविद्या is a particular system of Yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama See Yoga for the family of spiritual practices that originated in India.

Many Hindu texts discuss aspects of yoga, including the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and the Shiva Samhita. Literature regarded as central to the Hindu literary tradition was predominantly composed in Sanskrit, Indeed much of the morphology and linguistic The Upanishads ( Devanagari: उपनिषद् IAST: upaniṣad also spelled "Upanisad" are Hindu scriptures that constitute the core teachings This is an article about the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali For general information on sutras see Sutra. Hatha Yoga Pradipika is a classic Sanskrit Manual on Hatha Yoga, written by Swami Swatmarama, a disciple of Swami Gorakhnath. Shiva Samhita (also Siva Samhita) is a Sanskrit text on Yoga, written by an unknown author ^[1][3]

Major branches of yoga include: Hatha Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Raja Yoga. Hatha Yoga ( Sanskrit हठयोग hʌʈʰʌjogʌ also called Hatha Vidya (हठविद्या is a particular system of Yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama Karma yoga (Sanskrit कर्म योग (also known as Buddhi Yoga or the "discipline of action" is based on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Jnâna yoga ( Devanāgarī: ज्ञान योग or "path of knowledge" is one of the types of Yoga mentioned in Hindu philosophies Bhakti Yoga ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति योग is a term within Hinduism which denotes the spiritual practice of fostering loving devotion to God Rāja Yoga ("royal Yoga " "royal union" also known as Classical Yoga or simply Yoga) is one of the six orthodox ( Astika) ^{[4] [5] [6]} Raja Yoga, established by the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and known simply as yoga in the context of Hindu philosophy, is one of the six orthodox (āstika) schools of thought. This is an article about the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali For general information on sutras see Sutra. Hindu philosophy is divided into six Sanskrit ''{{IAST|āstika}}'') schools of thought or darshanas (literally "views" Sankhya

The Sanskrit term yoga has many meanings. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical ^[7] It is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, "to control", "to yoke", or "to unite". ^[8] Common meanings include "joining" or "uniting", and related ideas such as "union" and "conjunction". ^[9] Another conceptual definition is that of "mode, manner, means"^[10] or "expedient, means in general". ^[11]

Contents 1 History of Yoga 1.1 Indus Valley seals 1.2 Literary sources 1.2.1 Bhagavad Gita 1.2.2 Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 1.2.3 Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2 Yoga in other traditions 2.1 Yoga and Buddhism 2.1.1 Yogacara Buddhism 2.1.2 Ch`an (Zen) Buddhism 2.1.3 Tibetan Buddhism 2.2 Yoga and Tantra 3 Goal of Yoga 4 Notes 5 References 6 External links

History of Yoga

Indus Valley seals

Several seals discovered at Indus Valley Civilization (c. The Indus Valley Civilization (Mature period 2600&ndash1900 BCE abbreviated IVC, was an ancient Civilization that flourished in the Indus River basin 3300–1700 BC) sites depict figures in a yoga- or meditation-like posture, "a form of ritual discipline, suggesting a precursor of yoga. " ^[12] Archaeologist Gregory Possehl points to 16 specific "yogi glyptics"^[13] in the corpus of Mature Harappan artifacts as pointing to Harappan devotion to "ritual discipline and concentration. Gregory Possehl is a Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania and curator of the Asian Collections at the University of Pennsylvania " These images show that the yoga pose "may have been used by deities and humans alike. "^[14]

The most widely known of these images was named the "Pashupati seal"^[15] by its discoverer, John Marshall, who believed that it represented a "proto-Shiva" figure. Pashupati ( Sanskrit: Paśupati) "Lord of cattle" is an epithet of the Hindu deity Shiva. Sir John Hubert Marshall ( March 19, 1876 Chester - August 17, 1958 Guildford) was the Director-General of the Archaeological ^[16] Many modern authorities discount the idea that this "Pashupati" (Lord of Animals, Sanskrit paśupati)^[17] represents a Shiva or Rudra figure. ^[18][19] Gavin Flood characterizes the Shiva or Rudra view as "speculative", and goes on to say that it is not clear from the 'Pashupati' seal that the figure is seated in a yoga posture, or that the shape is intended to represent a human figure. ^[20][21] Authorities who support the idea that the 'Pashupati' figure shows a figure in a yoga or meditation posture include Archaeologist Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, current Co-director of the Harappa Archaeological Research Project in Pakistan^[22][23] and Indologist Heinrich Zimmer. Dr Jonathan Mark Kenoyer (born May 28, 1952, in Shillong, India) is an American Archaeologist and Professor of Anthropology Heinrich Zimmer (1890 - 1943 was an Indologist and historian of South Asian art ^[24]

Literary sources

See also: History of Yoga

Ascetic practices (tapas) are referenced in the Brāhmaṇas (900 BCE and 500 BCE),^[25] early commentaries on the vedas. The History of Yoga is often emphasized to derive from prehistoric roots and develops out of Vedic asceticism ( Tapas) Tapas ( tápas) in Sanskrit means "heat" In Vedic religion and Hinduism, it is used figuratively denoting spiritual suffering The Brāhmaṇa s ( Devanagari: sa ब्राह्मणं are part of the Hindu śruti literature In the Upanishads, an early reference to meditation is made in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad,^[26] one of the earliest Upanishads (approx. The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upanishad ( Sanskrit: बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद् is one of the older "primary" ( Mukhya 900 BCE). The main textual sources for the evolving concept of Yoga are the middle Upanishads, (ca. The Upanishads ( Devanagari: उपनिषद् IAST: upaniṣad also spelled "Upanisad" are Hindu scriptures that constitute the core teachings 400 BCE), the Mahabharata (5th c. BCE) including the Bhagavad Gita (ca. 200 BCE), the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (200 BCE-300 CE) and Narada Bhakti Sutra^[27]. This is an article about the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali For general information on sutras see Sutra. The Narada Bhakti Sutra ( IAST: Nārada Bhakti Sūtra is a well known Sutra venerated within the traditions of Hinduism, purportedly spoken by the famous

Bhagavad Gita

Main article: Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita ('Song of the Lord'), uses the term yoga extensively in a variety of senses. Of many possible meanings given to the term in the Gita, most emphasis is given to these three:^[28]

• Karma yoga: The yoga of action
• Bhakti yoga: The yoga of devotion^[27]
• Jnana yoga: The yoga of knowledge

The influential commentator Madhusudana Sarasvati (b. Karma yoga (Sanskrit कर्म योग (also known as Buddhi Yoga or the "discipline of action" is based on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Bhakti Yoga ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति योग is a term within Hinduism which denotes the spiritual practice of fostering loving devotion to God Jnâna yoga ( Devanāgarī: ज्ञान योग or "path of knowledge" is one of the types of Yoga mentioned in Hindu philosophies Madhusūdana Sarasvatī (c1540&ndash1640 was an Indian philosopher in the Advaita Vedānta tradition circa 1490) divided the Gita's eighteen chapters into three sections, each of six chapters. According to his method of division the first six chapters deal with Karma yoga, the middle six deal with Bhakti yoga, and the last six deal with Jnana (knowledge). ^[29] This interpretation has been adopted by some later commentators and rejected by others.

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Main articles: Raja Yoga and Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

In Indian philosophy, Yoga is the name of one of the six orthodox philosophical schools. Rāja Yoga ("royal Yoga " "royal union" also known as Classical Yoga or simply Yoga) is one of the six orthodox ( Astika) This is an article about the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali For general information on sutras see Sutra. The term Indian philosophy (Sanskrit Darshanas) may refer to any of several traditions of philosophical thought that originated in the Indian subcontinent ^[30][31] The Yoga philosophical system is closely allied with the Samkhya school. Sankhya, also Samkhya, ( सांख्य, IAST: sānkhya - 'enumeration' is one of the six schools of classical Indian philosophy. ^[32] The Yoga school as expounded by Patanjali accepts the Samkhya psychology and metaphysics, but is more theistic than the Samkhya, as evidenced by the addition of a divine entity to the Samkhya's twenty-five elements of reality. ^[33][34] The parallels between Yoga and Samkhya were so close that Max Müller says that "the two philosophies were in popular parlance distinguished from each other as Samkhya with and Samkhya without a Lord. For the Danish Colonel Max Müller see Second War of Schleswig. . . . "^[35] The intimate relationship between Samkhya and Yoga is explained by Heinrich Zimmer:

These two are regarded in India as twins, the two aspects of a single discipline. Heinrich Zimmer (1890 - 1943 was an Indologist and historian of South Asian art Sāṅkhya provides a basic theoretical exposition of human nature, enumerating and defining its elements, analyzing their manner of co-operation in a state of bondage (bandha), and describing their state of disentanglement or separation in release (mokṣa), while Yoga treats specifically of the dynamics of the process for the disentanglement, and outlines practical techniques for the gaining of release, or 'isolation-integration' (kaivalya). ^[36]

The sage Patanjali is regarded as the founder of the formal Yoga philosophy. ^[37] The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are ascribed to Patanjali, who, as Max Müller explains, may have been "the author or representative of the Yoga-philosophy without being necessarily the author of the Sutras. This is an article about the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali For general information on sutras see Sutra. "^[38] Indologist Axel Michaels is dismissive of claims that the work was written by Patanjali, characterizing it instead as a collection of fragments and traditions of texts stemming from the second or third century. ^[39] Gavin Flood cites a wider period of uncertainty for the composition, between 100 BCE and 500 CE. ^[40]

Patanjali's yoga is known as Raja yoga, which is a system for control of the mind. Rāja Yoga ("royal Yoga " "royal union" also known as Classical Yoga or simply Yoga) is one of the six orthodox ( Astika) ^[41] Patanjali defines the word "yoga" in his second sutra, which is the definitional sutra for his entire work:

योग: चित्त-वृत्ति निरोध:
( yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ )
- Yoga Sutras 1. 2

This terse definition hinges on the meaning of three Sanskrit terms. I. K. Taimni translates it as "Yoga is the inhibition (nirodhaḥ) of the modifications (vṛtti) of the mind (citta)". ^[42] Swami Vivekananda translates the sutra as "Yoga is restraining the mind-stuff (Citta) from taking various forms (Vrittis). Swami Vivekananda (স্বামী বিবেকানন্দ Shami Bibekānondo; स्वामी विवेकानन्द Svāmi Vivekānanda) ( "^[43] Gavin Flood translates the sutra as "yoga is the cessation of mental fluctuations". ^[44]

Patanjali's writing also became the basis for a system referred to it as "Ashtanga Yoga" ("Eight-Limbed Yoga"). A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical Delhi (दिल्ली ਦਿੱਲੀ دلی d̪ɪlːiː sometimes referred to as Dilli) is the second largest metropolis of India, with a population This eight-limbed concept derived from the 29^th Sutra of the 2^nd book became a feature of Raja yoga, and is a core characteristic of practically every Raja yoga variation taught today. [1]The Eight Limbs of yoga practice are:

(1) Yama (The five "abstentions"): nonviolence, truth, non-covetousness, chastity, and abstain from attachment to possessions. A yama ( Sanskrit) यम literally "death" is a rule or code of conduct for living which will help bring a compassionate death to the ego or "the lower self"

(2) Niyama (The five "observances"): purity, contentment, austerities, study, and surrender to god

(3) Asana: Literally means "seat", and in Patanjali's Sutras refers to seated positions used for meditation. Niyama ( Sanskrit: नियम is a set of behaviors codified as "the observances" in numerous scriptures including the Shandilya and Varuha Upanishads Hatha Yoga Pradipika God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Asana ( Sanskrit आसन sitting down < आस to sit down) is a body position typically associated with the practice of Yoga, intended Later, with the rise of Hatha yoga, asana came to refer to all the "postures"

(4) Pranayama ("Lengthening Prāna"): Prāna, life force, or vital energy, particularly, the breath, "āyāma", to lengthen or extend

(5) Pratyahara ("Abstraction"): Withdrawal of the sense organs from external objects. Pranayama (Sanskrit prāṇāyāma) is a Sanskrit word meaning "lengthening of the prana or breath" Pratyahara is the fifth element among the Eight stages of Patanjali 's Ashtanga Yoga.

(6) Dharana ("Concentration"): Fixing the attention on a single object

(7) Dhyana ("Meditation"): Intense contemplation of the nature of the object of meditation

(8) Samadhi ("Liberation"): merging consciousness with the object of meditation

They are sometimes divided into the lower and the upper four limbs, the lower ones being parallel to the lower limbs of Hatha Yoga, while the upper ones being specific for the Raja yoga. See also Samyama Beginner's mind Dhyāna in Hinduism See also Dhyana in Hinduism In Hinduism dhyana is considered to be an instrument to gain self knowledge separating maya from Samadhi ( Sanskrit: sa समाधि is a Hindu and Buddhist technical term that usually denotes higher levels of concentrated meditation or Hatha Yoga ( Sanskrit हठयोग hʌʈʰʌjogʌ also called Hatha Vidya (हठविद्या is a particular system of Yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama Rāja Yoga ("royal Yoga " "royal union" also known as Classical Yoga or simply Yoga) is one of the six orthodox ( Astika) The upper three limbs practiced simultaneously constitute the Samyama. Samyama (from Sanskrit संयम saṃ-yama Combined simultaneous practice of Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna & Samādhi.

It details every aspect of the meditative process, and the preparation for it. The book is available in as many as 40 English translations, both in-print and on-line. [2][3][4][5][6][7][8] [9]

Hatha Yoga Pradipika

Main article: Hatha yoga

Hatha Yoga is a particular system of Yoga described by Yogi Swatmarama, a yogic sage of the 15th century in India, and compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Hatha Yoga ( Sanskrit हठयोग hʌʈʰʌjogʌ also called Hatha Vidya (हठविद्या is a particular system of Yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama Yogi Swatmarama was a 15th and 16th century yogic sage in India. Hatha Yoga Pradipika is a classic Sanskrit Manual on Hatha Yoga, written by Swami Swatmarama, a disciple of Swami Gorakhnath. Hatha Yoga is a development of — but also differs substantially from — the Raja Yoga of Patanjali, in that it focuses on shatkarma, the purification of the physical as leading to the purification of the mind (ha), and prana, or vital energy (tha). Rāja Yoga ("royal Yoga " "royal union" also known as Classical Yoga or simply Yoga) is one of the six orthodox ( Astika) Shatkarma ( Sanskrit: षटकर्मन ṣaṭkarman) also known as Shatkriya, refers to the Yogic practices involving purificaton of the Prana (प्राण) is the Sanskrit for " Breath " (from the root prā "to fill" cognate to Latin plenus "full" ^[45][46] In contrast, the Raja Yoga posited by Patanjali begins with a purification of the mind (yamas) and spirit (niyamas), then comes to the body via asana (body postures) and pranayama (breath). Asana ( Sanskrit आसन sitting down < आस to sit down) is a body position typically associated with the practice of Yoga, intended Pranayama (Sanskrit prāṇāyāma) is a Sanskrit word meaning "lengthening of the prana or breath" Hatha yoga contains substantial tantric influence,^[47][48] and marks the first point at which chakras and kundalini were introduced into the yogic canon. Tantra ( Sanskrit: तन्त्र; " Weave " denoting continuity) tantricism or tantrism is any of several esoteric Chakra ( Pali: chakka Tibetan: khorlo Malay: cakera is a Sanskrit term meaning Circle or Wheel Kundalini (kuṇḍalinī sa कुण्डलिनी Sanskrit, literally "coiled" Compared to the seated asanas of Patanjali's Raja yoga which were seen largely as a means of preparing for meditation, it also marks the development of asanas as full body 'postures' in the modern sense. ^[49]

Hatha Yoga in its many modern variations is the style that most people actually associate with the word "Yoga" today. ^[50] Because its emphasis is on the body through asana and pranayama practice, many western students are satisfied with the physical health and vitality it develops and are not interested in the other six limbs of the complete Hatha yoga teaching, or with the even older Raja Yoga tradition it is based on.

Yoga in other traditions

Yoga and Buddhism

Main article: Yoga and Buddhism

Yoga is intimately connected to the religious beliefs and practices of the Indian religions. Buddhism and Hinduism are two closely related religions that are in some ways parallel each other and in other ways are divergent in theory and practice Indian religions, also called Dharmic religions, are the related religious traditions that originated in the Indian subcontinent, namely Hinduism, ^[51] The influence of Yoga is also visible in Buddhism, which is distinguished by its austerities, spiritual exercises, and trance states. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices ^[52][53]

Yogacara Buddhism

Yogacara (Sanskrit: "Practice of Yoga [Union]"^[54] ), also spelled yogāchāra, is a school of philosophy and psychology that developed in India during the 4th to 5th centuries. Yogācāra (Sanskrit "yoga practice" "one whose practice is yoga" Chinese Yüjiazong "Yoga School" 瑜珈宗 is an influential school of Eastern Philosophy India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

Yogacara received the name as it provided a yoga, a framework for engaging in the practices that lead to the path of the bodhisattva. In the Buddhist context a bodhisattva (बोधिसत्त्व bodhisattva;; Vietnamese Bồ Tát; बोधिसत्त bodhisatta ^[55] The Yogacara sect teaches yoga in order to reach enlightenment. ^[56]

Ch`an (Zen) Buddhism

Zen (the name of which derives from the Sanskrit "dhyana" via the Chinese "ch'an"^[57]) is a form of Mahayana Buddhism. Mahayana ( Sanskrit: mahāyāna, Devanagari: महायान 'Great Vehicle' is one of the two main existing schools of Buddhism and a term for The Mahayana school of Buddhism is noted for its proximity with Yoga. ^[53] In the west, Zen is often set alongside Yoga; the two schools of meditation display obvious family resemblances. ^[58] This phenomenon merits special attention since the Zen Buddhist school of meditation has some of its roots in yogic practices. ^[59] Certain essential elements of Yoga are important both for Buddhism in general and for Zen in particular. ^[1]

Tibetan Buddhism

Yoga is central to Tibetan Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including In the Nyingma tradition, practitioners progress to increasingly profound levels of yoga, starting with Mahā yoga, continuing to Anu yoga and ultimately undertaking the highest practice, Ati yoga. The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism (the other three being the Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug) Mahayoga (Skt "great yoga" is the designation of the first of the three Inner Tantras according to the ninefold division of practice used by the Nyingma Anuyoga (Skt 'further yoga' is the designation of the second of the three Inner Tantras according to the ninefold division of practice used by the Nyingma According to some schools of Tibetan Buddhism and Bön, Dzogchen is the natural primordial state or natural condition of every sentient Being In the Sarma traditions, the Anuttara yoga class is equivalent. Anuttarayoga Tantra (Skt Tibetan bla-na-med-pa'i rgyud often translated as Unexcelled Yoga Tantra or Highest Yoga Tantra, is a term used in Tibetan Other tantra yoga practices include a system of 108 bodily postures practiced with breath and heart rhythm. Timing in movement exercises is known as Trul khor or union of moon and sun (channel) prajna energies. Tsa lung Trul khor (lit "magical movement instrument channels and inner breath currents" known for brevity as Trul khor (lit The body postures of Tibetan ancient yogis are depicted on the walls of the Dalai Lama's summer temple of Lukhang. Lukhang (Tib klu khang residence of Nagas, formally Zongdag Lukhang (Tib A semi-popular account of Tibetan Yoga by Chang (1993) refers to Dumo, the generation of heat in one's own body, as being "the very foundation of the whole of Tibetan Yoga" (Chang, 1993, p7). Chang also claims that Tibetan Yoga involves reconciliation of apparent polarities, such as prana and mind, relating this to theoretical implications of tantrism. Prana (प्राण) is the Sanskrit for " Breath " (from the root prā "to fill" cognate to Latin plenus "full" Tantra ( Sanskrit: तन्त्र; " Weave " denoting continuity) tantricism or tantrism is any of several esoteric

Yoga and Tantra

Main article: Tantra

Tantrism is a practice that is supposed to alter the relation of its practitioners to the ordinary social, religious, and logical reality in which they live. Tantra ( Sanskrit: तन्त्र; " Weave " denoting continuity) tantricism or tantrism is any of several esoteric Through Tantric practice an individual perceives reality as maya, illusion, and the individual achieves liberation from it. Maya ( Sanskrit sa माया māyā) in Indian religions, has multiple meanings ^[60]

This particular path to salvation among the several offered by Hinduism, links Tantrism to those practices of Indian religions, such as yoga, meditation, and social renunciation, which are based on temporary or permanent withdrawal from social relationships and modes. Indian religions, also called Dharmic religions, are the related religious traditions that originated in the Indian subcontinent, namely Hinduism, ^[60]

During tantric practices and studies, the student is instructed further in meditation technique, particularly chakra meditation. Chakra ( Pali: chakka Tibetan: khorlo Malay: cakera is a Sanskrit term meaning Circle or Wheel This is often in a limited form in comparison with the way this kind of meditation is known and used by Tantric practitioners and yogis elsewhere, but is more elaborate than the initiate's previous meditation. It is considered to be a kind of Kundalini Yoga for the purpose of moving the Goddess into the chakra located in the "heart," for meditation and worship. Kundalini yoga is a physical and meditative discipline, comprising a set of techniques that use the mind senses and body to create a communication ^[61]

Goal of Yoga

There are numerous opinions on what the goal of Yoga may be. Goals can range from improving health and fitness, to reaching Moksha. In Indian religions, Moksha ( Sanskrit: sa मोक्ष mokṣa) or Mukti ( Sanskrit: sa मुक्ति literally "release"

However, the most common opinion on the goal of yoga, is to reach enlightment. The work of asanas, kriyas and mudras are all tools on the path to enlightment. Asana ( Sanskrit आसन sitting down < आस to sit down) is a body position typically associated with the practice of Yoga, intended Kriya (in Sanskrit "action deed effort" most commonly refers to a technique or practice within a Yoga discipline also the outward physical manifestations A mudrā ( Sanskrit: मुद्रा lit "seal" is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism.

Within the monist schools of Advaita Vedanta and Shaivism this perfection takes the form of Moksha, which is liberation from all worldly suffering and the cycle of birth and death (Samsara) at which point there is a realisation of identity with the Supreme Brahman. Monism is the metaphysical and Theological view that all is one that all reality is subsumed under the most fundamental category of being or existence Advaita Vedanta ( IAST Advaita Vedānta; Sanskrit अद्वैत वेदान्त əd̪vait̪ə veːd̪ɑːnt̪ə is a sub-school of the Shaivism, also spelled "Saivism" names the oldest of the four sects of Hinduism. In Indian religions, Moksha ( Sanskrit: sa मोक्ष mokṣa) or Mukti ( Sanskrit: sa मुक्ति literally "release" Brahman ( bráhman-, Nominative bráhma sa ब्रह्म is a concept of Hinduism. For the bhakti schools of Vaishnavism, bhakti or service to Svayam bhagavan itself is the ultimate goal of the yoga process,^[27] wherein perfection culminates in an eternal relationship with Vishnu, Rama or Krsna, depending on the affiliation. Bhakti ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति) is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning devotion. Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or its associated avatars principally as Rama and This article is about a Hindu philosophical concept the original or absolute manifestation of God For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific Rama ( IAST: rāma Devanāgarī: राम Khmer: Phreah Ream Thai: Phra Ram Lao: Phra Lam Tagalog: Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari kṛṣṇa in IAST, ˈkr̩ʂɳə in classical Sanskrit is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism ^[62]

Notes

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• Mittra, Dharma Sri. Asanas: 608 Yoga Poses. Sri Dharma Mittra is a Yoga teacher and a student of Sri Swami Kailashananda Maharaj. 1st ed. California: New World Library 2003.
• Müeller, Max (1899). For the Danish Colonel Max Müller see Second War of Schleswig. Six Systems of Indian Philosophy; Samkhya and Yoga, Naya and Vaiseshika. Calcutta: Susil Gupta (India) Ltd. . ISBN 0-7661-4296-5.   Reprint edition; Originally published under the title of The Six Systems of Indian Philosophy.
• Possehl, Gregory (2003). Gregory Possehl is a Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania and curator of the Asian Collections at the University of Pennsylvania The Indus Civilization: A Contemporary Perspective. AltaMira Press. ISBN 978-0759101722.  
• Radhakrishnan, S.; Moore, CA (1967). Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, OM ( Telugu:సర్వేపల్లి రాధాకృష్ణ Tamil:சர்வேபள்ளி A Sourcebook in Indian Philosophy. Princeton. ISBN 0-691-01958-4.  
• Saraswati, swami satyananda. November 2002 (12th edition). "Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha" ISBN 81-86336-14-1
• Taimni, I. K. (1961). The Science of Yoga. Adyar, India: The Theosophical Publishing House. ISBN 81-7059-212-7.  
• Usharabudh, Arya Pandit. Philosophy of Hatha Yoga. 2nd ed. Pennsylvania: Himalayan Institute Press 1977, 1985.
• Vivekananda, Swami (1994). Swami Vivekananda (স্বামী বিবেকানন্দ Shami Bibekānondo; स्वामी विवेकानन्द Svāmi Vivekānanda) ( Raja Yoga. Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama Publication Department. Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati is a branch of the Ramakrishna Math, founded in 1899 at the behest of Swami Vivekananda by his disciples Captain Henry Sevier and Mrs Charlotte ISBN 81-85301-16-6.   21st reprint edition.
• Zimmer, Heinrich (1951). Heinrich Zimmer (1890 - 1943 was an Indologist and historian of South Asian art Philosophies of India. New York, New York: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-01758-1.   Bollingen Series XXVI; Edited by Joseph Cambell.

External links

• Yoga links at the Open Directory Project

The Open Directory Project ( ODP) also known as dmoz (from directory

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