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| The history of yoga goes back at least five thousand years. Yogic philosophy was codified around 150 BC by ] in the ], which states that ''the goal of yoga is stilling of the mind.'' But it is grounded in the still more ancient ] tradition. | The history of yoga goes back at least five thousand years. Yogic philosophy was codified around 150 BC by ] in the ], which states that ''the goal of yoga is stilling of the mind.'' But it is grounded in the still more ancient ] tradition. | ||
| Outside of ] culture, "yoga" is usually understood to refer to ''hatha yoga'' |
Outside of ] culture, "yoga" is usually understood to refer to ''hatha yoga''. Hatha is a Sanskrit word meaning 'sun' (ha) and 'moon' (tha), representing opposing energies: hot and cold, male and female, positive and negative, ]. Hatha yoga attempts to balance mind and body via physical exercises, or "asanas", controlled breathing, and the calming of the mind through relaxation and meditation. | ||
| Asanas teach teach poise, balance & strength were originally practiced to improve the body's physical health and clear the mind in preparation for ] in the pursuit of ]. In ], hatha yoga has become wildly popular as a purely physical exercise |
Asanas teach teach poise, balance & strength were originally practiced to improve the body's physical health and clear the mind in preparation for ] in the pursuit of ]. In ], hatha yoga has become wildly popular as a purely physical exercise regimen divorced of its original purpose. | ||
| Many modern schools of Hatha Yoga, derive from the school of Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who taught in ], ] from 1931 until his death in 1993. Among his students prominent in popularising Yoga in the West were ], ], ] and Krishnamacharya's son ]. Desikachar founded the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in ] (now ]), with the aim of making available the heritage of yoga as taught by Krishnamacharya. | Many modern schools of Hatha Yoga, derive from the school of Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who taught in ], ] from 1931 until his death in 1993. Among his students prominent in popularising Yoga in the West were ], ], ] and Krishnamacharya's son ]. Desikachar founded the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in ] (now ]), with the aim of making available the heritage of yoga as taught by Krishnamacharya. | ||
Revision as of 07:32, 4 November 2003
Yoga (Sanskrit: "union" or "yoke") is one of the six darshanas (schools) of Vedic philosophy. The vedas describe 8 distinct forms of yoga, each of which is a spiritual path or practice undertaken for the purpose of spiritual fulfillment ("union of the individual with the infinite"), including:
States the Shvetashvatara Upanishad (2.8-15), "Holding his body stead with the three erect, and causing the senses with the mind to enter the heart, a wise man with the Brahma-boat will cross, all the fear-bringing streams...One who practices Yoga beholds here the nature of Brahma." A practioner of yoga is a "yogi".
The history of yoga goes back at least five thousand years. Yogic philosophy was codified around 150 BC by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutra, which states that the goal of yoga is stilling of the mind. But it is grounded in the still more ancient Vedic tradition.
Outside of Hindu culture, "yoga" is usually understood to refer to hatha yoga. Hatha is a Sanskrit word meaning 'sun' (ha) and 'moon' (tha), representing opposing energies: hot and cold, male and female, positive and negative, yin and yang. Hatha yoga attempts to balance mind and body via physical exercises, or "asanas", controlled breathing, and the calming of the mind through relaxation and meditation.
Asanas teach teach poise, balance & strength were originally practiced to improve the body's physical health and clear the mind in preparation for meditation in the pursuit of enlightenment. In The West, hatha yoga has become wildly popular as a purely physical exercise regimen divorced of its original purpose.
Many modern schools of Hatha Yoga, derive from the school of Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who taught in Mysore, India from 1931 until his death in 1993. Among his students prominent in popularising Yoga in the West were Pattabhi Jois, B.K.S. Iyengar, Indra Devi and Krishnamacharya's son T.K.V. Desikachar. Desikachar founded the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Madras (now Chennai), with the aim of making available the heritage of yoga as taught by Krishnamacharya.
Some modern schools and styles of Yoga:
- Bikram Yoga - pioneered by Bikram Choudhury
- Ashtanga Yoga - eight limbs of yoga (Raja Yoga)
- Iyengar Yoga - pioneered by BKS Iyengar
- Viniyoga
- Kundalini Yoga - channeling and transforming energy as it rises up one's spine
- Kriya Yoga
- Nada Yoga - yoga of sound
Some modern teachers of Yoga: