What is Yoga?

Typically in the western world, yoga is thought of as a physical practice whereby the individual uses certain postures and exercises in order to improve the health, flexibility and strength of the body, perhaps even to heal some minor physical ailments. There is nothing wrong with this view, yet it is very much incomplete. These benefits can no doubt come about through the disciplined practice of certain forms of yoga, but to make the mistake of thinking that this is the sole purpose of yoga, is to grossly underestimate and misunderstand the greatest gift given to humanity. This gift will be explained and made clear during the course of this essay.

Origins of Yoga

At some point in pre-history, perhaps tens of thousands of years ago, the evolution of mankind reached a point where there was a radical shift. Man's consciousness moved from the level of being a sophisticated animal, concerned with procreating, eating, protecting its territory and so forth, to a level where the human mind was able to self-reflect: to inquire into its true nature.

Mankind began to ask fundamental questions such as: 'What am I?', 'How do I fit into this world?', 'What is the purpose of my life?' and 'Why am I here?' Perhaps this shift happened gradually, in small numbers to begin with, or perhaps there was a kind of tipping point scenario where large numbers experienced a sudden shift in communal consciousness.

Either way, it is clear that the shift was not absolute, as even today, thousands of years later, with all of our sophistication, new technology and progress in so many fields, many of us still live lives devoid of any deliberate 'truth seeking'. We go about our lives: working, eating, procreating, seeking happiness in so many ways, enjoying or not enjoying life, unaware of our inherent spiritual depths. Many become depressed or live with a sense of meaninglessness, and only a few search for any kind of salvation from this paradigm.

There is nothing wrong with this kind of existence, as the Buddha (one of the greatest yogis who ever lived) said: even the blades of grass will one day reach Nirvana. Which is to say, when left to our own devices we move through incarnation after incarnation, from less sentient beings, such as blades of grass, to more sentient, such as animals; then eventually we become humans, a rare and privileged experience. Once we become humans, we are said to evolve from being less aware of our spiritual nature to becoming more aware of it, towards an understanding of our true, divine nature. The process of becoming realised therefore takes many, many births, and we can either choose to go through these births at a regular rate or speed up the evolutionary process. And this is yoga: the deliberate speeding up of the process of evolution of one's spirit.

The term Yoga refers to both the practice and the goal. There are various paths of yoga and they all lead to Yoga.

The two approaches of Yoga

Yoga can be divided into two general categories: Vedantic Yoga and Tantric Yoga. In brief, Tantric Yoga involves the body, senses, sounds and energies (see the 'What is Tantra?' essay for more information) and the aim is the awakening of kundalini shakti. In order for this to happen, the primary concern is the awakening of the chakras, which can be achieved through a variety of techniques including the practice of certain asanas (postures) which are commonly known, though often incorrectly practised, as part of Hatha Yoga. In fact, awakening of the chakras is precisely the purpose of the asanas, and any kind of physical therapy is really a by-product along the path of balancing and purifying one's system.

Vedanta, or Vedantic Yoga, on the other hand is concerned with the study of the Vedas. These are ancient texts (possibly the oldest books ever written down) that cover a vast array of both practical and abstract subjects. Veda (knowledge) + anta (end), meaning 'the end of knowledge' or the ultimate truths.

The Tantras (also known as Agamas) are ancient texts which expound the practices of Tantra. They are full of specific practices and techniques for cultivating and raising shakti (energy). The Vedas on the other hand contain very beautiful verses of poetry that consist of tales, fables and aphorisms that expound the meaning of life. In part, to practice is to read, memorise and chant the verses of the Vedas, though many yogis would say that the act of chanting mantra is itself a tantric practice. So perhaps the most purist practice of Vedanta yoga is Jnana Yoga, which is based on that portion of the Vedas which is called Advaita Vedanta non-dualistic theory.

Hatha Yoga

Traditionally Hatha Yoga consisted solely of the six purification practices known as the shatkarmas. However, over time there were additions to the original system of Hatha Yoga; these were asana, pranayama, mudras and bandhas, as well as some rules which should be followed such as non-violence and dietary restrictions to name a few.

Pranayama is a system of pranic awakening practices, and mudras and bandhas are psycho-physiological energy release techniques. Both are technical, mechanical and should be taught by a trained instructor.

Hatha Yoga as it is known today in the west consists mainly of asana, which is the twisting and stretching the body into unusual positions in order to affect one's state of consciousness. However they are mainly taught solely as a physical practice in order to improve one's body, and ironically the six shatkarmas are now ignored in many schools of Hatha Yoga.

Etymology: the syllable ha denotes the pranic (vital) force governing the physical body, and tha denotes the chitta (mental) force, thus making Hatha Yoga a catalyst to an awakening of the two energies that govern our lives. Ha also denotes the sun and tha denotes the moon, so the techniques described in Hatha Yoga are practiced in order to purify the physical body and balance the lunar and solar polarities that make up the human energetic system.

Raja Yoga

This yoga works with the psychic content of the individual, and like all yogas its aim is nothing less than the revelation of our true nature. By stilling the mind, it is said that our essential nature will eventually be revealed.

Due to the Western misconception that yoga means Hatha Yoga, people often say 'yoga and meditation'. However meditation is not separate from yoga; it is a path of Yoga and it is also an attainment along the path of yoga.

Dharana is the ability to have fixed concentration on an object for prolonged periods; once this is perfected, Dhyana can arise which means meditation. So in the large majority of 'meditation' classes and personal-practices we are not in fact meditating; rather we are sitting down attempting to concentrate in the hope that it leads to meditation.

That said, Raja Yoga usually refers to the system of yoga that is described in Patanjali's text 'Yoga Sutras', known as Astanga Yoga. In this ancient text Sage Patanjali describes eight stages of yoga, each one leading on from the next:

• the refinement of human behaviour and personality through the practice of the yamas (restraints) and niyamas (disciplines)
• attainment of physical health and vitality through asanas and pranayamas
• management of mental and emotional conflicts and development of awareness and concentration through pratyahara (sensory withdrawal)
• dharana (concentration)
• developing the creative aspect of consciousness for transcendental awareness through dhyana (meditation)
• samadhi (absorption in the universal identity)

Mantra, Japa and Nada Yoga

Mantra yoga is a widely used form of yoga which uses various sound vibrations in order to connect and put oneself in resonance with the multitude of subtle energies that exist around us. It is through the agency of various imitative sounds that one is able to access these subtle energies.

Japa is the practice of repeating a particular mantra (given to the individual by a guru) for a set amount of rounds each day. For most forms of Japa a mala is used, which is a rosary of 108 beads.

Nada Yoga is a system of yoga that uses the sound vibrations of various mantras and classical Indian musical instruments. This is a simple, relaxing and very powerful set of practices which can be carried out by the individual using a harmonium and one's own voice.

Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti Yoga is the path of channeling the emotions and feelings to realise the transcendental and divine nature inherent in every human being. It is often called the yoga of devotion. Its essence can be seen in many organised religions, as well as in mystical paths of spirituality such as Sufism, Gnosticism and Tantra.

Bhakti Yoga is a widely accessible form of spiritual practice that appeals to those of us with a devotional temperament. It works with the emotional aspect of the individual and directs this force towards a chosen deity or guru.

Karma Yoga

Karma Yoga is the yoga of action: working in the world with right intention and offering the fruits of one's actions to something greater than the individual self. Through this practice the karmic patterning of the individual is gradually softened, and life itself becomes the field of practice.

A Note on Lineage

Defining the various Yogas can be a little tricky as Indian culture is such that definitions are often inexact, fluidic and change over time. The various forms of yoga interlace at every level and should not be too rigidly defined. What matters most is that the practice we undertake is genuine, is suited to who we are, and is offered in service of awakening rather than self-improvement alone.

(Original essay © Devamurti, preserved here from the existing site.)