It is said that one should choose the style of yoga that one would like to learn, then choose a master or teacher that has a class in that style, then a class at the right level for you. However, if you are new to yoga you won't know which style you want and if you don't know any local teachers you won't know which one to choose. To start with, it may be simpler to try out a class that just happens to be convenient in terms of time and location. The above statement applies to the majority of people who seek out Yoga. However, for those of us who are already on the spiritual path, we may find ourselves drawn to certain yoga practices (possibly subconscious inclinations due to past lives)
It is important to note here that whatever Yoga practice, it generally involves the following: Physical posturing, meditations, and meditation with purposeful energy. The difference between the 3 can be shown with this paradigm: They all belong to one family called Yoga, with 3 different types of general vehicles i.e. Physical, meditative, and meditative with energy. So the equivalent paradigm to explain this is to think of Toyota. In Toyota family, we have Daihatsu cars, Toyota cars and Lexus cars. Get the picture?
Some yoga teachers today may mix a few varieties together however, seldom would one include meditations with purposeful energy. I say purposeful energy because those meditation involves intentional diverting of the body's chi/prana to specific locations in the body intentional circulation of chi/prana via certain paths to achieve certain specific objectives. This is usually high level type of meditations and not many can guide this kinds of meditation properly. A wrong move can result in Kundalini Syndrome. Usually only esoteric schools or very advanced beings can guide this type of meditations. And this is something you definitely cannot get from universities via any form of diploma or degree in Yoga that seems to be cropping out everywhere. I must warn that if one chooses to go for the advanced type, don't go to one who claims to have diplomas or degrees for they cannot guide you in advanced meditations. They can only guide you in the normal types of yoga practices.
The following information is an excerpt from text written by Don Kent. It provides an overview of yoga styles, systems and related styles of body and energy work. However, editing of the text has been done the refect a more spiritual take on yoga (which is Yoga's real intention anyway)
Agni Yoga: Literally meaning 'fire' Agni yoga is a synthesis of several other yogas, principally Raja yoga, Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga
Astanga Vinyasa Yoga: Based on the asana limb of Astanga Yoga, it includes joining postures called Vinyasa, and there is usually a fairly rigid sequence of postures executed with pranayama (breath) and bandhas (muscular locks for the retention of prana)
Astanga Yoga: Means 8-limbed yoga path as described in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Yama (moral code), Niyama (self-purification), Asana (postures), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (enlightenment).
Bhakti Yoga: The Yoga of Love and Devotion. The favorite yoga of the Indian masses that focus on particular Hindu gods (typically Krishna). St. Francis of Agassi was probably practicing Christian Bhakti Yoga.
Bihar School of Yoga: Founded in 1963 by Swami Satyananda Saraswati in Munger, India - it provides hatha yoga as defined in their book 'Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha'
Hatha Yoga: From the sanskrit words 'Ha' (Sun) and 'tha' (Moon), it is the primary yoga type found in the West with a focus on asana (postures), purification and breath for health and union of the body, mind and spirit.Integral Yoga: Integral Yoga is a synthesis of yogas to develop all aspects of personal growth and includes raja yoga, japa yoga, hatha yoga, karma yoga, bhakti yoga and jnana yoga.
Iyengar Yoga: A school of hatha yoga with its own teacher training that focuses on stronger yoga postures with emphasis on alignment. Blocks, bricks and belts are often used to get alignment and 'perfect' posture.
Jnana Yoga: From the 8-limbed path of Astanga yoga, Jnana is the path of spiritual knowledge and wisdom through study and meditation to discard the illusory. 'Neti neti' - not this, not that and 'Who am I?' are jnana yoga tools.
Karma Yoga: The path of selfless service. As Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita 'Whoever lets go attachment to the fruits of his actions, and instead dedicates his actions to God, is not touched by sin, like the lotus leaf is not touched by water'.
Kriya Yoga: This is a form of hatha yoga promoted by Goswami Kriyananda, who founded the Temple of Kriya, after the teachings of Babaji. It combines the 8 limbs of astanga yoga with astrology linked to the chakras.
Kundalini Yoga: This is hatha yoga with an emphasis on awakening the kundalini energy, normally lying dormant at the base chakra, through severe practices of breath retention and meditation.
Laya Yoga: See Kundalini YogaMantra Yoga: Spiritual development through the use of repetitive sounds, which may be sub-vocalized as in Transcendental Mediation. Rhythmic repetition of a mantra like 'Om' is called japa. There are many mantras, some focused on a god, but even the sanskrit alphabet is believed to be effective in stilling the mind and moving closer to samadhi.
Meditation: Typically seated with an erect spine, meditation forms the core yoga of ancient times and should be a part of every yogi's practice. It aims to calm the perturbations of the mind to allow the true nature of the mind, the self and the universe to reveal itself in a state called enlightenment, self-realization or samadhi.
Power Yoga: See Astanga Vinyasa Yoga. Power Yoga is a variation pioneered by Beryl Bender Birch
Pranayama: One of the 8 limbs of Astanga Yoga. It is a set of techniques to work with subtle energy or prana through the breath.
Raja (or Royal) Yoga: 'Royal' as you become ruler of your mind, raja yoga works upon the mind refining and perfecting it and through the mind on the body. Most people end up combining hatha yoga, focused on the body and breath, with raja yoga.
Sahaja Yoga: Literally meaning 'born with you', sahaja yoga works on de-conditioning the mind so that self-realization is achieved, kundalini energy rises and the light of divine love emanates out to others.
Sapta Yoga: This is Hatha Yoga based on the classical text the 'Gheranda Samhita', and is taught at the Patanjali Yoga Center in Katmandhu, Nepal.
Siddha Yoga: Siddha Yoga Meditation has the goal of self-realization through meditation, chanting, contemplation, study and selfless service (karma yoga). It is based upon Vedanta and Kashmir Shivaism.Surat Shabd or Nada Yoga: This form of yoga connects the soul to the universal consciousness through the use of meditation and sound (shabd) and is of Sikh origins, based on the texts of Sant Kabir. Eckankar is a similar following.
Tantric Yoga: Becoming enlightened through the opening up of the chakras to allow the prana to move up the sushumna is a general yogic goal. Tantric yoga achieves this through the power of sexual energy on the basis that it is natural and loving and so cannot be contrary to God.
Transcendental Meditation: This is a form of mantra meditation created for westerners by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Two 20-minute meditations per day to create a calmer mind with many benefits including creativity and eventually siddhis.
Vini Yoga: The Viniyoga tradition is a form of hatha yoga that avoids mere mechanical practice of asana but adapts to the body's current condition through self-awareness - rather like the Alexander Technique - and release habitual stress patterns in the body.
Yantra Yoga: With the use of sight and form upon which to contemplate, Yantra Yoga aims to calm the mind to allow the true self to shine through. Mandala patterns are also yantra.Yoga of Synthesis (Arhatic Yoga): A synthesis of karma yoga, bhakti yoga, jnana yoga and raja yoga. Yoga of Synthesis is also another name for Arhatic yoga which uses a systematic method to awaken kundalini and activate the chakras, rather like kundalini yoga. Modern day Arhatic Yoga is done together with Pranic Healing. The healing work serves as a vehicle for community service to generate the good karma required to develop fast spiritually using Arhatic Yoga.
While all yoga practices take the yogi to the ultimate same path, the vehicles are not all the same. Remember my example on Toyota cars. however, does that mean we should all go for "Lexus cars"? No... there is a high price to pay for the higher vehicles. Not all of us can afford that price. So it's better to use one that suits our budget else it burns a hole in our pockets. But unlike cars, at the most, the financier just repossess the car back. In spirituality, if one is not ready for the higher teachings but bull dozes through, the resulting effects and consequences could be too much for one to bear. We're dealing with soul energy here. Kundalini Syndrome, if it is just some twitching of muscles or general physical discomfort, is "minor". However, if it manifest as rapid ripening of karmic seeds, it would be "Hell on earth". As Heaven and Hell is a state of being, imagine our state of mind if our negative karmic seeds start ripening at an accelerated pace. Shit after shit befalls us. And it happens in such rapid pace that you KNOW it is NOT normal. I can tell you it is extremely difficult to maintain a positive outlook in life when that happens. And via the Law of Attraction, as your outlook turn negative, you attract even more shit to you.
Related post:
- Lord's Prayer - Energy perspective
- Lord's Prayer - the meaning of the verses
- Yoga - The truth about Yoga
- Kundalini Syndrome
- Accelerating Ones Spiritual Development
- Heaven and Hell
Tai Chi seems something like Chinese yoga...
ReplyDeleteYeah its sort of. So is QiGong.
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