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Yoga
The Genesis and kinds of Yoga
Yoga is the path to excellence. The word “yoga” is translated in two ways:
1) as a discipline, restriction of senses, a yoke
2) as an unification (ie unification of soul with God, or the reunification of the various levels of consciousness).
Tantra and Yoga as well are historically derived from the crossing of cultural Dravidians and Aryan people, which took place about 4 thousand years B.C.
While Tantra shows greater influence of primary culture of the Indian people (Dravidians), the Yoga is more influenced by migrant culture of Aryans.
Tantra and Yoga are two complementary paths leading to the same goal via slightly different ways.
Yoga crosses the Earthly world (by the process of discipline and focus), and comes to spiritual dimension;
Tantra is working simultaneously with the level of Earthly senses (including bodily and emotional energy) and the spiritual world - in the process of openness and concentration.
Types of Yoga
It is said, that particularly important teacher and Yoga master was Patanjali, author of
"Yoga Sutras".
Patanjali says that: "Yogah cittavrtti nirodhah" - "Yoga is the restraint of the phenomena of consciousness".
It should however be borne in mind that Yoga existed long before Patanjali, who only made compendium of various Yoga schools and gathered this knowledge to his work “Yogasutra”.
In fact, Patanjali is regarded essentially as the master of Raja Yoga. In addition to the Raja (Royal) Yoga
- concentration of mind there are, however, many other Yoga systems:
- Bhakti Yoga - the quest to develop a loving relationship with God
- Jnana Yoga - the quest for liberation and waking up through the development of spiritual knowledge
- Hatha Yoga - physical exercises (e.g. asanas) and respiratory exercises
- Karma Yoga - Yoga of disinterested, non-egoistical deeds and actions
- Krija Yoga - Yoga of cleansing
- Kundalini Yoga - the quest for liberation by the awakening of Kundalini energy
- Laya Yoga - Yoga meditation school based on the work of chakras and power of Kundalini
- Mantra Yoga - achieving Mokcha through mantra recitation
- Sahaja Yoga - meditation path based on the spontaneous insight
The above list does not cover all types of schools and yoga.
Sources of Yoga
Originally Aryan people, who came to India from the northern regions of Siberia have cultivated what could be called heavenly shamanism. An example of such an approach can be observed to this day in the practice of Agnihotra.
But the influence of native culture of Dravidians, caused Aryans to start practicing meditation as a form of an internal sacrifice. Thus, not only the sacrifice of fire enables the human experience to raise over to the heavenly state, but meditation has also become a very effective tool. We can say that sedentary culture of Dravidians sent interest of ambitious Aryans even more to the
inside.
This is the historical genesis of the creation of Yoga and Tantra.
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