"to be able to integrate this spiritual energy, a period of careful purification and strengthening of the body and nervous system is usually required beforehand. Yoga and Tantra propose that Kundalini can be awakened by a guru (teacher), but body and spirit must be prepared by yogic austerities, such as pranayama, or breath control, physical exercises, visualization, and chanting. The student is advised to follow the path in an open-hearted manner. Traditionally, people would visit ashrams in India to awaken their dormant kundalini energy. Typical activities would include regular meditation, mantra chanting, spiritual studies as well as a physical asana"
"temperance, proper eating habits, proper conduct and others, as it transitions from one stage of Yoga to next. After reminding the ethical mandates, the Upanishad describes three types of Pranayama, namely ""Ujjayi"", ""Sitkara"" and ""Sitala"". The text is one of the four Upanishads which includes a discussion of Kundalini chakras from Yoga perspective, the other three being Darshana Upanishad, the Yogachudamani Upanishad, and the Yogashikha Upanishad. However, the ideas in the four texts show an acceptance of a diversity of views; for example, this text asserts that Manipura Chakra has 12 petals instead of 10 in the other texts. Section"
"Upanishads such as the Yoga-kundalini, Varaha and Pashupatabrahma Upanishads. Yoga Upanishads discuss different aspects and kinds of Yoga, ranging from postures, breath exercises, meditation (""dhyana""), sound (""nada""), tantra (""kundalini"" anatomy) and others. Some of these topics are not covered in the Bhagavad Gita or Patanjali's Yogasutras. Many texts describe Yoga as consisting of steps or members (""angas"") and according to Paul Deussen, the important Yoga Upanishads which deal with these are the ""Brahmavidya"", ""Kshurika"", ""Culika"" (listed under the Samanya Upanishads), ""Nadabindu"", ""Brahmabindu"", ""Amritabindu"", ""Dhyanabindu"", ""Tejobindu"", ""Yogashika"", ""Yogatattva"", and ""Hamsa"". These 11 Yoga Upanishads belong to Vedic shaka (school) from the"
"founded Bikram's Yoga College of India. He has also written books and sings. As of 2006, he had 1,650 yoga studios around the world. In 2012, there were 330 studios in the United States and 600 worldwide. A 2013 review of adverse effects from yoga found that Pranayama and Bikram were the most commonly cited styles, and found harm arising mostly in instructors who practiced intensely over a long period of time and who used advanced positions like handstands; in Bikram most of the adverse events arose from the heat and included low salt levels due to excessive water drinking"
"Tibetan Buddhism both take their origin from the Mahasiddhas who were active in India from the 8th century to the 12th century. Kundalini yoga practices formed the core of the teachings of a number of these Mahasiddhas and are strongly represented in both Tibetan Buddhist practices and contemporary kundalini yoga practices. Kundalini yoga was spoken of as ""Candali yoga"" by these Mahasiddhas and became known as gTummo rnal 'byor in Tibet. Candali yoga was a key practice of the famous Tibetan yogin Milarepa. Modern western witnesses of this practice include the adventurer Alexandra David-Néel (David-Néel, 1971), Lama Anagarika Govinda (Govinda,"
"""āgamas""; all ""āgamas"" are elaborate systems of Vedic knowledge. According to Vedanta Desika, the ""Pāñcarātra āgama"" teaches the five-fold daily religious duty consisting of – ""abhigamana"", ""upādāna"", ""ijyā"", ""svādhyāya"" and ""yoga"", the name of this ""āgama"" is derived on account of its description of the five-fold manifestation of the Supreme Being viz, ""para"" (supreme or the transcendental form), ""vyūha"" (formation or manifestation as the four ""vyūha""), ""vibhava"" (reincarnation or descent to earth as avtāra), ""arcā"" (the visible image of God) and ""antaryāmi"" (the cosmic form of God as existing everywhere and in everything). Lakshmi accompanies Vishnu in His ""vyūha"" manifestation"
"Shandilya Upanishad The Shandilya Upanishad (Sanskrit: शाण्डिल्य उपनिषत्, IAST: Śāṇḍilya Upaniṣad) is a Sanskrit text and one of the minor Upanishads of Hinduism. It is one of twenty Yoga Upanishads in the four Vedas, and is attached to the Atharvaveda. The text is primarily focussed on Yoga techniques, and is among the most detailed in the Upanishadic corpus of texts dedicated to Yoga. It describes ten Yamas (ethical don'ts, restraints), ten Niyamas (ethical to do list, observances) and eight Asanas (postures), along with three Pranayamas, five types of Pratyaharas, five kinds of Dharana, two types of Dhyana and one Samadhi."
"or condition"". Founded on Iyengar's system of alignment, Friend streamlined everything into five ""Universal Principles of Alignment"", which corresponded to other quinary aspects of the world, such as the five elements, five regular polygons, five fingers on the hand, and so on. Friend also developed refinements to his quinary system, which included what he called ""the Three A's of Anusara"" (attitude, alignment and action), seven energy loops that comprise the human body, and various cues to assist in teaching. Anusara's philosophical system drew from Friend's knowledge in Indian schools of thought, including Samkhya, Advaita Vedanta, Vajrayana Buddhism, and non-dual Hindu"
"posture. Bikram Yoga is a style of yoga developed by Bikram Choudhury and a Los Angeles, California based company, Bikram Choudhury Yoga, Inc. Bikram Yoga is ideally practiced in a room heated to 105 °F (40.5 °C) with a humidity of 40%, and classes, which are 90 minutes long, are a guided series of 26 postures and two non-pranamic breathing exercises. The ""Tibetans"" was published by Peter Kelder in 1939, and republished in 1975. The practice was re-introduced by Christopher S. Kilham in 1994, with his publication ""The Five Tibetans"". There is little historical or cultural evidence to support Kelder's"
"""Hatha Ratnavali"" provides a list of 84 asanas, describing some of them. In the 20th century, Tirumalai Krishnamacharya taught a new system of asanas, incorporating systems of exercises as well as traditional hatha yoga, to influential Indian yoga teachers including Pattabhi Jois, founder of Ashtanga vinyasa yoga, and B.K.S. Iyengar, founder of Iyengar yoga. Together they described hundreds more asanas, revived the popularity of yoga, and brought it to the Western world. Many more asanas have been devised since Iyengar's 1966 ""Light on Yoga"" which described some 200 asanas; some 300 were created by Dharma Mittra. Asanas have been claimed"
"to these three foundation practices (tapas, swadhyaya, Ishwara pranidhana). Breathing practices with attention along the spine are often included, along with other physical practices. It is useful for the student of yoga to be aware of these different approaches, so as to not get confused by the various public offerings. Kriyā Kriyā (in Sanskrit ""action, deed, effort"") most commonly refers to a ""completed action"", technique or practice within a yoga discipline meant to achieve a specific result. Another meaning of Kriya is an outward physical manifestation of awakened kundalini, such as a spontaneous body movement related to Kundalini energy flow."
"classified into four spiritual practices. The first mārga is Jñāna Yoga, the way of knowledge. The second mārga is Bhakti Yoga, the way of loving devotion to God. The third mārga is Karma Yoga, the way of works. The fourth mārga is Rāja Yoga, the way of contemplation and meditation. These mārgas are part of different schools in Hinduism, and their definition and methods to ""moksha"". For example, the Advaita Vedanta school relies on Jñāna Yoga in its teachings of ""moksha"". The three main sub-schools in Vedanta school of Hinduism - Advaita Vedanta, Vishistadvaita and Dvaita - each have their"
"pursuit of pleasure, but a yogi or yogini consciously accumulates and then directs it for specified purposes. This energy generates warmth as it accumulates and becomes an inner fire or inner heat (""candālī"") that [potentially] burns away the dross of ignorance and ego-clinging. Numerous non-buddhist tantras of the Shakta and Shaiva traditions (generally termed Hindu by westerners) speak of Kundalini, which is generally described as a coiled energy at the base of the spine, at the first chakra. Kurt Keutzer (2002) discusses the Kundalini yoga, Vajrayana, Nath Sampradaya, Mahasiddha and Milarepa: Kundalini yoga in the Natha Sampradaya and Vajrayana in"
"Early references to practices that later became part of yoga, are made in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the earliest Hindu Upanishad. For example, the practice of pranayama (consciously regulating breath) is mentioned in hymn 1.5.23 of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (c. 900 BCE), and the practice of pratyahara (concentrating all of one's senses on self) is mentioned in hymn 8.15 of Chandogya Upanishad (c. 800–700 BCE). Ascetic practices (""tapas""), concentration and bodily postures used by Vedic priests to conduct yajna (sacrifice), might have been precursors to yoga. ""Vratya"", a group of ascetics mentioned in the ""Atharvaveda"", emphasized on bodily postures which may have evolved"
"as yoga, Qigong, and Tao Yin. Dating back to around the fourth century C.E., Yogācāra (literally ""yoga practice"") is one of the two main philosophical systems that underlies Zen, and includes the Lankavatara Sutra mentioned above. It contains a sophisticated psychology of awakening and emphasises the practice of mindfulness. This mindfulness leads not to an experience but to a total shift in the way we relate to all experiences. This shift is referred to in the Yogācāra tradition as parāvṛtti, ""turning around”. There are three terms in contemporary Japan used to describe yoga-style movement work: do-in (from the Chinese Tao"
"and the dance troupe for next 50 years. The school continued till 2015, remaining dedicated to carrying on with Shankar's ideas about processes of innovative and creative dance making. Uday Shankar India Culture Centre continued to offer training in classical dances (Kathakali (throughout the 50 years), Bharata Natyam (from beginning till 1977 and again from 1995 – 2009), Manipuri (for the first 8 years), Kathak (from 1977 till 2015), Odissi ( for 5 years) and offered training in Uday Shankar's creative processes involving observation, innovation, improvisation. As a tribute to Uday Shankar, and to consolidate his legacy, Amala Shankar worked"
"Darpana"" of Nandikeshvara gives 28. In all their forms of Indian classical dance, the mudras are similar, though the names and uses vary. There are 28 (or 32) root mudras in Bharatanatyam, 24 in Kathakali and 20 in Odissi. These root mudras are combined in different ways, like one hand, two hands, arm movements, body and facial expressions. In Kathakali, which has the greatest number of combinations, the vocabulary adds up to c. 900. Sanyukta mudras use both hands and asanyukta mudras use one hand. The classical sources for the mudras in yoga are the ""Gheranda Samhita"" and the ""Hatha"
"the practitioners, it is only the Sadguru of Vihangam Yoga who claims to take- the liberated soul to the Supreme Soul, the Paramatma. Hatha yoga, by means of the various Asanas, Pranayama, bandhs and mudras aims at awakening of the Kundalini. This is achieved in Vihangam Yoga in no time because the knowledge of the eight Chakras or the Psychic centres in the body and the Kundalini become clear-cut by a short practice of this yoga. The Hatha Yogi may take a lifetime of arduous practice to achieve the same result. Mantra Yoga and Tantra Yoga depend on the repetition"
"Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Gyana Yoga, Laya Yoga and a host of others. When the soul becomes associated with Prakriti, mind and its associated senses, different views and notions appear which have given rise to various yogas and its distortions. Vihangam Yoga is the mother of all these ramifications and can be taught only by the Sadguru who is empowered by the original Sadguru, a conscious force described in the Vedas as 'Messenger', Sukrit, Atri, Amanava Purusha or Munindra. While a host of Gurus have appeared, who are teaching various yogas, claiming benefits for"
"techniques include Mitahara (moderate, balanced nutrition), Asana (posture exercises), and ""shakti-chalana"" (awakening inner force) are asserted to be the means to arousing a yogin's Kundalini. ""Yoga"" (from the root """") means ""to add"", ""to join"", ""to unite"", or ""to attach"" in its most common literal sense. According to Dasgupta, the term yoga can be derived from either of two roots, ""yujir yoga"" (to yoke) or ""yuj samādhau"" (to concentrate). ""Kundalini"", states James Lochtefeld, refers to ""the latent spiritual power that exists in every person"". It is a fundamental concept in tantra, and symbolizes an aspect of Shakti that is typically"
"(cakra). The Chakras are traditionally considered meditation aids. The yogi progresses from lower chakras to the highest chakra blossoming in the crown of the head, internalizing the journey of spiritual ascent. In both the Hindu and Buddhist kundalini or candali traditions, the chakras are pierced by a dormant energy residing near or in the lowest chakra. In Hindu texts she is known as Kundalini, while in Buddhist texts she is called Candali or Tummo (Tibetan: ""gtum mo"", ""fierce one""). Below are the common new age description of these six chakras and the seventh point known as sahasrara. This new age"
"include Kundalini Yoga, asceticism, and philosophies ranging from ""Dvaita"" (dualism) to ""Advaita"" (monism). The means of worship in the Hindu Tantric practice differs from the Vedic form. While the Vedic practice of yajna there are no idols and shrines, in its Tantric traditions, idols and symbolic icons with puja are the means of worship. Temples, symbolism, icons that remind the devotee of attributes and values are a necessary part of the Agamic practice, while non-theistic paths are one of the many alternative means in the Vedic practice. This, however, does not necessarily mean that Tantra-Agamas and Vedas are opposed, according"
"Tantric Buddhism. The Buddhist text Hevajra Tantra and ""Caryāgiti"" introduced hierarchies of chakras. Yoga is a significant practice in Tantric Buddhism. The tantra yoga practices include asanas and breathing exercises. The Nyingma tradition practices Yantra yoga (Tib. ""Trul khor""), a discipline that includes breath work (or pranayama), meditative contemplation and other exercises. In the Nyingma tradition, the path of meditation practice is divided into further stages, such as Kriya yoga, Upa yoga, Yoga yana, Mahā yoga, Anu yoga and Ati yoga. The Sarma traditions also include Kriya, Upa (called ""Charya""), and Yoga, with the Anuttara yoga class substituting for Mahayoga"
"but are generally agreeable to the status quo. Left-handed and right-handed modes of practice may be evident in both orthodox and heterodox practices of Indian religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism and is a matter of taste, culture, proclivity, initiation, ""sadhana"" and dharmic ""lineage"" (""parampara""). N. N. Bhattacharyya explains the Sanskrit technical term """" as follows: ""[t]he means of spiritual attainment which varies from person to person according to competence... ""Ācāras"" are generally of seven kinds -- Veda, Vaiṣṇava, Śaiva, Dakṣiṇa, Vāma, Siddhāṇta, and Kaula, falling into two broad categories -- Dakṣiṇa and Vāma. Interpretations vary regarding the"
"is ninth, its task to focus on opening the hips. The Bikram version of Trikonasana resembles Parsvakonasana as executed in Ashtanga or Iyengar Yoga, since the forward leg is bent ""until the back of the leg is parallel to the floor"". The position of the feet is seen as critically important, along with proper breathing and the distribution of weight: about 30% on the back foot, 70% on the front foot. Asanas can be classified in different ways, which may overlap: for example, by the position of the head and feet (standing, sitting, reclining, inverted), by whether balancing is required,"
"are, in order, the yamas (codes of social conduct), niyamas (self-observances), asanas (postures), pranayama (breath work), pratyahara (sense withdrawal or non-attachment), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (realization of the true Self or Atman, and unity with Brahman (The Hindu Concept of Ultimate Reality)). Asanas are the physical movements of yoga practice and, in combination with the breathing exercises of pranayama constitute hatha yoga. Patanjali describes asanas as a ""steady and comfortable posture"", referring to the seated postures used for pranayama and for meditation. He further states that meditation is the path to samādhi, transpersonal self-realization. The central figure in"
"Yoga and Bikram Yoga) showed differing opinions with respect to the body positioning. This article does not make a distinction between trikonasana (triangle pose) and utthita trikonasana (extended triangle pose). In the tradition of Satyananda Yoga trikonasana is described as a series of up to five different asanas performed in sequence but labeled with the single name ""trikonasana"". B. K. S. Iyengar claims practice of this asana improves the flexibility of the spine, corrects alignment of the shoulders; relieves backache, gastritis, indigestion, acidity, flatulence; massages and tones the pelvic organs, corrects the effects of a sedentary lifestyle or faulty posture,"
"Yoga-kundalini Upanishad The Yoga-kundalini Upanishad (Sanskrit: योगकुण्डलिनी उपनिषत् IAST: ), also called Yogakundali Upanishad (Sanskrit: योगकुण्डल्युपनिषत्, IAST: Yogakuṇḍalī Upaniṣad), is a minor Upanishad of Hinduism. The Sanskrit text is one of the 20 Yoga Upanishads, and is one of 32 Upanishads attached to the Krishna Yajurveda. In the Muktika canon, narrated by Rama to Hanuman, it is listed at number 86 in the anthology of 108 Upanishads. It is a highly significant text related to the exposition of the Kundalini Yoga, describes Hatha and Lambika yoga, and the last chapter is primarily about the quest of self-knowledge, Atman, Brahman (the"
"Dattatreya to be one and the same. Shandilya Upanishad The Shandilya Upanishad (Sanskrit: शाण्डिल्य उपनिषत्, IAST: Śāṇḍilya Upaniṣad) is a Sanskrit text and one of the minor Upanishads of Hinduism. It is one of twenty Yoga Upanishads in the four Vedas, and is attached to the Atharvaveda. The text is primarily focussed on Yoga techniques, and is among the most detailed in the Upanishadic corpus of texts dedicated to Yoga. It describes ten Yamas (ethical don'ts, restraints), ten Niyamas (ethical to do list, observances) and eight Asanas (postures), along with three Pranayamas, five types of Pratyaharas, five kinds of Dharana,"
"a Mandala image, mantra recitation and visualization of a chosen meditation deity called a Yidam. There are various types of Deity Yoga. One of the practices involves the meditator visualizing the Deity in front of them and another involves the meditator visualizing themselves as their chosen Deity and their surroundings with the elements of their Yidam's Mandala. According to Shangpa Rinpoche, this is the most common type of meditation in Vajrayana Buddhism. Buddhānusmṛti Buddhānusmṛti (Sanskrit; Pali: ""buddhānussati""), meaning ""Buddha-mindfulness"", is a common Buddhist practice in all Buddhist traditions which involves meditating with a Buddha, such as Gautama or Amitābha, as"
"issued a clarification that yoga postures (""asanas"") could not be copyrighted in the way claimed by Bikram, and that Yoga to the People and others could continue to freely teach these exercises. In 2015, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court ruling that the Bikram Yoga Sequence was not copyrightable subject matter. Bikram Choudhary goes by his first name, ""Bikram"". He is most known in popular culture for mass marketing his yoga practice into a franchising system of 900 yoga studios as of 2004. Bikram insists that classes be taught in these studios in a certain way,"
"various schools of Hindu philosophy such as the Yoga school. These perfected or default imprints of karma within a person, influences that person's nature, response and states of mind. In another context, Sanskara refers to the diverse rites of passage in Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. In Hinduism, the ""sanskaras"" vary in number and details according to regional traditions. They range from the list of 40 sanskaras in the ""Gautama Dharmasutra"" from about the middle of 1st millennium BCE, to 16 sanskaras in the Grhyasutra texts from centuries later. The list of sanskaras in Hinduism include both external rituals such"
"the text, the yogi should practice Pranayama, that is proper Puraka (inhalation), Kumbhaka (holding the breath) and Recaka (exhalation) of 16, 64 and 32 matras (beats). Pratyahara, the Upanishad defines as restraining the mind from being driven by the sensory objects. Dhyana is contemplating the oneness of consciousness in all, asserts the text. Dharana, states the text, is singular focus of consciousness. Samadhi is the state where one forgets oneself and is in complete absorption within. These are the eight limbs, which empowers one to achieve ""mukti"" (liberation), asserts ""Mandalabrahmana Upanishad"". The yogi's untrained body starts with five inherent defects,"