"formation of yoga. Jason Birch has investigated the evolution of the meaning of the Sanskrit word """"haṭha""."" He specifically researched the key role of the ""Hatha Yoga Pradīpikā"" in popularizing a particular interpretation of this term. When written, the ""Hatha Yoga Pradīpikā"" drew from various classic texts on different systems of yoga, and Svātmārāma grouped what he had found under the generic term ""haṭha yoga"". Although haṭha yoga has evolved into a generic term that is currently understood as a branch of yoga involving physical poses (including sun salutations, vinyāsas, aṣṭāṅga, etc.), it originally had a more specific meaning. After"
"taught in the name of yoga. Hatha Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Laya Yoga and Raja Yoga are some of the various kinds of yoga, which are popular in India. These are physical or Prakritic yogas. They are practiced at the physical level of body, mind, intellect and Pranas and develop their powers appreciably. The ultimate aim of yoga as propounded in the Vedas and the Upanishads is to unite the individual soul (Atma) with the Supreme Soul (Paramatma). This highest form of yoga is called Vihangam Yoga or Brahma Vidya. The knowledge of Vihangam Yoga had disappeared for the last five"
"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"
"to a western audience was Swami Vivekananda, who toured Europe and the United States in the 1890s. Nearly all types of hatha yoga practices include asana, pranayama and savasana. The physical asanas of hatha yoga have a tradition that goes back to at least the 15th century, but they were not widely practiced in India prior to the early 20th century. A hatha ""yoga boom"" occurred in the 1980s, as unconnected to a religious denomination. Since then, hatha yoga has been used as a supplementary exercise practice. The more classical approaches of hatha yoga, such as iyengar yoga, move at"
"unified, content state of existence). Hatha yoga, also called hatha vidyā, is a kind of yoga focusing on physical and mental strength building exercises and postures described primarily in three texts of Hinduism: Many scholars also include the ""Goraksha Samhita"" by Gorakshanath of the 11th century in the above list. Gorakshanath is widely considered to have been responsible for popularizing hatha yoga as we know it today. Vajrayana Buddhism, founded by the Indian Mahasiddhas, has a series of asanas and pranayamas, such as tummo (Sanskrit ""caṇḍālī"") and trul khor which parallel hatha yoga. In Shaivism, yoga is used to unite"
"""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"
"the discipline of dissolution where the focus is on thinking of the ""Lord without parts"" all the times while going through daily life activities. The Laya Yoga, the second in the order of importance, is oriented towards assimilation by the chitta or mind, wherein the person always thinks of formless Ishvara (God). The Hatha Yoga, to which ""Yogatattva Upanishad"" dedicates most of its verses, is discussed with eight interdependent practices: ten yamas (self-restraints), ten niyamas (self-observances), asana (postures), pranayama (control of breath), pratyahara (conquering the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana, and samadhi that is the state of meditative consciousness. The text"
"opposing forces. The first occurrence of the term 'hatha yoga' is in fact found in the Buddhist Guhyasamāja tantra dating from the 8th century. Yantra yoga (or Trul khor) is the Tibetan Buddhist parallel to the Hindu or Vedic Hatha yoga tradition. The discipline includes similar body postures (asanas) and pranayama practices, and includes mantra practice and visualisations. Originating with the mahasiddhas of India, it was brought to Tibet in the eighth century by the great master Padmasambhava and transmitted to the Tibetan Dzogchen master Vairochana. Its practice is nowadays found in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. With the revival"
"Specifically, yoga is one of the six ""āstika"" (""orthodox"") schools of Hindu philosophy. It is based on the ""Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali"". Various traditions of yoga are found in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Pre–philosophical speculations and diverse ascetic practices of first millennium BCE were systematized into a formal philosophy in early centuries CE by the ""Yoga Sutras of Patanjali"". By the turn of the first millennium, Hatha yoga emerged as a prominent tradition of yoga distinct from the Patanjali's ""Yoga Sutras"". While the ""Yoga Sutras"" focus on discipline of the mind, Hatha yoga concentrates on health and purity of"
"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"
"a new light and made the divine accessible to all, and not just the preserve of the priestly class. Kripa has been categorized in various ways as Ishwara kripa (grace of God), variously Hari Kripa, Shastra kripa (grace of the Scriptures), Guru kripa (grace of the Guru) and lastly Atma kripa (grace of the Self). Kripa (philosophy) Kripa (कृपा) is the concept of divine grace in Hinduism. It is the central tenet of Bhakti Yoga and Bhakti movements, which are seen as reform movements in Hinduism as compared to the Hinduism which finds its origins in the Vedas; though variously"
"as the liberating force"" and notes that they are ""metaphors for the internal yogic processes to gain enlightenment"". In Indo-Tibetan Vajrayana, Yidams are divine forms of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The tantric practitioner is initiated into the mandala of a particular chosen deity (Sanskrit: ""Iṣṭa-devatā"") and practices complex sadhanas (meditations) on the deity for the purpose of personal transformation. This Deity Yoga practice is central to tantric forms of Buddhism such as Tibetan Buddhism. Yidams can be peaceful, fierce and ""semi-fierce"" (having both fierce and peaceful aspects). Fierce deities can be divided into male and female categories. The Herukas (Tb. ""khrag"
"and Atiyoga. Zen, the name of which derives from the Sanskrit ""dhyāna"" via the Chinese ""ch'an"" is a form of Mahayana Buddhism. Yoga practices integrally exist within the Zen Buddhist school. Certain essential elements of yoga are important both for Buddhism in general and for Zen in particular. The earliest references to hatha yoga are in Buddhist works dating from the eighth century. The earliest definition of hatha yoga is found in the 11th century Buddhist text ""Vimalaprabha"", which defines it in relation to the center channel, bindu etc. Hatha yoga synthesizes elements of Patanjali's ""Yoga Sutras"" with posture and"
"Bhakti yoga Bhakti yoga, also called Bhakti marga (literally the path of ""Bhakti""), is a spiritual path or spiritual practice within Hinduism focused on loving devotion towards a personal god. It is one of the paths in the spiritual practices of Hindus, others being Jnana yoga and Karma yoga. The tradition has ancient roots. Bhakti is mentioned in the ""Shvetashvatara Upanishad"" where it simply means participation, devotion and love for any endeavor. ""Bhakti yoga"" as one of three spiritual paths for salvation is discussed in depth by the ""Bhagavad Gita"". The personal god varies with the devotee. It may include"
"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"
"centuries). Yogacara received the name as it provided a ""yoga,"" a framework for engaging in the practices that lead to the path of the bodhisattva. The yogacara sect teaches ""yoga"" as a way to reach enlightenment. Middle Ages saw the development of many satellite traditions of yoga. Hatha yoga emerged in this period. The Bhakti movement was a development in medieval Hinduism which advocated the concept of a personal God (or ""Supreme Personality of Godhead""). The movement was initiated by the Alvars of South India in the 6th to 9th centuries, and it started gaining influence throughout India by the"
"Integral yoga (Satchidananda) Integral Yoga is a system of Yoga that synthesizes six branches of classical Yoga philosophy and practice: Hatha, Raja, Bhakti, Karma, Jnana, and Japa Yoga. It was brought to the West from India by Sri Swami Satchidananda Saraswati. Its aim is to integrate body, mind, and spirit by combining physical practices and philosophical approaches to life in order to develop the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual aspects of individuals. The system includes the practices of asana, pranayama, and meditation as a way to develop physical and mental stillness in order to access inner peace and joy, which"
"Jagannath Jagannath (, IAST: Jagannātha, or Jagannatha) is a deity worshipped in regional traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism in India and Bangladesh. Jagannath is considered a form of Vishnu. He is a part of a triad along with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra. To some Vaishnava Hindus, Jagannath is an abstract representation of Krishna; to some Shaiva and Shakta Hindus, he is a symmetry-filled tantric representation of Bhairava; to some Buddhists, he is symbolism for Buddha in the Buddha-Sangha-Dhamma triad; to some Jains, his name and his festive rituals are derived from Jeenanath of Jainism tradition. The icon of"
"a practical means to realize the divine force within which is central to modern western esotericism. The other three yogas are the classical Karma Yoga (""Karma Yoga""), Bhakti Yoga, and Jnana Yoga (""Jnana Yoga""). Vivekananda's interpretation of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras is mostly based on the part on ""astanga yoga"", the eight limbs of yoga described in the ""Sadhana Pada"" or practice part. According to De Michelis, Vivekananda's ideas on ""Raja Yoga"" mainly consists of two different models, with sometimes a third ""mode of thought"": ""Raja Yoga"" became an instant success and was highly influential in the western understanding of Yoga."
"with the Divine (the universal Being) and all creatures, a constant delight"". Bhakti yoga is one of three ""yoga"" taught in ""Bhagavad Gita"". ""Bhakti yoga"" is, according to Peter Bishop, a devotee's loving devotion to a personal god as the path for spirituality. The other two paths are ""jnana yoga"", the path of wisdom where the individual pursues knowledge and introspective self-understanding as spiritual practice, while ""karma yoga"" is path of virtuous action (karma) neither expecting a reward nor consequences for doing the right thing, or ""nishkama karma"". Later, new movements within Hinduism added raja yoga as the fourth spiritual"
"writings, predominantly in English, is classed as founding, proselytizing religions, or ""guru-ism"" by Michaels (1998). Hatha Yoga was popularized from the 1960s by B.K.S. Iyengar, K. Pattabhi Jois and others. However, western practice of Yoga has mostly become detached from its religious or mystic context and is predominantly practiced as exercise or alternative medicine. Since the 1980s, Mata Amritanandamayi and Mother Meera (the ""Divine Mother"", self-identifying as an avatar of Shakti) have been active in the west. Substantial emigration from the (predominantly Hindu) Republic of India has taken place since the 1970s, with several million Hindus moving to North America"
"Light on Yoga Light on Yoga: Yoga Dipika (Sanskrit: योग दीपिका ""Yoga Dipika"") is a 1966 book on the Iyengar Yoga style of hatha yoga by B. K. S. Iyengar. It describes more than 200 yoga postures or asanas, and is illustrated with some 600 monochrome photographs of Iyengar demonstrating these. The book has been described as the bible of modern yoga. It has been translated into at least 17 languages and has sold over three million copies. B. K. S. Iyengar (1918-2014) was born in a poor family of Brahmins in Karnataka, India. In childhood he suffered from diseases"
"are classical followers of Shaivism. The principles of Yoga philosophy of Nath tradition are stated in various books e.g. Gorakshagita, Goraksha Paddhati, Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati, Amaraugha Sasana, Amaraugha Prabodha, Mahartha Manjari, Gheranda Samhita, etc., all written in Sanskrit. Hatha yoga is a holistic path of yoga which includes disciplines, postures (asana), purification procedures (shatkriya), gestures (mudra), breathing (pranayama), meditation (dhyana), samadhi. The Nath tradition is a syncretic Yoga and Vedanta schools of Hindu philosophy based Shaiva tradition, that reveres Shiva and Dattatreya. Its founding is attributed to the ideas of Matsyendranath and Gorakshanath, developed further with an additional seven other"
"as significant that asanas are named after plants, insects, fish and amphibians, reptiles, birds, and quadrupeds; as well as ""legendary heroes"", sages, and avatars of Hindu gods, in his view ""illustrating spiritual evolution"". For instance, the lion pose, Simhasana, recalls the myth of Narasimha, half man, half lion, and an avatar of Vishnu, as told in the ""Bhagavata Purana"". The message is, Iyengar explains, that while performing asanas, the yogi takes the form of different creatures, from the lowest to the highest, not despising any ""for he knows that throughout the whole gamut of creation ... there breathes the same"
"disciplines which originated in ancient India. The term ""Yoga"" has been applied to a variety of practices and methods. In Hinduism these include Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Laya Yoga and Hatha Yoga. The term ""Rāja yoga"" originally referred to the ultimate goal of yoga, which is Samadhi (Sanskrit: , ), but was popularised by Swami Vivekananda as the common name for ""Ashtanga Yoga"". In the Ashtanga Yoga tradition, ""Samadhi"" is the eighth and final limb identified in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. ""Aum"" or ""Oṃ"" (Devanagari: ), , is a sacred sound and a spiritual symbol in Hinduism,"
"century Hatha Yoga Pradipika is a key text of this tradition and includes various forms of pranayama such as breath retention techniques termed Kumbhaka and various body locks (Bandha). Other forms of pranayama breathing include Ujjayi breath (""Victorious Breath""), Bhastrika (""bellows breath"") and Kapalabhati (""skull shining breath""). Many of these practices have become popular in Western forms of Yoga. According to the Pali Buddhist Canon, the Buddha prior to his enlightenment practiced a meditative technique which involved pressing the palate with the tongue and forcibly attempting to restrain the breath. This is described as both extremely painful and not conducive"
"of ancient India. The aims of Hatha yoga in various Indian traditions have been the same as those of other varieties of yoga. These include physical ""siddhis"" (special powers, bodily benefits such as slowing age effects, magical powers) and spiritual liberation (moksha, mukti). According to Mikel Burley, some of the ""siddhis"" are symbolic references to the cherished soteriological goals of Indian religions. For example, the ""Vayu Siddhi"" or ""conquest of the air"" literally implies rising into the air as in levitation, but it likely has a symbolic meaning of ""a state of consciousness into a vast ocean of space"" or"
"known in the objective attitude as an object somewhere in the beyond as an ""idam"". Advaita Vedanta holds Brahman as the Atman and Brahman as ""idam sarvam"" (""all this""). The Yoga school of Hindu philosophy considers the Individual Self inseparable from and identical with the Universal Self. Shiva represents the supreme consciousness Brahman; the subject (consciousness) which is the positive ""Shiva-tattva"" is called ""aham"" and the object ('power of consciousness') which is the negative ""Shakti-tattva"" is called ""idam""('this'), the former which pervades the thirty-five ""tattvas"" being passive is dependent on Shakti (""idam"") for creation to occur. The three principal modes"
"a yidam. Avalokiteshvara, Tara, Manjusri, Hevajra and consort Nairatmya, Heruka-Chakrasamvara and consort Vajravarahi, etc. are frequently chosen as yidams, but any deity of the tantric pantheon may be adopted as such. The yidam is used as a means or a goal of transformation towards full enlightenment. According to certain traditions, the Ishtadevas are considered as the emanation of the adept's own mind. Yidam Yidam is a type of deity associated with tantric or Vajrayana Buddhism said to be manifestations of Buddhahood or enlightened mind. During personal meditation (""sādhana"") practice, the yogi identifies their own form, attributes and mind with those"
"manner similar to ""cessation, quieting, nirvana"". These meditation practices are named after Brahma, a god also found in Hinduism texts as well as Jainism text wherein he is equated with Rishabhanatha – the first Tirthankara in Jaina tradition. The old Upanishads mention both Brahma in the masculine gender deity ""Brahmā"", as well as gender neutral ""Brahman"" as the impersonal world principle. According to David Kalupahana, the Upanishads do not strictly distinguish between the two. In contrast, Damien Keown and Charles Prebish state the texts do distinctly present both the male deity Brahma and the abstract Brahman, however, in the Upanishads,"
"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"
"given, according to Ingalls: one answer is of Bhima, which is the answer of brute force, an individual angle representing materialism, egoism, and self; the second answer is of Yudhishthira, which is always an appeal to piety and gods, of social virtue and of tradition; the third answer is of introspective Arjuna, which falls between the two extremes, and who, claims Ingalls, symbolically reveals the finest moral qualities of man. The Epics of Hinduism are a symbolic treatise about life, virtues, customs, morals, ethics, law, and other aspects of dharma. There is extensive discussion of dharma at the individual level"
"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"