Yoga
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Interactive
Online Yoga & Meditation For Men
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After
speaking with the Founder of www.YogaYak.com , I read her story on her website
and I thought it would be nice for you to get to know her a little.
Here is the link to her profile: Jenn
Ryan
Be
sure to check them out. The website is huge with everything "Yoga"
and "Meditation"!
A
Brief Glimpse at Yoga Through Time
by Jennifer Courtney
Yogayak offers a comprehensive resource of classes and information
concerning all styles of yoga; beginning with the styles that have
gained the most prominence in Hindu culture:
Let us begin near the beginning.
Between 200BC and 300AD an Indian philosopher known as Patanjali gave
the world the Yoga Sutras - a series of aphorisms that set out the
practice of the eight limbs of classical yoga. Though we know very
little about the sage himself, Patanjali's great work is considered the
cornerstone of the knowledge of yoga practice, from asana practice to
the deeper internal journey of meditation and self- realization. The
work is set out into four chapters known as The Samadhi Pada, the
Sadhana Pada, the Vibhuti Pada and the Kaivayla Pada. Yoga means union,
sutra is the Sanskrit word for thread, and pada is the Sanksrit word
for book. These 196 short phrases remain the foremost body of work on
the philosophy of yoga. From the commentary and analysis of yogis,
sages, translators and philosophers over waves upon waves of time we
have accumulated the wisdom of yoga as it is practiced today - a
combination of asanas, meditation and body/spirit care that has proven
to be of timeless benefit to all who engage in this practice.
Hatha
Yoga
This is the style most familiar to most of us. Hatha Yoga is also known
as the forceful yoga; the name Hatha comes from a combination of two
Sanskrit words Ha (sun) and Tha (moon). The western practice of Hatha
Yoga focuses mostly on the asana practice, which is designed to keep
the body flexible and to cool the mind in preparation for meditation.
This form of yoga also aids in creating a harmony between our dual
natures (masculine/feminine, hot/cold, will/surrender) and brings us
closer to a deeper practice of yoga. Please visit our Hatha Yoga page
for further study and exciting online classes!
Bhakti
Yoga
Bhakti yoga is the yoga of devotion and chanting. Predating Hatha yoga,
Bhakti yoga is approx. 4000 years old making it one of the oldest forms
of yoga in the world! North Americans most commonly come to yoga as a
form of exercise, whereas Indian culture approaches asana practice as a
way to calm the mind before meditation and worship. Kirtan is the
practice of singing the name of God in all his/her divine aspects;
translated from Sanskrit it means 'I surrender to the Lord'.
Traditionally, kirtan is performed in a call and response style. The
kirtan leader sings a line or verse of a mantra or prayer, and the
kirtan group responds as accurately as possible. Kirtan is a community,
a dialogue between the call leader, the kirtan group and the energy of
the Divine. In the eight limb system of classical yoga, kirtan is
considered to be pratyahara (focusing the mind inward) and is a bridge
between our inner and outer selves. Bhakti yoga is the divine melody
and rhythm of the human spirit, expressed in chanting and song. For
more information and bhakti yoga classes, please see our Bhakti Yoga
page!
Karma
Yoga
Karma yoga is selfless service to others. This yoga asks that the yogi
make his/her actions in this world expressions of devotion and
offerings to God, without considering personal gain. If you do
community work, volunteer work, or just do something very nice for
someone for no reason at all, you are performing acts of karma yoga.
Ghandi's years of selfless service to South Africa and India are famous
examples of the work of Karma yoga.
Dream
Yoga
Dream yoga is about listening attentively to what your dreams are
telling you. This knowledge is used to better your waking life by
helping you pay more attention to your daily realities, dreamed or
shared.Yogayak would like to invite you to explore dreams (ours and
yours!), dream yoga and lucid dreaming in our free dream yoga section
located in our community forum!
Jnana
Yoga
Jnana yoga is the study of the philosophy of yoga; Jnana is the
Sanskrit word for knowledge . The practice of this yoga involves deep
meditation practice, study of the self, the True Self and the
Transcendental Self. The yogi is challenged to examine the real and the
illusory. In order to do so the yogi must use his/her mind to retrain
the mind to separate the real from the unreal and thus discover and
liberate the True Self. Jnana yoga uses meditation, introspection and
contemplation techniques to attain wisdom and enlightenment. For
further study please explore our meditation page and try the
meditations you will find there brought to you by Kavita Maharaj and
Padma, both with extensive meditation and yoga experience.
Mantra
Yoga
This is primarily the yoga of sound. The word mantra comes from a
combination of the Sanskrit words man 'to think' and tra
'instrumentality' . Mantra is intention expressed as sound, unlike
Bhakti yoga , which is strictly the yoga of song and chanting; for
instance when you chant 'OM' you are combining mantra yoga and bhakti
yoga. Mantras have been chanted for thousands of years (some
continuously for thousands of years!) to guide the mind into meditation
and to establish an intention to create states of consciousness or ask
for divine guidance. You can find mantra yoga on both our Bhakti Yoga
and Meditation pages - go and hear for your Self!
Raja
Yoga
Raj is the Sanskrit word for king and Raja yoga is known as the Royal
Yoga because it brings out the king/queen in all of us; the noble inner
self that is so infrequently acknowledged in our every day lives. Raja
yoga provides an opportunity to focus on the quality of our daily
thoughts and deeds, being careful to reveal the goodness that the
workings of the mind often conceal or disregard. Most closely
associated with the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali , it is most commonly
expressed in the eight limbs of Classical Yoga. For practice at the
Royal Yoga, please explore the depth of the classes offered in our
Ashtanga and Kundalini Yoga section.
Namaste
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