| Yoga
is a general term for spiritual disciplines in Hinduism and is directed
towards attaining higher consciousness and liberation from ignorance
and suffering. More specifically it is also the name of one of the six
orthodox systems of Hindu philosophy. Both Vedic and Buddhist literature
discuss the doctrines of wandering ascetics in ancient India who practiced
various kinds of austerities and meditation. |
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Hindu
tradition in general recognizes three main kinds of yoga:
Jnana
yoga: the path of realization and wisdom;
Bhakti
yoga: the path of love and devotion to a personal God, and
Karma
yoga: the path of selfless action. Other classifications
also exist.
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| Patañjali's
Yoga is known as Raja-yoga or `royal yoga'. Hatha yoga, which stresses
physical control and postures, is widely practiced in the West. Kundalini
yoga, especially associated with Tantra, is based on the physiology
of the "subtle body," according to which seven major centers
of psychic energy, called chakras, are located along the spinal column,
with the kundalini, or `coiled-up' energy in latent form, located at
the base of the spine. When the kundalini is activated by yogic methods,
it ascends the spine through the main subtle artery of the sushumna,
`opening up' each chakra in turn. When the kundalini reaches the topmost
chakra in the brain, samadhi is attained. |
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| Yoga
is usually practiced under the guidance of a guru, or spiritual guide.
Contemporary systems of yoga, such as those of Sri Aurobindo Ghose and
Sri Chinmoy Ghose, stresses that spiritual realization can be attained
without the withdrawal from the world characteristic of the older traditions.
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