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Karma Yoga
Karma Yoga
Karma Yoga is the consecration of all the actions and their outcomes to the Almighty. Known as the Yoga of action, Karma Yoga purifies the heart, for the reception of the Divine Light and attainment of the knowledge of one’s own self. The ultimate aim of Karma Yoga is to provide selfless service to humanity, without any ego. People performing Karma Yoga serve the needy, without urging to bear fruit for all their actions. It is one of the most popular types of Yoga, which cannot be done without dedication, determination and altruism.
Karma takes the shape of Karma Yoga, when the practitioner acts as an instrument in the hands of the Almighty, as a participant in the cosmic activity of Nature and does the service without the expectation of fruits. The person then believes that he/she is only the instrument and that the Lord is working unselfishly, through him/her. He/she surrenders all the actions and their fruits to the Lord. He/she attains the knowledge of the Self. Ultimately, the person is released from the bonds of Karma.
A person aspiring to follow the divine path of Karma Yoga doesn’t have to possess materialistic wealth. All the person needs is a peaceful mind, body and a selfless attitude, to serve humanity. The person following the path of Karma Yoga, known as Karma Yogi, should be free from lust, greed, egoism and anger. His/her heart should be filled with the thought of serving the poor and the helpless people, selflessly. Even if the person has any traces of these ‘doshas’, he/she should try to eliminate them immediately. In addition, he/she should not desire for name, fame or money in return of the service.
A jealous person can never be a Karma Yogi. He/she should be humble, free from meanness, miserliness, harshness, hatred and jealousy. He/she should be a soft-spoken person and should never use any harsh words. The person, who expects respect and honor from others, cannot serve people selflessly. Moreover, a Karma Yogi should be fearless. He/she should be amiable and social. He/she should never differentiate people in terms of their caste, creed, color and gender. The Karma Yogi should have the feeling of love, compassion and mercy and should have perfect adaptability and tolerance.
Karma Yoga purifies the heart. It releases the Karma Yogi from the ties of the kindred and indulges him/her into activities of selfless social service. Bad qualities of egoism, jealously, superiority and hatred are completely removed from the mind of the person, when he/she follows the path of Karma Yoga. The person gets a broad outlook on life. He/she attains the knowledge of the Self and realizes the concept of ‘one in all’ and ‘all in one’.
Jnana Yoga
Jnana Yoga
Jnana Yoga is the Yoga of true knowledge, which incessantly strives to know and understand the difference between the real and unreal, the permanent and the temporary. The holistic path of Jnana Yoga was described as a straight, but steep course, by Sadananad in his Vedanta-Sara, a 15th century text. Jnana Yoga preaches that there are four means of salvation. According to Jnana Yoga, the person should be able to detach himself/herself from everything that is temporary, after following the holistic path. It also aims to attain tranquility, the control of the mind and the senses, endurance, faith and the ability for perfect concentration.
It is a popular belief that Jnana Yoga is based on the Hindu philosophy of nondualism. Contrary to the assumption, the holistic path of Yoga also finds its place in many branches of Buddhism, including Zen, Islamic Sufism and some branches of Christianity that follow the Gospel of Thomas. Jnana Yoga emphasizes on the use of mind to surpass or discern the mind. It aims to explore knowledge. There are the Eight Limbs of Yoga in Jnana Yoga. The person, who follows this holistic path, attains self-discipline, hears the truth and reflects upon it. There is an urge in the person to attain freedom from whatever is temporary.
The ‘liberation’ is attainted through knowledge, rather than following rituals and ceremonies. However, not everyone is knowledgeable. Knowledge is limited to the special few people, who are prepared for sound examination and clear judgment of the nature of consciousness. This knowledge is attained only if the person goes through conclusions of the seers by reading scriptures, accumulated through millions of years. The knowledge, thus accumulated, is examined by the individual in the light of his own intelligence and then comes to his own realization. After going through this rigorous process of Jnana Yoga, the person seeking the knowledge ultimately gains insight, the ability to discriminate what is true, and what is untrue.
The benefits of Jnana Yoga are manifold. The person, who follows this holistic path of Jnana Yoga, attains tranquility, which is the art of remaining calm even in the face of adversity. Self-control in one’s own self is attained by following Jnana Yoga. Another benefit of following this holistic path is cessation, or keeping one’s self abstained from the actions that are irrelevant to the maintenance of the body and the pursuit of inner-enlightenment. After a significant period, the person even attains endurance. He/she is remains unruffled by the play of the opposites in Nature, such as heat and cold, pleasure and pain, praise and censure. Apart from this, the person remains single-minded in all the situations. He/she also becomes able to increase his/her concentration power.
Hatha Yoga
Hatha Yoga
Introduced by Yogi Swatmarama in the 15th century in India, Hatha Yoga is one of the prominent types of Yoga. Hatha Yoga is the origin of many other styles of Yoga, including Power Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Kundalini Yoga and Ashtanga Yoga. The word ‘hatha’, derived from Sanskrit, means the combination of the opposites – ha (meaning Sun) and tha (meaning Moon). It unites the positive (Sun) and negative (Moon) currents in the system. It is mainly concentrated on the third (Asana) and fourth (Pranayams) in the Eight Limbs of Yoga. It aims to attain a balance between the body and mind, through the physical postures of Asanas, purification procedures (Shatkriyas), poses (Mudras), yogic breathing (Pranayams) and meditation. It also aims to pacify the mind through relaxation and meditation techniques.
During Hatha Yoga, Asanas are performed to improve the overall health. The regular practice of Asanas grants the practitioner with the improvement in his/her overall health. The postures make the body feel relaxed for long time after they are performed. The muscle flexibility and bone strength are improved, by performing Asanas. Apart from the physical postures, Pranayams also form an important part of Hatha Yoga. Yogis in the ancient times believed that the control to one’s mind could be unlocked by controlling one’s breath. Hence, the practice of Hatha Yoga can help you identify your hidden physical and mental strengths. Meditation is another part of Hatha Yoga, which rewards the practitioner with some non-physical benefits such as the increase in his/her concentration power.
By the regular practice of Hatha Yoga, one can ensure overall physical and mental health. The branch of Yoga helps the person to reduce the risk of various kinds of physical and mental ailments. The individual tends to feel more relaxed during stressful situations, after performing Hatha Yoga. Apart from toning the internal organs, the physical postures of Hatha Yoga help prevent diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and arthritis. Muscular-skeletal problems such as scoliosis can be prevented by doing Hatha Yoga. The physical postures also improve blood circulation, immune system and stimulate endocrine glands. On the other hand, Pranayams help prevent breathing problems like asthma and bronchitis.
Hatha yoga is beneficial for people of all ages. Children, adults and elderly people can enjoy the benefits of Hatha Yoga, alike. The Asanas and Pranayams are gentle, but highly effective forms of exercises. Patience, calmness and determination can help you garner the benefits of Hatha Yoga, effectively. It is the best bet to lead a life free of anxiety, stress and tension. If you are in search of inner-enlightenment, Hatha Yoga is the answer for you. The relaxation exercises will help in opening up the energy channels, thereby allowing the free flow of spiritual energy within you.