Yoga
Yoga developed in Hindusim and Bhudhism for spiritual
disciplines. It is directed toward attaining higher consciousness
and liberation from ignorance, suffering and rebirth throughout
South Asia. It is considered as the one of the six orthodox
systems of Hindu philosophy. Both the Buddhist and Vedic
literature speak more about the yoga and meditation. The
yoga of the olden days has changed a lot. Today, Aurobindo
Ghose and Sri Chinmoy Ghose, that are considered to be
the contemporary systems of yoga, stress that, spiritual
realization can be attained without the withdrawal from
the world characteristics of the olden traditions.
In general Yoga is practiced under the guidance of a
guru who is called as spiritual guide. The practice of
Yoga has been classified into eight states. Yama is the
Yoga that is to restraint for vice. Yoga is usually practiced
under the guidance of a guru, or spiritual guide. Patañjali
divides the practice of yoga into eight stages. But the
main Hindu tradition classifies the Yoga into three classes,
they are: Janna Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Karma Yoga. Jnana
Yoga is to meditation to gain wisdom. Bhakti Yoga is the
meditation for the path of love and devotion to a personal
God. The third one is the Karma Yoga; it is the path of
selfless action.
In other classification, the patanjali's
yoga is known as raja, or royal, yoga. Hatha yoga that
is mostly practiced in western countries is the physical
control and postures. 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” energy in latent form, located
at the base of the spine.
