Yoga is the philosophy of Ancient India, the foundations of which are set out in the main work of this school, called the Yoga Sutra, and the commentaries to it. Its author is Patanajali, about whom very little is known.
Previously, it was believed that the great teacher, philosopher and yogi lived in India in the II century BC. But now the opinion has strengthened that it was several centuries later – in the II century A.D. Patanajali is only the author of the work, and not the entire philosophical teaching, since mention of the principles of yogic practice is mentioned in the Vedas, Ramayana and Mahabharata (in part of the Bhagavad Gita). The very term "yoga" can be found in the early Upanishads, which are commentaries on the Vedas.
So, all being includes two substances Prakriti and Purusha. Prakriti represents everything material in the existing world. This is something that can be seen, heard or felt in some other way, registered with high-precision instruments.
Under the concept of "Purusha" there is a spiritual principle, the so-called eternal Spirit. Ishvara– the God among all spiritual beings, is the manifestation of Purusha. He did not create the world and does not control it, but he is able to unite and separate the spiritual from the material. If Prakriti cannot be realized, then Purusha has consciousness.
If Prakriti is constantly changing, then Purusha is not subject to change, so he is outside of time and space. He is like an observer of the changing picture of the world.
In the teachings of classical yoga, man, like the whole world, is a kind of microcosm that combines Prakriti and Purusha.
The material in a person is his physical body, thoughts, emotions, memory, etc. The spiritual, that is, Purusha, represents his consciousness, the so-called "I" – unchangeable and eternal.
Purusha consciously directs Prakriti. This can be compared to people lost in the forest, where Purusha has no legs and Prakriti is blind. And only by uniting, they will be able to make their way through the forest and free themselves.
From attachment to the objective world, which generates desires and expectations, a person experiences suffering. As long as we are attached to the forms of Prakriti, we leave imprints (vasanas) in our buddhi (the instrument of perception of the external world), therefore our Karma – dependence of a causal nature will exist.
After the death of the physical body, the vasanas remain, and the soul passes into another entity. This is called reincarnation, and a series of rebirths is called the wheel of samsara.
It is possible to get rid of suffering, yoga says. It is the practice of yoga, cleansing techniques, a set of exercises for the body and spirit, philosophical reflections that will help to realize Purusha, give up striving for something material, get rid of attachments. After this realization, the soul leaves the wheel of samsara. The achieved being can only be compared with Ishvara – there is no suffering, but there is awareness.
Within the framework of classical yoga, different directions have been formed. There are a whole lot of them. We will consider some of them.
Features and objectives of Shivananda Yoga
Sivananda Yoga was founded by Swami Sivananda (1887-1963), a Hindu spiritual teacher. This direction is distinguished by the complexity of the approach, as it contains exercises to achieve relaxation, training in internal concentration, breathing exercises.
Sivananda Yoga is based on five most important principles:
Relaxation. In order to achieve maximum spiritual, physical and mental relaxation, it is necessary to regularly perform Shavasana (an exercise performed in a certain corpse pose).
Meditation and Vedanta help to achieve positive thinking, which contributes to the well-being of the spiritual, mental, physical. We recommend an article about the practice of vipassana.
The regularity and correctness of performing asanas contribute to strengthening the body, rejuvenation and restoration of the body.
Breathing techniques help to take control of your own consciousness.
Through the practice of vegetarianism and moderate restrictions in food, the human body receives useful substances, while there is no negative impact on the environment.
Each lesson begins and ends with mantras that allow using sound vibrations to positively affect the body, spirit, and emotional state.
Tantra Yoga – what is it
Another well–known yoga direction is tantra yoga. It is represented by a system of methods that allow you to awaken, transform and consciously use sexual energy. The teaching is based on sacred texts – tantras.
There are three main directions within the framework of tantra yoga:
Black tantra is aimed at training mental strength that allows you to control circumstances and even people. With its help, they are taught to fulfill desires.
White Tantra – practiced in groups or pairs. Implies going beyond desires and motives. With the help of mantras and exercises, the energy purification of the physical and mental component of the student is achieved.
Red tantra – with the help of sexual practices practiced with a partner, you can come to spiritual or creative development, achieve sexual bliss.
This practice helps to unite the masculine and feminine principles, overcome complexes by properly accepting one's own body, and significantly expand consciousness.
Guru yoga as a direction of classical yoga
One of the most important practices is considered to be guru yoga. Its essence lies in the merging of the mind of the disciple and the spiritual teacher. During the practice, the awakening of the Four states of Enlightenment occurs, when the student has the opportunity to achieve the blessing of the body, speech and mind. The final stage of the practice is the merging of the student's mind with the mind of the guru.
There are three essential principles of guru yoga:
The student's desire to learn.
The student's willingness to interact with the teacher. The student must be responsible for his actions and choices.
Freedom of will and choice of the student. The student should not bow to the teacher and obey him implicitly. Only the free choice of the student himself is welcome.
Now it is clear that yoga is a philosophy, a way of life in India. By practicing it, you can achieve completely different goals: strengthen the body and spirit, improve physical health, gain confidence, get rid of desires and suffering, or even get rid of a series of rebirths (samsara).
Each of the yoga schools offers its own methods of achieving the goal, but at the same time, each of them focuses on the harmony of the physical, spiritual and mental.
