THE DIFFERENT TYPES
OF YOGA
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MANTRA YOGA, HATHA YOGA,
AND RAJA YOGA
MANTRA YOGA
MANTRA YOGA IS A TYPE OF YOGA THAT USES MANTRAS TO AWAKEN THE SELF AND DEEPEN THE MEDIATIVE ASPECTS OF A PHYSICAL YOGA PRACTISE. MANTRA YOGA IS AN EXACT SCIENCE THAT IS MEANT TO ENGAGE THE MIND THROUGH FOCUSING ON SOUND, DURATION AND NUMBER OF REPETITIONS. REPETITION OF THE MANTRA IS A MEANS TO GET CLOSER TO THE DIVINITY WITHIN, AND IT CREATS POSITIVE VIBRATIONS THAT BENEFIT BOTH THE ONE WHO CHANTS AND THE ONE WHO LISTENS.
MANTRA YOGA NEUTRALIZES RAJAS (AGITATION) AND TAMAS (INERTIA), WHICH ALLOWS THE PRACTITIONER TO MOVE INTO A MORE PURE STATEOF CONSCIOUSNESS. CHANTING MANTRAS CALMS THE MIND, BRINGS FOCUS AND IS GREAT FOR CONTROLLING THE BREATH. MANTRA YOGA IS HIGHLY BENEFICIAL TO THE PRACTITIONER AS IT IMPROVES OVERALL HEALTH AND MENTAL STABILITY.
ALTHOUGH MANTRA YOGA IS GENERALLY CONSIDERED AN INNOVATION OF HINDUISM, IT HAS BEEN ADOPTED AND DEVELOPED BY OTHER RELIGIONS AS WELL. RELIGIONS LIKE BUDDHISM AND HAINISM HAVE EMBRACED MATRA YOGA AS PART OF THEIR OWN EFFORTS TO REACH ENLIGHTENMENT.
MANRA YOGA CAN BE PRACTICED IN THREE WAYS.
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- THE FIRST WAY IS CALLED BAIKHARI, WHEREIN THE MANTRA IS CHANTED IN A LOUD MANNER. THIS TYPE OF CHANTING IS ADVANTAGE FOR REMOVING UNWANTED THOUGHTS FROM THE MIND IN ORDER TO MAKE THE MEDITATION PROCESS EASIER.
- THE SECOND METHOD OF CHANTING IS CALLED UPANSHU, IN WHICH THE MANTRA IS CHANTED IN A VERY LOW VOICE THAT ONLY THE PRACTITIONER CAN HEAR.
- THE THIRD IS CHANTING THE MANTRA SILENTLY TO ONE' SELF. THIS IS CALLED MANASIC AND IT IS USED BY ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS. INDIVIDUALS MAY ALSO LIKE TO USE MALA (YOGA BEADS) TO KEEP COUNT OF THEIR REPETITIONS. SHAIVAS USE ROSARY BEEDS WHERE VAISHNAV USE TULSI BEEDS.
HATHA YOGA
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THE WORD "HATHA" MEANS " A STRONG DETERMINATION OR THE YOGA OF ACTIVITY AND PASSION, BECAUSE IT REQUIRES A LOT OF PHYSICAL EFFORT. HATHA PRACTISES ARE DESIGNED TO ALIGN AND CALM YOUR BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT IN PREPARATION FOR MEDITATION. THE PRACTITIONER IS REQUIRED TO FOLLOW THE PATH OF MAUNA (SILENCE) FASTING FOR PURIFYING THE MIND, MEDITATION, PATIENCE, ETC. TO GAIN CONTROL OVER MIND.
THE MIND AIM OF HATHA YOGA IS TO STRENTHEN AND NOURISH BODY TO HELP IT TOLERATE THE MOST SEVERE SITUATIONS. IT HELPS BODY STAY HEALTHY. ACCORDING TO A HATHA YOGA EXPERT, A YOGI MUST AIM AT STRENGTHENING THE BODY BY CONSISTENT EFFORTS AND TESTING ITS LIMITATIONS TO TOLERATE PAIN. THE MORE ONE DOES THIS, HIGHER THE ENERGY LEVELS. THIS IS NOT ALL! ACCORDING TO A BELIEF, PRACTICING HATHA YOGA WITH FULL DEDICATION WILL PLEASE ONE'S DEITY AND ALL WISHES ARE FULLFILLED. THE DEITY WILL BLESS YOGI WITH DESIRED BOON.
RAJA YOGA
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SOUL IS AN INTERGRAL PARTS OF THE ALMIGHTY. IT NEVER DIES OR TAKES BIRTH. REALIZING THIS FACT, WHEN A YOGI TRIES TO KNOW "WHO HE IS" "WHERE HE COMES FROM", "WHERE WILL HE GO", AND UNITES THE SOUL WITH THE CREATOR OF UNIVERSE, THE PRACTICE IS REFERRED TO AS "RAJA YOGA", SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS THE "ROYAL YOGA", IT IS INCLUSIVE OF ALL YOGAS, AND ITS PHILOSOPHY GOES BEYOND AND BOUNDARIES OF THE MANY STYLES OF YOGA TODAY. RAJA YOGA EMPHASIZES THE BENEFITS OF MEDITATION FOR SPIRITUAL SELF-REALIZATION AND THE PURPOSEFUL EVOLUTION OF CONSCIOUSNESS.
RAJA YOGA IS REFERRED TO AS THE MENTAL YOGA, OR THE YOGA OF THE MIND, BECAUSE OF ITS EMPHASIS ON AWARENESS OF ONE'S STATE OF MIND. IT IS THROUGH THIS PRACTICE OF CONCENTRATION THAT ONE LEARNS TO CALM THE MIND AND BRING IT TO ONE POINT OF FOCUS. IT IS AT THIS POINT THAT ONE DIRECTS THEIR ATTENTION INWARDLY, THE TRUE NATURE, WHICH IS DIVINE.
THE BASIC PREMIRE OF RAJA YOGA IS THAT ONE'S PERCEPTION OF THE DIVINE SELF IS OBSCURED BY THE DISTURBANCES OF THE MIND. IN CASE, THE MIND CAN BE MADE STILL AND PURE, THE SELF WILL AUTOMATICALLY, INSTANTANEOUSLY, SHINE FORTH. RAJA YOGA IS VIEWED AS THE "ROYAL PATH" THIS CLASSIFICATION OF YOGA IS SO HIGHLY REVERED BECAUSE IT ATTAINS ENLIGHTENMENT FROM DIRECT CONTROL AND MASTERY OF THE MIND.
