Branches of Yoga The History and Origins of Yoga……….....................................................................................…………………………………………8

Branches of Yoga

Before immersing ourselves in the six branches of yoga, let’s recap certain terms that are commonly used. Asana: this is the physical practice of yoga and it refers to the body. This is another way to refer to yoga poses. There are various types of asanas, and they simply refer to the shape that you make with your body. For example, the popular downward facing dog pose is an asana where we put our body into a position with our head and palms out on the ground, hips up in the air and legs extended.

Pranayama: this is made of two Sanskrit words, Prana which means “life force” and Ayama which means to “draw out”. When put together, it signifies breath control - an important element in yoga, which plays as a main contributor to relieving pain, anxiety and depression. Inhale, exhale, relax.

Bandhas are also closely related to chakras! They can influence the stimulation of chakras by locking the energy around each one. When this happens, prana is better able to circulate around the body.

Bandhas: these are energy locks that tighten or close off areas of our body. These are meant to lock energy inside of your body and direct it to where it needs to go. There are four main Bandhas:

Mula Bandha - root/anal lock.

Jalandhara Bandha - chin lock.

Uddiyana Bandha - abdominal lock.

Maha Bandha - this means “great” in Sanskrit. It’s a combination of all the above bandhas.

Chakras: these are the energy centers in our body. In Sanskrit, chakra means “wheel”, and each wheel in our body corresponds to a specific bundle of nerves, glands or an organ. In order for the chakras to function at their optimal level, they must not be blocked (remain open). If a chakra does get blocked, we may experience physical or mental issues related to the blocked chakra.

There are seven main chakras:

Crown - pituitary gland

Third eye - pineal gland

Throat - thyroid gland

Heart - thymus gland

Solar plexus - pancreas

Sacral - adrenal glands

Root - reproductive glands

Mantras: these are chants (that can be one word or a number of words) that have the ability to affect us on the spiritual, physical, and mental levels. They’re designed to keep our mind from wandering and ground our thoughts.

In Sanskrit, Raja is defined as “king” (or can also translate to “royal”) and it’s focused on disciplining the mind. The aim of this yoga is to calm your mind and focus your attention on reaching the clarity you seek. Yoga Sutras have five stages that we’d strive to accomplish to overcome the obstacles of our mind:

Branches of yoga Raja Yoga

Stage 1 - our minds are agitated.

Stage 2 - we’re experiencing dullness or lethargy.

Stage 3 - our minds are distracted.

Stage 4 - we’ve reached the focused stage.

Stage 5 - we’ve accessed the deepest part of our mind and reached tranquility. A great way to achieve this is through meditation, where we can release distracting or discouraging thoughts. This release can create a space to bring in new thoughts and ideas that can help us realize our goals.

Karma Yoga

Karma, in Sanskrit, translates to “action”. This branch of yoga symbolizes the path of selfless service. It’s centered around any action that we take, whether mental or physical, and the outcome of that action.

Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti has the Sanskrit root bhaj which translates to “serve” or “worship”. This branch of yoga is what places us on the path of love and devotion.

Jnana Yoga

Jnana yoga is the path of the sage or scholar. A system of wisdom, jnana yoga directs us to develop our intellect, through the study of scriptures and texts of the yogic traditions.

This branch of yoga appeals to people who wouldn’t mind a little mind-teaser, and can be a direct path to experiencing truth. For this reason, jnana yoga can be the most difficult and at the same time most direct path to union.

Tantric Yoga

Tantra is a Sanskrit word that translates to “weaving” or “expansion”. This branch of yoga is based on Hindu-Vedic thought and customs rooted in the sacred. The purpose of this form is to unite with the Divine though achieving control of ourselves and the forces of nature. Tantra practice reduces energy blocks and looks for the Divine in all experiences by focusing on kundalini energy.

Hatha Yoga

This form of yoga is the one people are most familiar with. It places its emphasis on deep breathing, physical poses, and meditation. Stemming from two Sanskrit words, ha meaning “sun” and tha meaning “moon”. The practice of hatha yoga unites opposites: dark and light, hard and soft. The way Hatha Yoga is practiced today can be traced back to its origins, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, but it became popularized in the 1800s with Sri Krishnamacharya (an Indian yoga teacher who is considered one of the most important gurus of modern yoga). This form has become a way to build strength, stamina, and energy in order to maintain long sessions of meditation. Now this physical branch is ubiquitous with our modern version of yoga!

Modern-day Yoga Forms Yin Yoga

This is a slow and gentle form of yoga that perfectly complements today’s bustling, fast-paced life or high-intensity workouts. Through the use of gentle and relaxed postures, Yin yoga aids with alleviating tension, enhancing breath awareness, and mindfulness.

Hot Yoga

Hot yoga is a vigorous form of yoga. Hot yoga classes usually take place in a very warm and humid studio. There are many types of hot yoga, for example, in the Bikram form in hot yoga, the room is heated to approximately 105° F (40°C) with a humidity level of 40%.

Restorative Yoga

Restorative yoga is the practice of passive healing. In a few words, this form of yoga can be described as gentle, supportive, and therapeutic.

This form of yoga has the ability to activate our parasympathetic nervous system. This is the system that is responsible for the“rest and digest” part of the nervous system. This is what helps keep basic functions in our bodies functioning the way they should. This form of yoga, as its name suggests “restores” the body’s parasympathetic nervous system function, which, in turn, can help the body rest, heal, and restore balance.

The History and Origins of Yoga

History

The origins of yoga can be traced back to Northern India over 5000 years ago. It’s an ancient mind-body fitness practice that is primarily focused on breathing, flexibility, and physical strength. Added to the side spiritual and mental health benefits that yoga can provide for the body, making it the perfect holistic remedy.

Yoga refers to the union between one’s personal consciousness and universal consciousness which leads to synchronization between the mind and the body, reaching this state is the main aim of yoga. This sense of connectedness can help us reach freedom from the sufferings of the world and achieve a state of Moksha or Kaivalya (”liberation” or “freedom”). In accessing this level of freedom, we’re likely to feel liberated from the notions and beliefs that can ground us and limit us from exploring the possibilities of our full potential. It’s believed that this state of being, in turn, can give us control of our destiny.

Although it’s not a religion, yoga is connected to certain religions such as Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. Yoga also shares ideals with various religions such as finding peace, satisfaction, and a profound appreciation of life. Having said that, yoga is commonly considered as a form of spiritual practice rather than a religious one.

The lotus flower: traditionally, the lotus flower has been used as a symbol in yoga that signifies spiritual growth. Its gravitas lies in how this flower doesn’t start from a place of beauty, rather, it’s born in dark and muddy waters, yet, as it grows and breaks the surface of the water, it transforms into the beautiful flower that you’re seeing right now. Just like the lotus flower, the human mind goes through difficulties before reaching the beauty that is enlightenment.

Mindfulness: It’s defined as the practice of being in the moment and it’s an important part of practicing yoga. To practice mindfulness is to shift your focus away from the past or the future to now and encompass awareness. Mindfulness encourages us to be aware of our current state and accept it in a non-judgemental manner.