Principles of Yoga

Yoga is as generic term for physical, mental and spiritual disciplines, originated from ancient India. Spiritual and aesthetic discipline including breath control, simple meditation and adoption of specific body postures, practiced for health and relaxation.

The term 'Yug' means to Unite/Integrate a persons own consciousness with the universal consciousness. It is a harmonious blend between the body, mind and the spirit, wherein the body controls the actions, the mind controls intelligence and the spirit controls emotion.

Body	Controls action	Involves exercising
Mind	Controls intelligence	Imcludes breathing techniques
Spirit	Controls emotion	Includes meditation

Thus, yoga teaches that the jeevathma (human spirit) can be united with paramathma (God) to secure moksha (liberation)

´According to modern scientists, everything in the universe is just a manifestation of the same quantum firmament. One who experiences this oneness of existence is said to be in yoga

History of Yoga

Traced back to over 5,000 years ago, but some researchers think that yoga may be up to 10,000. The early writings on yoga were transcribed on fragile palm leaves that were easily damaged, destroyed or lost. There were four main periods

Pre-Classical Yoga: Indus-Sarasvati civilization in Northern India over 5,000 years ago.  Scriptures present in Rig veda. Mantras and rituals used by Brahmas

Classical Yoga: Patanjali’s Yoga-Sûtras, the first systematic presentation of yoga. the practice of yoga into an "eight limbed path. Steps to achieve mosksha

Post-Classical Yoga: rejected the teachings of the ancient Vedas and embraced the physical body as the means to achieve enlightenment. primarily think of yoga in the West: Hatha Yoga.

Modern Period: Swamy Vivekananda presented hatha yoga to the world.

The branches of Yoga include:

Hatha yoga: ´This branch uses physical poses or asanas , breathing techniques of pranayamas and meditation to achieve better health as well as spirituality. Different styles in this path include Iyengar style, integral style, the astanga style etc.

Bhakti yoga: This is the yoga of devotion and paves the path of the heart to devotion.  Enables one to see “the divine” in everyone and everything.

Raja yoga: This is the yoga of the mind. This is considered the king of yoga. It focusses on a mans intelligence.

Karma yoga: This is the yoga of service. It is the path of selfless service that one treads.

Janka yoga: It is the yoga of rituals . These rituals are a scared experience.

Ashtanga yoga:

There are 8 limbs of yoga here including Yama (universal moral codes), niyama (self purification by discipline), asana (postures), pranayama (rhythmic control of breath), prathahara (withdrawing of mind from senses), dharana (Concentration), dhayana (deep meditation) and samadhi (union with the object of meditation).

This form of yoga emphasizes on vinyasa (alignment of the environment and breath, method witch turns static asanas into a dynamic flow), ujjayi (breathing patterns with relaxed diaphragmatic breathing characterized by an oceans sound which resonates in the practitioners throat and bandha (muscle contraction) which all helps calming the mind by the process of internal heat generation, increased sweating and circulation and purification of the body.