BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO SOME OF THE VARIOUS YOGAS                 YOGASIN1.TXT
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YOGA IS NOT A RELIGION !!

THE SANSKRIT WORD YOGA MEANS UNION.

EACH YOGA IS A SET OF PRACTICES BASED ON VERY DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF THE HUMAN
SOUL,BODY AND MIND. MANY OF THE PRACTICES HAVE BEEN IN USE FOR ABOUT 4000
YEARS.

YOGA MAY BE PRACTICED BY A MEMBER OF ANY RELIGION SUCCESSFULLY.
THERE IS NO NEED TO HAVE "FAITH" or "BELIEVE" IN THE PRACTICES,THEY WORK
WHETHER ONE BELIEVES IN THEM OR NOT .
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HATHA YOGA:
IS A COMBINATION OF BREATHING METHODS AND SLOW PHYSICAL EXERCISES
(MOVING THE BODY THROUGH A SET OF PHYSICAL POSITIONS)

THE RESULTS OF THESE PRACTICES ARE GREATLY IMPROVED HEALTH OF THE BODY,
MASTERY AND CONTROL OF THE PHYSICAL BODY AND ALL ITS PROCESSES.
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LAYA YOGA:
LAYA MEANS MIND CONTROL IN SANSCRIT.
IT IS A SET OF METHODS TO ACQUIRING FULL MASTERY OVER ONE'S MIND
(AND OVER WILL POWER).
LAYA YOGA CAN BE DIVIDED INTO 4 SUB YOGAS:

BHAKTI YOGA:
IT CAN BE TRANSLATED AS JOINING BY MENTAL CONCENTRATION ON THE
[DIVINE] LOVE.
IT RESULTS IN ONE-POINTEDNESS OF MIND.
IN PRAYER-DEVOTION, ONE VISUALIZES [THE DIVINE] IN A MOOD OF PROFOUND LOVE AND
REVERENCE FOR [THE DIVINE]

SHAKTI YOGA:
SHAKTI IN SANSKRIT CAN BE TRANSLATED AS DIVINE ENERGY/POWER
IT IMPLIES THE JOINING BY MEANS OF MENTALLY CONCENTRATING ON
[DIVINE] POWER,CONCEIVED OF AS BEING THE FEMININE ASPECT OF THE UNIVERSE-
EMBRACING SPIRITUAL FORCES OF COSMIC MIND.
IN THIS YOGA, THE SHAKTI IS COMMONLY PERSONIFIED AS A MOTHER-GODDESS.

MANTRA YOGA:
IN MANTRA YOGA THE PRACTICE IS TO REPEAT "VERBALLY" OR SILENTLY (IN THE MIND)
MANTRAS CONSISTING OF SOUNDS OF POWER. USUALLY THE SOUNDS HAVE BEEN COMBINED
INTO SPECIFIC WORDS/SENTENCES HAVING SPECIFIC MEANING.
THE SOUNDS AND WORDS ARE NORMALLY IN SANSKRIT.
MANTRA YOGA IS OFTEN CONSIDERED THE EASIEST YOGA TO PRACTICE.
IT IS SAID THAT EACH SOUND IN THE SANSCRIT LANGUAGE PRODUCES A SPECIFIC 
PSYCHIC EFFECT INSIDE A HUMAN BEING WHEN IT IS "SOUNDED" BY THE VOICE OR
SOUNDED INTERNALLY. A SPECIFIC MANTRA IS "DESIGNED" BY A TEACHER TO PRODUCE A
SPECIFIC EFFECT OR SET OF EFFECTS ON A PERSON.
REPEATING OF A MANTRA MOVES THE MIND TOWARD SILENCE,I.E. ASSISTS THE MIND TO
COME TO A "POINT" WHERE NO THOUGHTS ARISE.

YANTYA YOGA:
IS A METHOD OF GIVING ONES FULL CONCENTRATION TO A "PICTURE",WHICH CONSISTS
OF SPECIFIC GEOMETRIC DIAGRAMS (DESIGNS) OF MYSTICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND OF
SPECIFIC COLORS.
THE YANTRAS ARE DESIGNED TO CAUSE SPECIFIC INTERNAL CHANGES
(MENTAL-EMOTIONAL-PHYSICAL-SPIRITUAL) INSIDE A HUMAN.
THE "COMMUNICATIONS" OF A YANTRA ARE DIRECTLY TO THE BELOW
CONSCIOUS AWARENESS OF A PERSON,BYPASSING THE CONSCIOUS MIND-PERSONALITY.
IN TIBET TEACHERS WILL DESIGN AND CREATE SPECIFIC YANTRAS FOR USE TO CURE
SPECIFIC PHYSICAL ILLNESSES.

note:
NADA YOGA IS SOMETIMES CONSIDERED A PART OF MANTRA YOGA.
IT IS THE FULL CONCENTRATION OF THE MIND ON THE "INTERNAL" SOUNDS INSIDE A
PERSON. IT RESULTS IN ONE-POINTEDNESS OF MIND.

note: LAYA YOGA IS OFTEN CONSIDERED MY MANY TEACHERS TO BE PREPARATION FOR
OTHER "HIGHER" YOGAS
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DHYANA YOGA:
IT IS THAT PART OF YOGA DEPENDING ON MEDITATION. AS SUCH IT STANDS ALONE,
AND OFTEN PART OF MANY DIFFERENT YOGAS AND MAY BE CONSIDERED AN ESSENTIAL
PART OF MANY OF THE OTHERS.
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RAJA YOGA:
RAJA MEANS ROYAL OR BEST IN SANSCRIT.
IT MAY BE CONSIDERED THE YOGA OF DISCRIMINATION-OR SELF-KNOWLEDGE.
ONE GOES DEEP INSIDE ONES SELF TO FIND THE MANY ANSWERS.
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JNANA YOGA:
IS THE YOGA DEPENDENT ON [DIVINE] KNOWLEDGE OR TO THE JOINING BY YOGIC INSIGHT.
ALSO CALLED THE YOGA OF KNOWLEDGE.
IN OTHER WORDS, SELF-REALIZATION ATTAINED BY OF MEANS YOGICLY INDUCED INSIGHT
INTO THE TRUE NATURE OF EXISTENCE, WITH USE OF SCRIPTURES AND SCIENTIFIC
KNOWLEDGE.
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KARMA YOGA:
IN SANSKRIT  THE WORD KARMA MEANS ACTION,MORE ESPECIALLY SUCH ACTION AS WILL
LEAD TO TOTAL LIBERATION.
IT, THEREFORE IMPLIES RIGHT ACTION,SO THAT KARMA YOGA IS THE JOINING BY RIGHT 
YOGIC ACTION.IT IS ALSO CALLED THE YOGA OF LOVING SERVICE TO OTHERS.
THE SURVIVE IS PRACTICED WITH OUT "REWARD",THOUGHT OF REWARDS OR ATTACHMENTS
TO THE FRUITS OF THE ACTIONS.
WORKING IN THE WORLD ACTIVELY AND WITH FULL ENERGY FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS.
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KUNDALINI YOGA:
TO MANY THIS IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE "HIGHEST" YOGA.
THE DIVINE ENERGY, SHAKTI, IS USED TO ATTAIN DISCIPLINE OF MIND AND BODY.
THEN THE DORMANT POWERS OF THE INNER SELF ARE AWAKENED.
THE ENERGY ASLEEP AT THE BASE OF THE SPINE IS AWAKENED AND IT PROCEEDS TO
PURIFY AND RECTIFY THE PSYCHIC ENERGY CENTERS (CHAKRAS),HEAL MIND AND BODY,
SO THAT ENLIGHTENMENT MAY MANIFEST.
THIS YOGA IS SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS MAHA [GREAT] YOGA OR SIDDHA [PERFECT]
YOGA. THIS YOGA INVOLVES HAVING A RELATIONSHIP WITH AND BEING WITH A
TRUE MASTER (FULLY ENLIGHTENED BEING) WHO USES THE DIVINE POWER THAT FLOWS
THROUGH HIM/HER TO AWAKEN THE KUNDALINI ENERGY,AND TO ASSIST HOW IT WORKS
ON A PERSON.

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