Naam to Suna hi hoga…. YOGA. We all have…right? By Priyanka

Its only after doing a yoga course in Rishikesh I came to know what YOGA really means. And it’s not what I thought I knew.

So let me throw some light on what the word YOGA actually means. It is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’ which means to unite or join. In Hinduism yoga is the method of coming together of the individual self or consciousness or jivatman with the infinite universal consciousness or Paramatman. And yoga asanas are only a method by which the body can be purified so that it becomes easier for us to sit down and meditate, to help us unite with that Supreme Soul.

Thus, any activity that can lead us towards God can be called ‘yoga’. All the classical types of yoga are meant to train the mind for this one dedication which is the most important things for an individual.

The goal of yoga is to align to the universal consciousness in order to experience, joy, freedom and stillness of our consciousness. It helps us realize our true nature – Sat-chit-ananda which is nothing but existence-consciousness and bliss. Still we are prone to think that it is located somewhere outside of us.

And a yogic life is a combination of knowledge, spirituality and activity in the physical world.

The various types of yoga are as follows:

1. Gyana yoga

2. Karma Yoga

3. Bhakti yoga

4. Raja Yoga

All the various forms of yoga melt into each other. They should be practiced simultaneously if one wants to be expert in meditation and yogasanas. Yoga is after all a technique for inner wellbeing and a path to achieve moksha.

Will talk about these types in detail in my later posts. That’s all from my end this week.

Much love,

Priyanka