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YogaFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yoga (Sanskrit, Pāli: योग yóga) refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India.[1] The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.[2][3][4] Within Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox (āstika) schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal towards which that school directs its practices.[5][6] In Jainism, yoga is the sum total of all activities — mental, verbal and physical. Major branches of yoga in Hindu philosophy include Rāja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Hatha Yoga.[7][8][9] According to the authoritative Indian philosopher Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, yoga, based on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, comprises one of the six main Hindu schools of philosophy (darshanas), together with Kapila's Samkhya, Gautama's Nyaya, Kanada's Vaisheshika, Jaimini's Purva Mimamsa, and Badarayana's Uttara Mimamsa or Vedanta.[10] Many other Hindu texts discuss aspects of yoga, including the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Shiva Samhita and various Tantras. The Sanskrit word yoga has many meanings,[11] and is derived from the Sanskrit root "yuj", meaning "to control", "to yoke" or "to unite".[12] Translations include "joining", "uniting", "union", "conjunction", and "means".[13][14][15] It is also possible that the word yoga derives from "yujir samadhau," which means "contemplation" or "absorption."[16] This translation fits better with the dualist Raja Yoga because it is through contemplation that discrimination between prakrti (nature) and purusha (pure consciousness) occurs. Outside India, the term yoga is typically associated with Hatha Yoga and its asanas (postures) or as a form of exercise. Someone who practices yoga or follows the yoga philosophy to a high level of attainment is called a yogi or yogini.[17]
[edit] HistoryMain article: History of yoga The Vedic Samhitas contain references to ascetics, while ascetic practices (tapas) are referenced in the Brāhmaṇas (900 to 500 BCE), early commentaries on the Vedas.[18] Several seals discovered at Indus Valley Civilization (c. 3300–1700 B.C.E.) sites in Pakistan depict figures in positions resembling a common yoga or meditation pose, showing "a form of ritual discipline, suggesting a precursor of yoga", according to archaeologist Gregory Possehl.[19] Some type of connection between the Indus Valley seals and later yoga and meditation practices is speculated upon by many scholars, though there is no conclusive evidence.[20] Techniques for experiencing higher states of consciousness in meditation were developed by the shramanic traditions and in the Upanishadic tradition.[21] While there is no clear evidence for meditation in pre-Buddhist early Brahminic texts, Wynne argues that formless meditation originated in the Brahminic tradition, based on strong parallels between Upanishadic cosmological statements and the meditative goals of the two teachers of the Buddha as recorded in the early Buddhist texts.[22] He mentions less likely possibilities as well.[23] Having argued that the cosmological statements in the Upanishads also reflect a contemplative tradition, he argues that the Nasadiya Sukta contains evidence for a contemplative tradition, even as early as the late Rg Vedic period.[22] The Buddhist texts are probably the earliest texts describing meditation techniques.[24] They describe meditative practices and states which had existed before the Buddha as well as those which were first developed within Buddhism.[25] In Hindu literature, the term "yoga" first occurs in the Katha Upanishad, where it refers to control of the senses and the cessation of mental activity leading to a supreme state.[26] Important textual sources for the evolving concept of Yoga are the middle Upanishads, (ca. 400 BCE), the Mahabharata including the Bhagavad Gita (ca. 200 BCE), and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (150 BCE). [edit] Yoga Sutras of PatanjaliMain articles: Raja Yoga and Yoga Sutras of Patanjali In Indian philosophy, Yoga is the name of one of the six orthodox philosophical schools.[27][28] The Yoga philosophical system is closely allied with the Samkhya school.[29] The Yoga school as expounded by the sage Patanjali accepts the Samkhya psychology and metaphysics, but is more theistic than the Samkhya, as evidenced by the addition of a divine entity to the Samkhya's twenty-five elements of reality.[30][31] The parallels between Yoga and Samkhya were so close that Max Müller says that "the two philosophies were in popular parlance distinguished from each other as Samkhya with and Samkhya without a Lord...."[32] The intimate relationship between Samkhya and Yoga is explained by Heinrich Zimmer:
Patanjali is widely regarded as the founder of the formal Yoga philosophy.[34] Patanjali's yoga is known as Raja yoga, which is a system for control of the mind.[35] Patanjali defines the word "yoga" in his second sutra,[36] which is the definitional sutra for his entire work:
This terse definition hinges on the meaning of three Sanskrit terms. I. K. Taimni translates it as "Yoga is the inhibition (nirodhaḥ) of the modifications (vṛtti) of the mind (citta)".[37] The use of the word nirodhaḥ in the opening definition of yoga is an example of the important role that Buddhist technical terminology and concepts play in the Yoga Sutra; this role suggests that Patanjali was aware of Buddhist ideas and wove them into his system.[38] Swami Vivekananda translates the sutra as "Yoga is restraining the mind-stuff (Citta) from taking various forms (Vrittis)."[39] Patanjali's writing also became the basis for a system referred to as "Ashtanga Yoga" ("Eight-Limbed Yoga"). This eight-limbed concept derived from the 29th Sutra of the 2nd book, and is a core characteristic of practically every Raja yoga variation taught today. The Eight Limbs are:
In the view of this school, the highest attainment does not reveal the experienced diversity of the world to be illusion. The everyday world is real. Furthermore, the highest attainment is the event of one of many individual selves discovering itself; there is no single universal self shared by all persons.[40] [edit] Yoga and SamkhyaMain article: Samkhya Patanjali systematized the conceptions of Yoga and set them forth on the background of the metaphysics of Samkhya, which he assumed with slight variations. In the early works, the Yoga principles appear along with the Samkhya ideas. Vyasa's commentary on the Yoga Sutras, also called the “Samkhyapravacanabhasya”, brings out the intimate relation between the two systems.[41] Yoga agrees with the essential metaphysics of Samkhya, but differs from it in that while Samkhya holds that knowlege is the means of liberation, Yoga is a system of active striving, mental discipline, and dutiful action. Yoga also introduces the conception of God. Sometimes Patanjali's system is referred to as “Seshvara Samkhya” in contradistinction to Kapila's “Nirivara Samkhya”.[42] [edit] Bhagavad GitaMain article: Bhagavad Gita The Bhagavad Gita ('Song of the Lord'), uses the term yoga extensively in a variety of ways. In addition to an entire chapter (ch. 6) dedicated to traditional yoga practice, including meditation,[43] it introduces three prominent types of yoga:[44]
Madhusudana Sarasvati (b. circa 1490) divided the Gita into three sections, with the first six chapters dealing with Karma yoga, the middle six with Bhakti yoga, and the last six with Jnana (knowledge).[45] Other commentators ascribe a different 'yoga' to each chapter, delineating eighteen different yogas.[46] [edit] Hatha YogaMain articles: Hatha yoga and Hatha Yoga Pradipika Hatha Yoga is a particular system of Yoga described by Yogi Swatmarama, compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika in 15th century India. Hatha Yoga differs substantially from the Raja Yoga of Patanjali in that it focuses on shatkarma, the purification of the physical body as leading to the purification of the mind (ha), and prana, or vital energy (tha).[47][48] Compared to the seated asana, or sitting meditation posture, of Patanjali's Raja yoga,[49] it marks the development of asanas (plural) into the full body 'postures' now in popular usage [50] and, its many modern variations, is the style that many people associate with the word "Yoga" today.[51] [edit] Yoga practices in other traditions[edit] BuddhismMain article: Buddhism and Hinduism#Meditation   Early Buddhism incorporated meditative absorption states.[52] The most ancient sustained expression of yogic ideas is found in the early sermons of the Buddha.[53] One key innovative teaching of the Buddha was that meditative absorption must be combined with liberating cognition.[54] The difference between the Buddha's teaching and the yoga presented in early Brahminic texts is striking. Meditative states alone are not an end, for according to the Buddha, even the highest meditative state is not liberating. Instead of attaining a complete cessation of thought, some sort of mental activity must take place: a liberating cognition, based on the practice of mindful awareness.[55] The Buddha also departed from earlier yogic thought in discarding the early Brahminic notion of liberation at death.[56] Liberation for the Brahminic yogin was thought to be the realization at death of a nondual meditative state anticipated in life. In fact, old Brahminic metaphors for the liberation at death of the yogic adept ("becoming cool", "going out") were given a new meaning by the Buddha; their point of reference became the sage who is liberated in life.[57] See also: Pranayama#Buddhism [edit] Yogacara BuddhismYogacara (Sanskrit: "yoga practice"[58]), also spelled yogāchāra, is a school of philosophy and psychology that developed in India during the 4th to 5th centuries. Yogacara received the name as it provided a yoga, a framework for engaging in the practices that lead to the path of the bodhisattva.[59] The Yogacara sect teaches yoga in order to reach enlightenment.[60] [edit] Ch'an (Seon/Zen) BuddhismZen (the name of which derives from the Sanskrit "dhyaana" via the Chinese "ch'an"[61]) is a form of Mahayana Buddhism. The Mahayana school of Buddhism is noted for its proximity with Yoga.[52] In the west, Zen is often set alongside Yoga; the two schools of meditation display obvious family resemblances.[62] This phenomenon merits special attention since the Zen Buddhist school of meditation has some of its roots in yogic practices.[63] Certain essential elements of Yoga are important both for Buddhism in general and for Zen in particular.[64] [edit] Indo-Tibetan BuddhismYoga is central to Tibetan Buddhism. In the Nyingma tradition, the path of meditation practice is divided into nine yanas, or vehicles, which are said to be increasingly profound.[65] The last six are described as "yoga yanas": Kriya yoga, Upa yoga, Yoga yana, Mahā yoga, Anu yoga and the ultimate practice, Ati yoga.[66] The Sarma traditions also include Kriya, Upa (called Charya), and Yoga, with the Anuttara yoga class substituting for Mahayoga and Atiyoga.[67] Other tantra yoga practices include a system of 108 bodily postures practiced with breath and heart rhythm. The Nyingma tradition also practices Yantra yoga (Tib. Trul khor), a discipline that includes breath work (or pranayama), meditative contemplation and precise dynamic movements to centre the practitioner.[68] The body postures of Tibetan ancient yogis are depicted on the walls of the Dalai Lama's summer temple of Lukhang. A semi-popular account of Tibetan Yoga by Chang (1993) refers to caṇḍalī (Tib. tummo), the generation of heat in one's own body, as being "the very foundation of the whole of Tibetan Yoga".[69] Chang also claims that Tibetan Yoga involves reconciliation of apparent polarities, such as prana and mind, relating this to theoretical implications of tantrism. [edit] Jainism   According to Tattvarthasutra, 2nd century CE Jain text, Yoga, is the sum total of all the activities of mind, speech and body.[4] Umasvati calls yoga the cause of asrava or karmic influx [70] as well as one of the essentials—samyak caritra—in the path to liberation.[70] In his Niyamasara, Acarya Kundakunda, describes yoga bhakti—devotion to the path to liberation—as the highest form of devotion.[71] Acarya Haribhadra and Acarya Hemacandra mention the five major vows of ascetics and 12 minor vows of laity under yoga. This has led certain Indologists like Prof. Robert J. Zydenbos to call Jainism, essentially, a system of yogic thinking that grew into a full-fledged religion.[72] Dr. Heinrich Zimmer contended that the yoga system had pre-Aryan origins that did not accept the authority of the Vedas, and hence had to be reckoned as one of the heterodox doctrines similar to Jainism.[73] Jain iconography depicts Jain Tirthankara's meditation in Padmasana or Kayotsarga yogic poses. Mahavira was said to have achieved Kevala Jnana "enlightenment" siting in mulabandhasana ('root-lock') position, which is first mentioned in the Acaranga Sutra and later in Kalpasutra [74] The five yamas or the constraints of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali bear an uncanny resemblance to the five major vows of Jainism, indicating a strong influence of Jainism.[75][76] This mutual influence between the Yoga philosophy and Jainism is admitted by the author Vivian Worthington who writes: "Yoga fully acknowledges its debt to Jainism, and Jainism reciprocates by making the practice of yoga part and parcel of life." [77] The Indus valley seals and iconography also provide a reasonable evidence of the existence of a proto-yogic tradition akin to Jainism.[78] More specifically, scholars and archaeologists have remarked on close similarities in the yogic and meditative postures depicted in the seals with those of various Tirthankaras: the "kayotsarga" posture of Rsabha and the mulabandhasana of Mahavira along with seals depicting meditative figure flaked by upright serpents bearing similarities to iconography of Parsva. All these are indicative of not only links between Indus Valley Civilisation and Jainism, but also show the contribution of Jainism to various yogic practices.[79] [edit] References in Jain canons and literatureEarliest of Jain canonical literature like Acarangasutra and texts like Niyamasara, Tattvarthasutra etc. had many references on yoga as a way of life for laymen and ascetics. The later texts that further elaborated on the Jain concept of yoga are as follows:
[edit] IslamThe development of Sufism was considerably influenced by Indian yogic practises, where they adapted both physical postures (asanas) and breath control (pranayama).[80] The ancient Indian yogic text, Amritakunda, ("Pool of Nectar)" was translated into Arabic and Persian as early as the 11th century. Several other yogic texts were appropriated by Sufi tradition but typically the texts juxtapose yoga materials alongside Sufi practices without any real attempt at integration or synthesis. Yoga became known to Indian Sufis gradually over time but engagement with yoga is not found at the historical beginnings of the tradition.[81] Malaysia's top Islamic body in 2008 passed a fatwa, which is legally non-binding, against Muslims practicing yoga, saying it had elements of "Hindu spiritual teachings" and that its practice was blasphemy and is therefore haraam. Muslim yoga teachers in Malaysia criticized the decision as "insulting".[82] Sisters in Islam, a women's rights group in Malaysia, also expressed disappointment and said that its members would continue with their yoga classes.[83] The fatwa states that yoga practiced only as physical exercise is permissible, but prohibits the chanting of religious mantras,[84] and states that teachings such as the uniting of a human with God is not consistent with Islamic philosophy.[85] In a similar vein, the Council of Ulemas, an Islamic body in Indonesia, passed a fatwa banning yoga on the grounds that it contains "Hindu elements"[86] These fatwas have, in turn, been criticized by Darul Uloom Deoband, a Deobandi Islamic seminary in India.[87] In May 2009, Turkey's head of the Directorate of Religious Affairs, Ali Bardakoğlu, discounted personal development techniques such as yoga as commercial ventures that could lead to extremism. His comments were made in the context of yoga possibly competing with and eroding participation in Islamic practice.[88] The only sect of the Islam community that has successfully incorporated yoga into its practice is the Jogi Faqir, whose followers are Muslim converts from the Hindu Jogicaste. [edit] ChristianityMain articles: A Christian reflection on the New Age and Aspects of Christian meditation The Roman Catholic Church, and some other Christian organizations have expressed concerns and disapproval with respect to some eastern and New Age practices which include yoga and meditation.[89][90] In 1989 and 2003, the Vatican issued two documents: Aspects of Christian meditation and A Christian reflection on the New Age which were mostly critical of eastern and New Age practices. The 2003 document was published as a 90 page handbook detailing the Vatican's position.[91] The Vatican warned that concentration on the physical aspects of meditation "can degenerate into a cult of the body" and that equating bodily states with mysticism "could also lead to psychic disturbance and, at times, to moral deviations." Such concerns can be traced to the early days of Christianity, when the church opposed the gnostics' belief that salvation came not through faith but through a mystical inner knowledge.[92] The letter also says, "one can see if and how [prayer] might be enriched by meditation methods developed in other religions and cultures"[93] but maintains the idea that "there must be some fit between the nature of [other approaches to] prayer and Christian beliefs about ultimate reality."[92] The Rev. John Wijngaards points out the long Judaic and Christian histories of absorbing elements from surrounding religions. He notes that the absence of any intense experience of God's power has sent some Christians eastward. Many Roman Catholics now bring elements of Yoga, Buddhism, and Hinduism into their spiritual practices.[92] Some fundamentalist Christian organizations consider yoga practice to be incoherent to their religious background and therefore a non-Christian religious practice. It is also considered a part of the New Age movement and therefore inconsistent with Christianity.[94] [edit] TantraMain article: Tantra Tantrism is a practice that is supposed to alter the relation of its practitioners to the ordinary social, religious, and logical reality in which they live. Through Tantric practice, an individual perceives reality as maya, illusion, and the individual achieves liberation from it.[95] This particular path to salvation among the several offered by Hinduism, links Tantrism to those practices of Indian religions, such as yoga, meditation, and social renunciation, which are based on temporary or permanent withdrawal from social relationships and modes.[95] Though the paths of Tantra & Yoga are contradictory[96], they do intersect at some common philosophies and goals. As Osho tries to differentiate between these two paths, he quotes:
As Robert Svoboda attempts to summarize the three major paths of the Vedic knowledge, he exclaims:
During tantric practices and studies, the student is instructed further in meditation technique, particularly chakra meditation. This is often in a limited form in comparison with the way this kind of meditation is known and used by Tantric practitioners and yogis elsewhere, but is more elaborate than the initiate's previous meditation. It is considered to be a kind of Kundalini Yoga for the purpose of moving the Goddess into the chakra located in the "heart", for meditation and worship.[99] [edit] Goal of yogaThe goals of yoga are varied and range from improving health to achieving Moksha.[43] Within Jainism and the monist schools of Advaita Vedanta and Shaivism, the goal of yoga takes the form of Moksha, which is liberation from all worldly suffering and the cycle of birth and death (Samsara), at which point there is a realisation of identity with the Supreme Brahman. In the Mahabharata, the goal of yoga is variously described as entering the world of Brahma, as Brahman, or as perceiving the Brahman or Atman that pervades all things.[100] For the bhakti schools of Vaishnavism, bhakti or service to Svayam bhagavan itself may be the ultimate goal of the yoga process, where the goal is to enjoy an eternal relationship with Vishnu.[101] [edit] References[edit] Notes
[edit] Sources
[edit] Further reading
[edit] External links
YogaDe Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre El yoga (del sánscrito योग yoga) es uno de los seis darśanas o doctrinas tradicionales del hinduismo. La palabra se asocia con prácticas de meditación en el hinduismo, el budismo y el jainismo. En el hinduismo, también se refiere a una de las seis escuelas ortodoxas (āstika) de la filosofía hindú, y la meta hacia la cual que dirige la escuela de sus prácticas. En el jainismo se refiere a la suma total de todas las actividades-mentales, físicas y verbales. Estas doctrinas son (los fundadores o principales referentes históricos de cada uno):
Según sus practicantes, el yoga otorga como resultado:
[editar] Etimología de la palabra «yoga»La palabra española «yoga» proviene del sánscrito yoga, que procede a su vez del verbo yuj: ‘colocar el yugo [a dos bueyes, para unirlos], concentrar la mente, absorberse en meditación, recordar, unir, conectar, otorgar, etc.’. El verbo yuj es la misma raíz indoeuropea de los términos castellanos «yugo» y «conyugal». [editar] Historia  El yoga se originó posiblemente antes de nuestra era en India, donde persiste como tradición. Debido a que los textos sánscritos carecen de cronología, se desconoce exactamente cuándo los habitantes del subcontinente índico comenzaron a realizar este tipo de meditación con posturas físicas. En 1931, el arqueólogo británico sir John Marshall descubrió en Mojensho Daro (Pakistán) un sello de esteatita del siglo XVII a. C. de la cultura del valle del Indo, con una criatura antropomorfa con cuernos, en una posición sentada con las piernas cruzadas. Marshall generó tres hipótesis:
En la actualidad algunos escritores en Occidente, entre ellos G.Feurstein, Mircea Eliade, Van Lysbeth y DeRose, creen que esta es una prueba de que en la cultura del Indo se conocía el yoga. Algunas citas:
En cambio, los hinduistas sostienen que el yoga es eterno (anādi: ‘sin comienzo’) y siempre existió. [editar] Tipos de yogaLos tipos de yoga que se consideran fundamentales o clásicos son:[cita requerida]
Las denominaciones bhakti yoga y haṭha yoga no corresponden a ramas o caminos fundamentales del yoga clásico. El haṭha yoga es una parte del rāja yoga. [editar] Rāja yoga  El rāja yoga (lit. ‘yoga regio’ donde rāja: ‘rey’), Se suele identificar al rāja yoga con el aṣṭāṅga yoga descrito por Patañjali. [editar] Ocho etapasEl texto sánscrito Yoga sūtra (‘aforismos de yoga’) de Patañjali (probablemente del siglo III a. C.) prescribe la adhesión a ocho preceptos que constituyen lo que se denomina aṣṭāṅga yoga, el ‘yoga de los ocho miembros’ (aṣṭa: ‘ocho’, aṅga: ‘miembro’). En este texto Patañjali recopiló y sistematizó los conocimientos acerca de estas técnicas.[4] Estos «ocho miembros» son:
[editar] Jñāna yogaEl jñāna (‘conocimiento’) se aplica tanto en contextos sagrados como laicos. Vinculado con el término yoga, se puede referir al aprendizaje o conocimiento conceptual, y a la más elevada sabiduría, visión intuitiva o gnosis, es decir, a una especie de conocimiento liberador o intuición. Ocasionalmente, el jñāna se equipara incluso con la Realidad última. [editar] Karma yogaEl karma yoga, yoga de la acción o, más bien, del servicio, es la dedicación completa de las actividades, las palabras y la mente a Dios. El karma yoga no es la actividad dedicada al bien. Según el hinduismo, las buenas obras (el buen karma) no llevan a Dios, sino a una siguiente reencarnación en mejores condiciones de vida, mientras que las actividades pecaminosas (el mal karma) llevan a una reencarnación en peores condiciones de vida. El karma yoga no produce reacciones materiales, sino que libera al alma y le permite, en el momento de la muerte, volver con Dios. [editar] Otros denominaciones asociadas al yogaLas siguientes escuelas no deben identificarse como fundamentales en el yoga: [editar] Haṭha yoga  El haṭha yoga es el yoga más difundido en todo el mundo, conocido por sus āsanas (o posiciones corporales). Se trata de un sistema de posturas físicas cuyo propósito es lograr que el cuerpo esté apto para la meditación. Las āsanas generan serenidad física y mental, de tal forma que el yogui devoto pueda sentarse durante varias horas en una postura de meditación sin sufrir fatiga o inquietud. Una de sus āsanas principales es padmāsana (o ‘posición de loto’) y el «saludo al sol» (Sūriá namaskar). Actualmente el haṭha yoga enfatiza la relajación. [editar] Bhakti yogaEl bhakti yoga es el yoga devocional. La diferencia con el karma yoga es muy sutil: aunque ambos tipos de practicantes dedican sus actividades al «Absoluto», a los practicantes de la devoción (bhaktas) les interesa un conocimiento más esotérico de la naturaleza de Dios (en su personalidad como Krishná) y de sus actividades, provenientes de desarrollos más modernos de los Vedás, especialmente del Srimad Bhágavatam. El bhakti yoga fue popularizado en los años 1970 por el movimiento Hare Krishna. [editar] Aṣṭāṅga vinyasa yogaEl ashtanga vinyasa yoga es un sistema de yoga basado en el texto Yoga korunta. Sri T. Krishnanamacharya escribió que lo había aprendido (en forma oral) de su gurú Rama Mohan Brahmachari a principios del siglo XX. Luego Krishnamacharya se lo enseñó a sus discípulos Indra Devi, B. K. S. Iyengar, Sri Pattabhi Jois y a T. K. V. Desikachar, su hijo. Estos maestros lo difundieron en Occidente. Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, que enseña en la actualidad este sistema en la India, aprendió este tipo de yoga de Krishnanamacharya, con quien estudió desde 1927. Esta escuela del yoga intenta incorporar las ocho ramas tradicionales del yoga (conocidas como aṣṭāṅga yoga) según lo expuesto por Patañjali en sus Yoga sūtras. Enfatiza el vinyasa (movimiento sincronizado con la respiración) mediante un método progresivo de series de posturas con una respiración específica (ujjāyī prāṇāyāma). Según sus adeptos, esta práctica produce calor interno y abundante sudoración. Este calor purifica los músculos y los órganos, elimina toxinas y permite que el cuerpo se reconstituya. Este método requiere mucha elasticidad y fuerza muscular, y está recomendado para quienes deseen bajar de peso y aumentar su fuerza y elasticidad. [editar] Kriyā yoga  Según el Bhágavata Puraná (4.13.3), el Yoga sūtra (2.1) y el Kriyā yoga sāra (una sección del Padma puraná), el kriyā yoga es la forma práctica de la filosofía del yoga, un tipo de devoción activa: unión con la divinidad mediante la debida práctica de los deberes cotidianos. El kriyā yoga fue popularizado en Occidente por Paramahansa Yogananda en su libro Autobiografía de un yogui. Según este autor, el yoga de kriyā acelera la evolución espiritual y genera un profundo estado de la tranquilidad. Las técnicas del kriyā yoga fueron popularizadas por el yogui Lahiri Mahāśaia. Se trataría de una forma mística del prāṇāyāma, o sea, el control de la energía respiratoria. La palabra sánscrita kriyā significa:
En cambio, según Yogananda la palabra kriyā significa ‘limpieza’ (ya sea ésta física o mental), aquella que ayuda a eliminar las kleshas (impurezas) que plagan las acciones de sus seguidores. Según las doctrinas del yoga, los kleshas son:
Mediante la respiración calmada del kriyā yoga los latidos del corazón se aquietan. Como resultado, la energía vital se desconecta de los cinco sentidos y la mente adquiere entonces el estado consciente de pratyāhāra, o sea, el retraimiento de los sentidos de los objetos externos (siendo prati: ‘poco’ y ahara: ‘comer’). [editar] Kundalinī yoga  Fue introducido en Occidente en los años 1970 por Yogi Bhajan. El kundalinī yoga incluye āsanas (posturas), prāṇāyāma (control de la respiración), canto de mantras, mudras (gestos psíquicos), bandhas (llaves energéticas) y kriyās (ejercicios).[5] Las posturas son sencillas y acompañadas de una respiración dinámica, conocida como «respiración de fuego». Requiere poca exigencia física y la práctica genera tranquilidad mental y vitalidad. El kundalinī yoga enfatiza:
[editar] Escuelas modernasOtros tipos de yoga creados en la segunda mitad del siglo XX (presentados en orden alfabético):
Con el método propuesto por Sahaja Yoga, este despertar ocurre de una manera espontánea y natural, sin forzar nada en ningún momento.
El tantra no se considera un tipo de yoga, a pesar de que algunos lo llaman tantra yoga, sino que es otra escuela hindú. [editar] Doctrinas del yogaLos textos que establecen las bases del yoga son el Bhagavad gītā, los Yoga sūtras (de Patañjali), el Gheranda samhita, el Yoga darshana upanishad y el Haṭha yoga pradīpikā. Según las doctrinas hindúes en las que se asienta el yoga, el ser humano es un alma (ātman) encerrada en un cuerpo (rupa). El cuerpo tiene varias partes: el cuerpo físico (deha o śarira), la mente (mana), la inteligencia (jña) y el ego falso (ahaṃkāra). Para llevar una vida plena, es preciso satisfacer tres necesidades: la necesidad física (salud y actividad), la necesidad psicológica (conocimiento y poder) y la necesidad espiritual (felicidad y paz). Cuando las tres se hallan presentes, hay armonía. El yoga es una sabiduría práctica que abarca cada aspecto del ser de una persona. Enseña al individuo a evolucionar mediante el desarrollo de la autodisciplina. El yoga también está definido como la restricción de las emociones, que son vistas como meras fluctuaciones (vṛtti) de la mente. Los seguidores del hinduismo distinguen entre el alma (impasible, sin emociones) y la mente (siempre fluctuante y llena de ansiedades). Según algunos, el yoga ofrece los medios para comprender el funcionamiento de la mente, o incluso sería el arte de estudiar el comportamiento de la mente. Pero otros opinan que el yoga no estudia nada, no se trata de un esfuerzo intelectual sino de una experiencia mística, que entre otras cosas ayuda a serenar los incesantes movimientos de la mente, conduciendo a un imperturbable estado de silencio mental. Los vaisnavas (adoradores de Vishnú) niegan este concepto, y dicen que no se puede silenciar a la mente, sino que se la debe ocupar en actividades espirituales (ofrecidas a Dios), que al mismo tiempo satisfarían la ansiedad de la misma y la purificarían de los deseos materiales. El yoga es, pues, el arte y la ciencia de la disciplina mental a través de la que se cultiva y madura la mente. No es una ciencia en el sentido occidental de la palabra. Los hindúes utilizan el concepto de ciencia porque saben que en el más racionalista mundo occidental la ciencia está bien conceptuada. El yoga busca llegar a la integración del alma (ātman) individual con Dios (el Brahman) o con su deidad (avatar). Esa re-unión se llama samādhi, a través de la cual se accede a la liberación (mokṣa). [editar] Textos fundamentales del yoga[editar] Bhagavad GitaEn el Bhagavad guitá (‘la canción del Opulento’), el dios Krishná (también llamado Bhagaván) establece de manera extremadamente somera cuatro corrientes principales del yoga (presentadas en orden de importancia, según los estudiosos del Bhagavad guitá):
[editar] Yoga sūtras de PatañjaliEn el Yoga sūtra, Patañjali define el yoga con el siguiente aforismo:
siendo citta: ‘consciencia’, vṛtti: ‘fluctuaciones, movimientos’ y nirodhaḥ: ‘restricción, supresión, control’.[7] La traducción literal es, pues: ‘El yoga es la restricción de las fluctuaciones de la consciencia’.[cita requerida] Algunas otras traducciones de este aforismo son:
[editar] Haṭha yoga pradīpikā[editar] Yoguis famosos[editar] Principales estudiosos occidentales del yoga durante el siglo XX
[editar] Citas
[editar] Véase tambiénAura • Chakras • Contorsionismo • Entrenamiento autógeno • Éxtasis • Iantra • Kundalinī • Kundalinī yoga • Mándala • Mantra • Meditación • Mudra • Nadis • Paz interior o shanti • Postura inversa de hatha-yoga • Prāṇāyāma • Qi • Samādhi • Tantra • Yoga sūtras de Patañjali • Zazen [editar] Referencias
[editar] Bibliografía
[editar] Enlaces externos
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