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| Yoga |
The word Yoga originates from the Sanskrit word "Yuj" (literally, "to yoke") and is generally translated as "union" or "integration". According to Yoga experts, the union referred to by the name is that of the individual soul with the cosmos, or the Supreme.
Yoga has both a philosophical and a practical dimension. The philosophy of yoga ("union") deals with the nature of the individual soul and the cosmos, and how the two are related. The practice of yoga, on the other hand, can be any activity that leads or brings the practitioner closer to this mystical union - a state called self-realization. Over thousands of years, special practical yoga techniques have been developed by experts in yoga, who are referred to as Yogis (male) and Yoginis (female).
These Yoga techniques cover a broad range, encompassing physical, mental, and spiritual activities. Traditionally, they have been classified into four categories or paths: the path of meditation (Raja Yoga), the path of devotion (Bhakti Yoga), the path of selfless service to others (Karma Yoga), and the path of intellectual analysis or the discrimination of truth and reality (Jnana Yoga). The most conspicuous form of yoga in the West, Hatha Yoga - consisting of various physical and breathing exercises and purification techniques - is actually a part of, or a preparatory stage to, Raja Yoga. |
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