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Hi Bill
I wanted to ask you if you practise SR, and for how long, and if it's affiliated in anyway with Kriya yoga?
Thanks
Maria
In Reply to: For Bill posted by Maria Bliss on December 01, 2003 at 19:26:14:
Hi Maria,
All yoga is affliated with meditation..... it just depends on how deep you want to go, and which branch of each yoga you want to try.
I believe though, that Bill had said to me that he does not actually practice Yoga (this was a few months ago at least)
I apologize for nosing in ...I just LOVE yoga though..if you ever want to talk Yoga - email me :)
It can help your metabolism equalize (thus, the heavy can lose, and the thin can gain - like us!)
In Reply to: For Bill posted by Maria Bliss on December 01, 2003 at 19:26:14:
No I don't practice either SR or Kripalu Yoga. I have done them both in the past and got some benefits - I slept better and my mind was clearer. I hope I do not wait for chronic illness before I try them again...
I eat pretty well and I play a lot of tennis, so am doing ok on the other two legs of the stool. For three months this year I did morning pages (read The Writers Way - daily journalling) and that was as effective as SR for me.
Bill
In Reply to: Re: For Bill posted by Bill [469.4] on December 01, 2003 at 20:34:28:
Did you mean The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron? I do the morning pages too, based on that book.
In Reply to: Re: For Bill posted by Bill [469.4] on December 01, 2003 at 20:34:28:
You are probably a person who doesn't have that much stress, or is able to deal with it much better than others. Orobably your temperament too, Bill. Good genes 'n all. :)
I find I am this way at times, (able to dealwell w/stress) and then other times, not so.
But I NEED meditation, although I use various other techniques which help to relax me, especially at night. I will listen to certain tapes designed to relax me, and help deepen my sleep.
I find I need variety in most aspects of life, otherwise I can tend to get bored quite easily. So I like to experiement with different ways of relaxing and different techniques of meditation.
I will check out that "Writers WAy". Sounds interesting.
I asked about SR for you, because I thought Kripalu was some type of yoga.
Thanks
Maria
In Reply to: For Bill posted by Maria Bliss on December 01, 2003 at 19:26:14:
Various types of Yoga
1) Jyana Yoga - Reaching the destination through knowledge
2) Bhakti Yoga - Reaching the destination with faith and belief.
3) Karma Yoga - Reaching the destination with one's work.
4) Mantra Yoga - Yoga of sound or mantra (sacred words)
5) Yantra Yoga - Reaching the destination by worshipping an idol
6) Laya Yoga - Assimilating ourselves with what we want to be and thereby reaching the destination
7) Kundalini Yoga - Reaching the destination with the inner powers of the body
8) Hatha Yoga - Most popular form of yoga. Symbolized various body shapes and exercises.
9) Raja Yoga - Reaching the destination with immense mental discipline
Yoga according to vedas(ancient indian scripts) has been categorized into 8 types.
Namaste
N*Star
In Reply to: Types of Yoga posted by North*Star [1174.639] on December 02, 2003 at 00:03:10:
Thanks, North*star~! :)
I am still curious about the kripalu though.
Do you practise yoga?
In Reply to: Re: Types of Yoga posted by Maria [4.4] on December 02, 2003 at 00:09:34:
Hi Maria,
I'm a very high level yoga teacher - the highest level through the yoga alliance - and none of the above looked familiar to me.
All yoga is broken off of one branch - and all have the same goal - "Union of Body and Spirit"....
All are physical with meditative bents... the differences are more in the physical attributes of each.
I do several yogas, and certify through my studio - Raja is not as stated above! Raja means "Royal Yoga" and is simply one form of over 100 forms of yoga.
In Reply to: Types of Yoga posted by North*Star [1174.639] on December 02, 2003 at 00:03:10:
Maria,
A great site that is esteemed by yoga professionals is the International Yoga Therapists Association. You can find much information there.
But in terms of meditation, I feel you'd have to be very proficient at your yoga practice to begin getting the meditative benefits "full force" - though now is a great time to start - better than waiting. If you are looking for an SR exchange, you should supplement your yoga practice until you are proficient. I always tell new people, that although you will get SOME benefits, you can't possibly think about "nothing" and enlightenment, when you are thinking actively about holding a pose, knowing if you are correct, your posture, the names of the poses and so on. It would be like learning to drive a car, where you need to be alert - and trying to get SR benefits from the get go. Hope this article shows you how diversified yoga is.
North Star was partially correct in what he/she stated - they are sometimes the "main" styles - but they also change according to which website you are on.
WIthin all yoga though, there are 8 limbs. Ashtanga yoga sites or Raja will explain those limbs.
Forty Types of Yoga
by Georg Feuerstein
The Sanskrit word yoga stems from the verbal root yuj meaning "to yoke" or "to unite." Thus, in a spiritual context, yoga stands for "training" or "unitive discipline." The Sanskrit literature contains numerous compound terms ending in -yoga. These stand for various yogic approaches or features of the path. The following is a descriptive list of forty such terms. Not all of these form full-fledged branches or types of Yoga, but they represent at least emphases in diverse contexts. All of them are instructive insofar as they demonstrate the vast scope of Hindu Yoga.
Abhâva-Yoga: The unitive discipline of nonbeing, meaning the higher yogic practice of immersion into the Self without objective support such as mantras; a concept found in the Purânas; cf. Bhâva-Yoga
Adhyâtma-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the inner self; sometimes said to be the Yoga characteristic of the Upanishads
Agni-Yoga: The unitive discipline of fire, causing the awakening of the serpent power (kundalinî-shakti) through the joint action of mind (manas) and life force (prâna)
Ashtânga-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the eight limbs, i.e., Râja-Yoga or Pâtanjala-Yoga
Asparsha-Yoga: The unitive discipline of "noncontact," which is the nondualist Yoga propounded by Gaudapâda in his Mândûkya-Kârikâ; cf. Sparsha-Yoga
Bhakti-Yoga: The unitive discipline of love/devotion, as expounded, for instance, in the Bhagavad-Gîtâ, the Bhâgavata-Purâna, and numerous other scriptures of Shaivism and Vaishnavism
Buddhi-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the higher mind, first mentioned in the Bhagavad-Gîtâ
Dhyâna-Yoga: The unitive discipline of meditation
Ghatastha-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the "pot" (ghata), meaning the body; a synonym for Hatha-Yoga mentioned in the Gheranda-Samhitâ
Guru-Yoga: The unitive discipline relative to one's teacher
Hatha-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the force (meaning the serpent power or kundalinî-shakti); or forceful unitive discipline
Hiranyagarbha-Yoga: The unitive discipline of Hiranyagarbha ("Golden Germ"), who is considered the original founder of the Yoga tradition
Japa-Yoga: The unitive discipline of mantra recitation
Jnâna-Yoga: The unitive discipline of discriminating wisdom, which is the approach of the Upanishads
Karma-Yoga: The unitive discipline of self-transcending action, as first explicitly taught in the Bhagavad-Gîtâ
Kaula-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the Kaula school, a Tantric Yoga
Kriyâ-Yoga: The unitive discipline of ritual; also the combined practice of asceticism (tapas), study (svâdhyâya), and worship of the Lord (îshvara-pranidhâna) mentioned in the Yoga-Sûtra of Patanjali
Kundalinî-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the serpent power (kundalinî-shakti), which is fundamental to the Tantric tradition, including Hatha-Yoga
Lambikâ-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the "hanger," meaning the uvula, which is deliberately stimulated in this yogic approach to increase the flow of "nectar" (amrita) whose external aspect is saliva
Laya-Yoga: The unitive discipline of absorption or dissolution of the elements prior to their natural dissolution at death
Mahâ-Yoga: The great unitive discipline, a concept found in the Yoga-Shikhâ-Upanishad where it refers to the combined practice of Mantra-Yoga, Laya-Yoga, Hatha-Yoga, and Râja-Yoga
Mantra-Yoga: The unitive discipline of numinous sounds that help protect the mind, which has been a part of the Yoga tradition ever since Vedic times
Nâda-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the inner sound, a practice closely associated with original Hatha-Yoga
Pancadashânga-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the fifteen limbs (pancadasha-anga): (1) moral discipline (yama), (2) restraint (niyama), (3) renunciation (tyâga), (4) silence (mauna), (5) right place (desha), (6) right time (kâla), (7) posture (âsana), (8) root lock (mûla-bandha), (9) bodily equilibrium (deha-samya), (10) stability of vision (dhrik-sthiti), (11) control of the life force (prâna-samrodha), (12) sensory inhibition (pratyâhâra), (13) concentration (dhâranâ), (14) meditation upon the Self (âtma-dhyâna), and (15) ecstasy (samâdhi)
Pâshupata-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the Pâshupata sect, as expounded in some of the Purânas
Pâtanjala-Yoga: The unitive discipline of Patanjali, better known as Râja-Yoga or Yoga-Darshana
Pûrna-Yoga: The unitive discipline of wholeness or integration, which is the name of Sri Aurobindo's Yoga
Râja-Yoga: The royal unitive discipline, also called Pâtanjala-Yoga, Ashtânga-Yoga, or Râja-Yoga
Samâdhi-Yoga: The unitive discipline of ecstasy
Sâmkhya-Yoga: The unitive discipline of insight, which is the name of certain liberation teachings and schools referred to in the Mahâbhârata
Samnyâsa-Yoga: The unitive discipline of renunciation, which is contrasted against Karma-Yoga in the Bhagavad-Gîtâ
Samputa-Yoga: The unitive discipline of sexual congress (maithunâ) in Tantra-Yoga
Samrambha-Yoga: The unitive discipline of hatred, as mentioned in the Vishnu-Purâna, which illustrates the profound yogic principle that one becomes what one constantly contemplates (even if charged with negative emotions)
Saptânga-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the seven limbs (sapta-anga), also known as Sapta-Sâdhana in the Gheranda-Samhitâ: (1) six purificatory practices (shat-karma), (2) posture (âsana), (3) seal (mudrâ), (4) sensory inhibition (pratyâhâra), (5) breath control (prânâyâma), (6) meditation (dhyâna), and (7) ecstasy (samâdhi)
Shadanga-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the six limbs (shad-anga), as expounded in the Maitrâyanîya-Upanishad: (1) breath control (prânâyâma), (2) sensory inhibition (pratyâhâra), (3) meditation (dhyâna), (4) concentration (dhâranâ), (5) examination (tarka), and (6) ecstasy (samâdhi)
Siddha-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the adepts, a concept found in some of the Tantras
Sparsha-Yoga: The unitive discipline of contact; a Vedantic Yoga mentioned in the Shiva-Purâna, which combines mantra recitation with breath control; cf. Asparsha-Yoga
Tantra-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the Tantras, a kundalinî-based Yoga
Târaka-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the "deliverer" (târaka); a medieval Yoga based on light phenomena
Yantra-Yoga: The unitive discipline of focusing the mind upon geometric representations (yantra) of the cosmos.
© Copyright 1996 by Georg Feuerstein
In Reply to: Re: Types of Yoga posted by Michele [6.15] on December 02, 2003 at 07:19:06:
Thanks, Michele.
I have never practised yoga. EVER!
I have always been a meditation buff though, moreso than yoga.
My sister does Pilates, and raves about it. I know, it's not yoga, but pretty close.
How have you found yoga has helped you?
Maria/Sahra
In Reply to: Re: Update - For Maria posted by Michele [6.15] on December 02, 2003 at 07:29:29:
gosh! I didn't know there were SO many different forms of yoga. The mind just boggles!
If I had to choose I would go with:
Kundalini Yoga
Tantra Yoga
Laya Yoga
Not Kriya Yoga - Sounds like bhakti worship;
Adhyâtma-Yoga
Abhâva-Yoga
I bet I would be really good at yoga. I am pretty good at focusing and going deep during meditation, and I was always very flexible as a child. Use to do handstands, and gymnastics etc, and I have always had good co ordination.
Hey if I come to the states any time soon, maybe you could be my yoga teacher, Michele? :)
Maria/Sahra
In Reply to: Re: Update - For Maria (Wow! Michele!) posted by MariaBliss [4.4] on December 02, 2003 at 10:03:05:
Odd that you mentioned not the Kriya yoga!
I had a student who has Rheum.Arthritis, and she had always done Kriya.
We had her sort of co-teach a class to teach US Kriya and it seemed (her version at least) VERY relaxing.
I am more of a Ashtanga/Raja person myself. I do some "yoga meditation" but as I am always teaching, I am focusing on helping OTHERS meditate.
For my own SR, I do a combo of Yoga, Centerpointe, and now, I'm turned onto Buddhism. (my new thing)
SUre! Come to the states! It would be fun!
In Reply to: Types of Yoga posted by North*Star [1174.639] on December 02, 2003 at 00:03:10:
Thanks, N*star.
Namaste`
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Types of Yoga posted by Maria Bliss [4.4] on December 02, 2003 at 09:38:59:
Hi Maria
I also do pilates (certified instructor) and also did it way before it was trendy ...Joe Pilates had a boxer and a choreographer as his first clients in the states...and I do the pilates that Balenchine developed from Joe Pilates..so, as a lifelong dancer, I was doing the "dancer version" of pilates for years.
I actually think the "new" trendy pilates is similar to yoga, but the original pilates had not much in common. The original did not even have breathing associated with it - though many people will argue this - I tend to NOT believe in the breathing aspects of Pilates, as Balenchine and Joe Pilates did not either! Your body will take in the oxygen it needs naturally - and in Pilates you must stay SO focused on proper alignment at all times...it just doesn't behove someone to try to "breath" a certain way.
But, the new pilates is yoga oriented.
Yoga itself has helped me many ways... from centering me, to providing me with the very things that those who do SR claim as benefits also.
It has helped me be more in tune with my body and it has helped me to "work" my body in a more healthful manner.
For instance, if I feel stuffy, I will do some targeted yoga poses(asanas) and I will feel better. There are yoga breathing techniques that are also quite helpful.
I think no matter what yoga you do - what class you do - you'll find it beneficial.
You should go to the library/bookstore and grab some good books on it too - which will maybe show you a bit more than your teacher can explain in a class. THere is no way to teach breathing, the pose and talk about ALL of the benefits (and contradictions) in one class, for each pose.
OK...I'm rambling. I do this when I'm passionate about something!
Ohhh and if you are coupled, it is good for your boyfriend/spouse to do together. There is a level of closeness that is amazing you can reach.
In Reply to: Re: Update - For Maria (Wow! Michele!) posted by Michele [6.15] on December 02, 2003 at 10:10:53:
i have a friend at work who is into buddhism, and i was meant to check out a buddhist temple not far from here, actually walt was the one who told me so, and i nevr got around ot it. he reckons i had a block to meditation,and yeah, i agreed with that, it felt right.
i would like to do buddhist meditation, esp. tibetan budhist meditation, but don't want to hear all their jargon about renouncing the pleasures of life,. i like pleasure too much! :) not keen on any organzied religion, thats why i like new age, and metaphysics much more, even the occult, but nothing too organized religion about them, and if it gets that way, i move onto something less rigid. i tend to rely more on my own intuition as to waht is right, and waht is not now.
i really think that centerpointe can be good tho, & can help 1 evolve quickly.
In Reply to: Re: Update - For Maria (Wow! Michele!) posted by Maria Bliss [4.4] on December 02, 2003 at 10:18:24:
The place I'm going to go to is very laid back. They don't even think of Buddhism as a religion, but a lifestyle.
And no - I'm not renouncing pleasure!
I'm not going to do the Tibetan route, though it was my first instinct.
After checking it out, I see why only 6% of the world is into it (that pleasure thing!)
I'm doing the more relaxed one...(starts with an M, can't think of it off the top of my head)....as it focus' on the four noble truths, the six realms and such...
I also am into my intuition as well...this is a new thing, and hopefully I'll take what works for me and decide from there. I think it will be positive.
And OH...I am SO NOT shaving my head! I've taken way too much time with this head of hair to renounce IT! haha!
In Reply to: Re: Update - For Maria (Wow! Michele!) posted by Michele [6.15] on December 02, 2003 at 10:23:57:
lol! you're hilarious. it must be our great taurean humour, hey?
i was pretty impressionable at 18, and got caught up in an organized religion . if they had told me to shave my head, I probably would have, back then. :)
buti learnt so much from that experience. i learnt to rely more on myself, than what other people tellme, and to trust myself more than i trust others.
yeah, and they were SO into renouncing ALL pleasures!
I think I went to the other extreme tho after leaving their institution. :)
the pendulum has begun to balance out now! :) learning more balance in my life.
when i meditate regularly, my intuition improves 100 percent, and i also much more contented with life and myself.
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