Introduction to Yoga

There are many meaning to the word ‘ Yoga ’ . Yoga means addition, destiny, coincidence in Hindi and in popular speaking language in north of India. Yoga also means, path, connection or a topic, e. g. names of chapters of Shreemad Bhagavad Gita (Śrīmad-Bhagavad - Gītā); twelfth chapter is named Bhaktiyogah (Bhaktiyogaḥ), the fifteenth is Purushottamayogah (Puruṣottamayogaḥ) . Depending upon the context different philosophies apply different meanings of the word ‘ Yoga ’ .

We generally hear that Yoga is ‘Union between individual consciousness and the universal consciousness’. We hardly hear that Yoga is concentration, absorption. But Sage Patañjali’s Yoga-Sūtras ( Patañjali’s Yogasūtras ) talk about concentration, absorption.

We find seeds of Yoga in Vedas and Upanishads (Upaniṣads) . Why someone becomes a Yogi ( Yogī) ? Because of quest for knowledge. Knowledge not of outside world but of the Self. Yoga practices began during Vedic and even pre-Vedic times. They had the urge to look into the Reality. Because of realizing that something is appearing which is temporary and beyond that something is permanent. Though the moving world appears but there is one unmoving substratum which should be realized. And to know this we need to turn inward, which is given in Yoga .

Yoga , generally speaking, is a path for Self-realization. There are as many ways of Self-realization or God-realization as there are living beings. Śrīmad-Bhagavad-Gītā shows many paths for Self-realization. Swami Vivekananda (Svāmī Vivekānanda) popularized the four paths as means of Self-ralization. They are:

• कर्मयोग – Karma - Yoga, path of Karma,
• भक्तियोग – Bhakti - Yoga, path of Bhakti,
• राजयोग - Raja - Yoga (Rāja-Yoga), path of mind control, and
• ज्ञानयोग - Jnana - Yoga (Jñāna - Yoga), path of Jnana (knowledge) ,

Those, with more of Rajasika (Rājasika) – action oriented temperament will find Karma-Yoga as best for them. Selfless service to mankind gives them supreme happiness. Those who are more prone to devotion to God, are fit for Bhakti-Yoga. Those who are spiritually inclined Raja-Yoga (Rāja-Yoga) is the way for them. And for the philosophical, rational people Jnana-Yoga (Jñāna-Yoga ) is the path. There are different traditions of Yoga . Sage Pata njali ’s ( Patañjali ’s) Yoga is rooted in Vedas ; whereas, Hatha-Yoga (Haṭha-Yoga) is rooted in the Tantra . Pata njali ’s Yoga is described in the text ‘ Pata njala-Yoga-Darshana’ (Pāta ñjala-Yoga-Darśana) , Hatha - Yoga has several textbooks, each of them propounds a different thought of school of Yoga , where the components (Aṅgas ) are different e. g. Yoga of four components ( Caturāṅga Yoga), Yoga of six components (Ṣaḍāṅga Yoga), Yoga of seven components ( Saptāṅga Yoga) etc .