Translate Page Into German Translate Page Into French Translate Page Into Italian Translate Page Into Portuguese Translate Page Into Spanish Translate Page Into Japanese Translate Page Into Korean

Site Index

 

Bean Products - Earth Friendly products for yoga, meditation, home and pets. Made in USA

Search This Site

 



Raja Yoga

Ancient Raja Yoga Still Benefits Modern Practitioners

There are many systems of yoga, the ancient Indian discipline of finding your place in the universe through teaching your body a series of positions. Yoga is like the horse you ride to get from one place in your life to another. But there are many different kinds of horses.

There is a big difference from riding a crossbred pony gelding to riding an Arabian stallion. And in yoga, you choose your school or yoga as you would pick the horse best for you to ride – what mount suits your level of experience, which one is big enough (or small enough) for you, and can the horse get you to where you want to go?

The King Of Yoga

Raja yoga is also called the King of Yoga, as raja means king. Raja yoga is also called “Classical yoga” or “Astanga yoga”, but raja yoga is easier for Westerners to remember. Why is raja yoga the Yoga King? Because it concerns the stimulation and harmonization of your mind through yoga positions. If you want to get just the physical benefits of yoga, then hatha yoga might suit you best. Raja yoga is best for those who wish to help control their emotions just as they can control their bodies into raja yoga positions. In the Indian culture, the mind is considered the ruler of the body, hence the name “raja yoga”.

Eight Limbed Yoga

“Astanga” means eight-limbed. This name was given to raja yoga because there are eight steps or goals in order to become a raja yoga master:

Yama: the practice of being a moral person.
Niyama: the practice of being true to your own spirituality. In India, this is usually thought of as the observance of religious customs and festivals
Asana: the practice of putting your body through poses in order to make it more relaxed and supple
Pranayama: the practice of right breathing, including not dwelling on past hurts that can make you breath shallow. “Prana” means “life force” in Hindu.
Pratayahara: the practice of developing your own will power and not being distracted from what you have to do.
Dharana: the practice of meditation.
Dhyana: the practice of non-attachment. This is perhaps the hardest part of raja yoga to explain. Ideally, you should not need anything in order to be in harmony with God and your place in the Universe, even food, sleep or oxygen. As your body gets flexible, so do your wants and expectations.
Samadhi: this is becoming one with God-consciousness, called Nirvana.

 

More Articles


Easy Yoga

... photo. Yoga is more than twisting yourself up into a pretzel. In fact, easy yoga is not an oxymoron. Easy yoga is, in fact, the rule rather than the exception. So Easy Even A Caveman Can Do It Easy yoga and advanced yoga have been around for thousands of years, developed in India to help a person find ... 

Read Full Article  


Yoga

Bean Products - Earth Friendly products for yoga, meditation, home and pets. Made in USA

... way to exercise. What is yoga, though, where does it come from, and how can it help you? Let s talk a little about this form of exercise and how it can fit in your life. Origins The form of exercise that we know today has its origins in what is called Hatha Yoga, which originated In India somewhere around ... 

Read Full Article  


Yoga Accessories

... have to. For instance, you may wish to purchase a yoga mat bag to carry your mat from home to class and back in. Some of these bags also have room for a change of clothes, your keys or a wallet. There are also yoga DVDs available in case you cannot attend a class. Plus there are a lot of other yoga props ... 

Read Full Article  


Yoga Equipment

... type of equipment, you can generally go to any of your local exercise or fitness stores and they should have at least a remote selection. If not, then you can go to a specialty yoga store which will offer all of the new and as well the essential pieces of yoga equipment. You will see right away just what ... 

Read Full Article  


Yoga Clothing

... flexible. Their yoga shirts, priced at $49, are made with a blend of cotton and Lycra that breathe well and are comfortable to wear, perfect for yoga. Bottoms The same rules for purchasing clothing for yoga apply when shopping for the top half as well, though the needs of yoga make several options possible. ... 

Read Full Article  

Related Products And FREE Videos





 

Spreadfirefox Affiliate Button

#1 Web Hosting Pick!- 300,000 MB, Free Setup, *On Sale* $5.77/month!