If you somehow happened to ask five yogis the true meaning of yoga then you would presumably find five distinct solutions. They may likewise have five distinct styles of yoga practice, since yoga is being marked, promoted and practiced in many different types of approaches to serve the different forms and individuals joined to it. Even in the yoga teacher training India, there are different approaches that are being followed. So as to deal with the genuine significance of yoga, it is useful to begin with the derivation of the word itself.

SO WHAT IS THE TRUE MEANING OF YOGA?

The word yoga originates from the Sanskrit root word “yug,” which actually intends to oin together. This association isn’t alluding to your fingers contacting your toes or your nose arriving at your knees. It’s additionally not alluding to the association of psyche and body, despite the fact that, this is ordinarily rehashed inside the yoga community. The association that the word yoga is alluding to is that of joining singular consciousness (our individual experience of the real world) with Divine awareness which is the substance of truth as seen when we calm our five senses and reconnect with the higher self that lies within.

Yoga reasoning is one of the six parts of the Vedas, which are viewed as one of the world’s most established sacred writings. The primary branch, called Vedanta, clarifies that all information and experience originates from one fundamental cognizance, or reality. The subsequent branch, Sankhya, depicts how the one awareness separated itself to show up the same number of things. The third branch, which is yoga reasoning, depicts the procedures expected to understand our solidarity with the one awareness so we may liberate ourselves from the enduring felt through our apparent partition. All yoga practice is to serve the unfurling of boundless capability of both the human personality and endless Self. Through this extreme association of the self with the Divine, we experience enduring rapture, or bhoga, and freedom from torment. 

TYPES OF YOGA:

Many people think of yoga as being Hatha yoga but yoga is much more than that. It can be best known as a spiritual discipline. Some popular types of yoga are Karma Yoga, Bhakti yoga, Gyana yoga, Raja yoga and Mantra yoga.

  1. KARMA YOGA: The way of karma yoga will be yoga through activity. Satisfaction in karma yoga lies less in accomplishing numerous things as in acting to an ever increasing extent, even in easily overlooked details, with the awareness that the Divine, really, is the Doer. Everybody acts, except very few are genuine karma yogis. A karma yogi diverts all an inappropriate driving forces of their heart into healthy channels. More than that, the person attempts to become mindful of the heavenly vitality coursing through them as they act. For the karma yogi, the soul wherein they act is a higher priority than the administration itself. They should act without want for remuneration. As indicated by karma yogis, all other action works up more influxes of different preferences in the heart.
  2. GYANA YOGA: Gyana yoga is simply the yoga study. It isn’t just a specific way to association, yet in addition calls attention to the bearing all our reasoning ought to take. It depends on the possibility of “non-dualism”, as such, that we as of now are simply the Divine or Higher, we simply need to acknowledge it.
  3. BHAKTI YOGA: Bhakti yoga is the yoga of dedication. Anyway the after effect of bhakti yoga isn’t the fretful fervor of conventional sentiment, however a profound, internal serenity. The bhakti yogi thinks about the Divine first in close to home, human terms: as Father, Mother, Friend, or Beloved. Such an individual view causes them to stir and direct love towards the Divine. In any case, they in the long run observe and love the Divine in all structures. As indicated by Swami Kriyananda, it isn’t what we love, however how we love, that is significant if our dedication is to lead us to edification. Partisan contrasts just make more floods of different preferences; they don’t bring about yoga or association.
  4. RAJA YOGA: Raja yoga sees human instinct as a realm made out of numerous mental propensities and physical traits, all of which require circumspect consideration. The raja yogi, in this way, is ordered to administer their internal realm carefully and with control, building up all parts of his tendency in a reasonable, incorporated way. The principle focal point of Raja Yoga is reflection and comparative systems with the objective being yoga, or association. Anyway a raja yogi regularly rehearses all the above yogas also so as to stay adjusted
  5. MANTRA YOGA: This is the focusing of cognizance inside through the redundancy of Sanskrit mantras speaking to a specific part of Spirit. A model would be So’ham, which means I am that. It is an assertion of the solidarity of the individual self with Universal Self. 

EIGHT LIMBS OF YOGA:

The word Ashtanga in the Ashtanga yoga is a combination of two words, “Ashta” which means eight and “Anga” which means parts or limbs. Ashatanga yoga, therefore consists of eight limbs. Ashtanga was taught by guru Rama Mohan Brahmachari to his student Sri T Krishnamacharya, who further taught his student Sri K Patthabi Joi. The Ashtnaga yoga that is practised today was popularized by Sri K Patthabi Joi in the late 20th century.  The eight limbs or parts of Ashtanga yoga for beginners in Yoga teacher training in Rihsikesh are:

  • Yama: Yama or the first limb is based on forming the character of the person. It focuses on building the personality and a stronger character in a person. Qualities like persistence and patience, honesty and integrity are taught in this branch. A total of five qualities have to be developed in order to clear the stage of Yama. These qualities are Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya, and Aparigraha.
  • Niyama: Niyama signify the ethics or the rules of conduct. By integrating a rock solid foundation of Yama, one is able to follow all the rules that are listed very easily. The basic set of rules are Shauch, Santosh, Tapas, Swadhyaya, and Ishwar Pranidhan.
  • Asana: Asanas mean the body postures. Asanas are the way of body movements which are practiced to develop the strength and stamina of the body. Asanas also prevent diseases, delay the process of ageing, make a person healthy and increase flexibility.
  • Pranayama: Pranayama are the breathing exercises which are practiced to achieve a control on the body and mind. By controlling the process of breathing, a significant control is achieved on the body and the mind. 
  • Pratyahara: Pratyahara is for withdrawing the mind from the different senses. This is reaching a very high level of spiritual and mental development wherein the person is no longer attracted to any material temptations.
  • Dharana: Dharana is the strong resolution to realize a single objective by creating perfect thoughts. A person is eligible for reaching and succeeding in this stage only when he has successfully achieved a complete balance of the mind by passing through the former limbs of Ashtanga yoga. It is believed that the attraction power becomes so powerful in the dharna stage that almost anything a person desires starts to flow effortlessly towards the person. This is exactly the force required to achieve the human life at its best potential.
  • Dhayna: Dhyana means meditating and slowly drifting towards and reaching a higher consciousness. 
  • Samadhi: Samadhi is derived from the word “Samadhan” which means a solution or an answer. Samadhi is the final stage where the being actually becomes capable of merging with the divine or God. After reaching Samadhi, a person becomes free from the infinite cycle of birth and death.