There are different forms of yoga. This type of
exercise can leave you toned and supple or you may
even be spiritually enlightened according to some
teachers. Yoga is the latest thing. It has reshaped
some of the greatest stars all the way from Madonna to
Sting.

Some forms of yoga are more physical and some are
highly spiritual. Yoga is extremely good for fatigue,
depression, arthritis, aging, stress-related illness,
migraine, PMS, back pain and mobility problems.

You must first decide why you wish to start yoga and
then go about choosing the appropriate form for you.
The principles of yoga are quite simple – relax, tune
out everything and stretch and you will feel better.

If you are looking to get fit these types of yoga are
for you:

” Hatha yoga ”

This type of yoga is based on controlled stretching.
An emphasis is placed on developing a flexible spine.
This type of yoga is excellent for all levels of
fitness.

” Vini yoga ”

This type of yoga is gentle and safe and is very good
for older people. It is taught by a teacher called a
Desikachar and is usually taught on an individual
basis.

If you really want to get physical then you should
choose these types of yoga:

” Lyenger yoga ”

This type of yoga focuses on correct postures. It
often makes use of ropes and blocks to maintain these
postures.

” Sivananda yoga ”

This type of yoga is suitable for every age and covers
a wide range of poses which range from simple to
complex. ” Ashtanga yoga ” This type of yoga is known
as power yoga. It is very demanding and is only
suitable for those people who are very fit.

For those of you who want to get spiritual, then you
would want to choose from these types of yoga:

” Raja yoga ”

This is often referred to as royal yoga. It is
concerned with the mind.

” Dru yoga ”

This is group yoga which concentrates very heavily on
breath work.

” Jnana yoga ”

This concentrates on the philosophical aspects of
youga and is very spiritual and meditative.

Sivananda Yoga, which was named after the teaching of
Swami Sivananda, is a form of hatha yoga. The training
focuses on preserving the wellness and health of the
practitioner.

People who teach this style of yoga must all be
graduates of the training course in Sivananda Yoga.
The students who take this Sivananda Yoga Teacher
Training Course vary widely in age and their degrees
of ability.

Unlike Ashtanga Vinyasa, which is yoga’s more athletic
program, Sivananda training centers around frequent
relaxation as well as emphasizing full, yogic
breathing.

Method

The Sivananda training method tries to retain the
body’s vitality, retard the decaying process and
lessen the chance of getting a disease by naturally
and simply cultivating the body. The philosophies of
Sivananda training are summarized in five basic
principles:

* Proper breathing or Pranayama

* Exercise or Asanas

* Relaxation of Savasana

* Diet: A vegetarian diet is recommended. The yogic
diet is limited to sattvic foods and you may not have
any rajasic or tasmasic foods.

* Positive thinking and meditation or the practice of
Vedanta and Dhyana

A training session typically begins with each
practitioner resting in Savasana. Everyone begins with
Anuloma Viloma and Kapalabhati and precedes with
rounds of Surya namaskara.

This is all before starting with the standard program
that takes into consideration the twelve basic asanas.
The average session runs for about 90 minutes.

The traditional program is usually left up to the
flexibility of the instructor. This allows for some
variation which is important so as not to allow
sessions to become boring for the participants.

Today in the fitness industry one of the swiftest
growing movements is the great art and practice of
yoga.

In case you have been out of touch with what has been
happening for the past couple of years, yoga is
sweeping through aerobics studios and health clubs all
across the United States and if finding acceptance as
a fitness activity as well as a means to balance the
energy of the body and reduce stress and thereby
restore a feeling of calmness.

There are a variety of types of yoga. There is Iyanga
yoga which is excellent for beginners. It is graceful
and fluid. It is not physically demanding and
therefore great for people who are not that
athletically inclined.

There is also Ashtanga yoga which is extremely
physical and intense. This is a great activity for
strength, fitness and endurance. It is truly the
mother of the “power yoga” classes.

The third kind of Hatha yoga is called Vini yoga. This
type of yoga is usually performed on a one-to-one
basis with an instructor. Vini yoga is more relaxed
that the two previous forms.

It is therapeutic, restorative and is based on one’s
individual breath. This means that the length of a
movement is determined by the ability of the
individual to inhale and exhale fully.

It seems that many postural imbalances are due to
breathing restrictions. Vini yoga is based on the
premise that the body’s energy is more balanced if you
are able to balance your breathing.

When you improve your breathing you not only improve
your posture, but you improve your overall energy and
develop the sense of being centered.

Raja means kingly or royal. This form of meditation is
based on bringing the mind and emotions into balance
or harmony so that your attention may be easily
directed on the object of your meditation or on the
Lord directly.

Life force is generally a movement up and down the
spine so that it becomes balanced and the emotions as
well as the mind are serenely content.

Awareness is then directed to move forward into a
point that is located in the center of one’s lower
forehead. This meditation point, which is also called
the ajna, or third eye, is located about 1 half inches
above where the eyebrows meet.

When the energy becomes balanced throughout your body
and brain and moves effortlessly into the area of the
ajna, calmness seems to overtake your mind.

Certainly your mind is not passive but it frees itself
from the meaningless worries, thoughts and clutter of
the subconscious mind.

You derive a pleasant sense of well being in this
state and your mind seems to be filled with a velvety
darkness.

As your consciousness courses toward your third eye,
different pastel colors appear in your forehead. There
are sumptuous, glorious pinks, whites, indigos,
purples, yellows, blues and green that take their turn
in your forehead.

As your life force becomes stronger and more
concentrated you may think you see lightning,
fireflies or moonlight. This whole process is getting
you ready to experience your true nature.

The person who practices raja yoga in its purest form
lives in bless with the will completely surrendered to
God.

Yoga has been touted to be a relaxation technique
which is able to tone the mind, body and spirit into
working harmoniously. Many yoga teachers and fitness
experts claim that yoga can lead to successful and
lasting weight loss.

Any weight loss program is comprised of a healthy diet
and regular exercise. However, you have to stick to
your program. This is difficult for most people as
their often hectic schedules make it hard to find
enough exercise time. This is where yoga can be
extremely fruitful.

Yoga is a very fast form of deep relaxation. Just the
most basic poses and breathing exercises will help you
deal with stress and clear your mind. This will affect
your state of mind not only toward yourself but your
whole life.

The more relaxed you become the better able you will
be to to control eating between meals. Deep breathing
exercises will help to improve your inner strength as
well as your concentration. This will help you stick
to your diet and exercise program.

Yoga tones your body and fortifies all of your
muscles. It helps to stimulate the glands that secrete
hormones which in turn increases your metabolism. As
you attain higher levels of yoga, you get faster at it
and find that it becomes easier to work off your
excess fat.

If you are extremely overweight, yoga is a very good
way of getting back into shape. It not only prepares
your mind but also your body for weight loss. If you
start your yoga sessions as well as the other required
steps to your weight loss program, you will soon
experience a lighter you and will begin to lead a much
better lifestyle.

One of the main ways that the yogi of discernment
meditates, is to patiently lay aside all feeling and
though until he or she feels the radiant glow of the
soul dawning in the heart and mind. Transformation and
enlightenment take place within the rapt meditator.
One of the ways this is accomplished is through a
process called neti-neti.

Neti-neti Meditation

The meaning of neti-neti is “not this, not this”.

Whenever a feeling or thought comes into your mind
which is not one of the goals of the meditation or
which is not of the inner self, just say “Not this,
not this” and dismiss the image, sound, thought,
concept or sense distraction.

Any feeling or thought is patiently dismissed time and
again, if necessary, until your mind is cleared and
your soul is revealed.

Remember that you should not meditate in a passive
way. This state of consciousness is referred to as
alertness and is an amazing application of awareness.

As you form the habit of saying “neti-neti”, you will
be able to discard any doubt, worry or fear and become
established in the realm of inner self. You will then
be able to look back at fear and worries with deep
insight and be able to handle them.

There is a great deal of evidence supporting the idea
that these pictures depict a form of ritual discipline
which suggests a precursor of yoga. This was pointed
out by the archaeologist Gregory Possehl.

He also points out the fact that there are sixteen
other “yogi glyptics”. These images point to the fact
that the yoga pose may not only have been used by
deities but also by humans. Possehl makes the
suggestion that yoga dates back to the early
civilization in the Indus Valley.

There is a very widely known image named the Pashupati
seal and it was discovered by John Marshall. He
believed that this was a representation of a
“proto-Shiva” figure.

Most modern authorities do not believe the idea that
this so called “Pashupati” represents a Rudra or Shiva
figure. Gavin Flood states that these views are merely
“speculative”.

He feels that it is not clear from this seal whether
the figure is indeed seated in a yoga posture. He does
not even know if this shape was supposed to represent
a human figure.

There are authorities who do support the idea that
this ‘Pashupati’ figure does indeed depict a figure in
a meditation or a yoga posture. This idea is supported
by noted archaeologist Jonathan Mark Kenover.

In 2007, terracotta seals were found in the Cholistan
Desert which is located in Pakistan. One of these
seals had three pictographs on one side. When the seal
is turned over, there is a “yogi” on the other side.

Hatha yoga is a type of yoga that was introduced by
Yogi Seatmarama. This was a yogic sage that lived in
India in the 15th century. This is the most popular
form of yoga.

Several other styles of yoga originated from this type
including Bikram Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Power Yoga and
Ashtanga Yoga. The word “hatha” comes from two
Sanskrit terms: “ha” which means “sun” and “tha” which
means “moon”. Thus, the Hatha branch of yoga unites
pairs of opposites.

Hatha Yoga strives to achieve balance between the body
as well as the mind. It tries to free the spiritual
elements of one’s mind through Asanas or physical
poses, meditation and breathing techniques or
Pranayama.

Asanas are different body positions that are designed
to improve one’s health and remove diseases in the
body. These positions were originally meant for
meditation because these postures tend to make you
feel relaxed for long time periods.

By regularly practicing Asanas, you will gain muscle
flexibility, bone strength, the development of
concentration, will power and self-withdrawal.

Pranayama is the science of breath control. This is an
integral part of Hatha Yoga. The yogis of ancient
times believe that in order to control one’s mind you
had to control the breathing. This practice can also
help unleash any dormant energies that are lying deep
within your body.

When you practice Hatha Yoga, you are able to
recognize your hidden mental and physical potentials.
As you continue your performance of Asanas, you will
gain more strength and flexibility and learn to stay
relaxed during stressful situations.

Dru Yoga is a potent and graceful form on yoga. It is
based on directed breathing, soft flowing movements
and visualization. Its foundations were set in ancient
yogic tradition.

Dru Yoga works on the body, spirit and mind. It
improves flexibility and strength, creates core
stability, builds a heightened sense of positive
thinking, is deeply relaxing and rejuvenates your
entire being.

Dru Yoga was designed to be practiced by people of all
different fitness levels, different abilities and all
age groups. This is a style of yoga that can quickly
be picked up or you can learn more about it over your
lifetime.

Dru Meditation

If it has been one of your goals to learn how to
meditate in order to feel that inner calmness or to be
a stress reliever, then try Dru Meditation! The Dru
approach to meditation will help bring you balance no
matter what or how you are feeling.

If you seem to be agitated, Dru meditation will help
to bring you a feeling of calmness. If you feel
exhausted, this form of meditation will give your
energy.

It will bring peace to your spirit if you are feeling
anxious. The most important thing that Dru meditation
will do for you is to bring you to that still place
within you, with its sense of achievement, fullness
and deep healing properties that only meditation and
yoga can bring.

If you really want to learn Dru meditation, the best
way to do this is to attend a workshop or a meditation
retreat in your area. If you are not able to do that,
you might try a guided Dru meditation that is
available on CD.

You will find that Dru meditation can help alleviate
fatigue and stress and bring you focus and calm. If
only you can do ten minutes daily of meditation, it
will make a great difference.

Ashtanga Yoga is a method of yoga that is taught in
India by Sri K Pattabhi Jois. This style of yoga
involves the synchronization of breathing with a
progressive series of postures.

This is a process that produces a kind of intense
internal heat as well as a drenching, purifying sweat
that is supposed to detoxify the muscles and organs of
the body. The result is a light and strong body,
improved circulation and a calm mind.

Ashtanga Yoga Background

Ashtanga Yoga is a method of yoga that was recorded by
Vamana Rishi in an ancient manuscript call the Yoga
Korunta. This article was said to contain lists of a
variety of groupings of asanas and highly original
teachings on the subjects of vinyasa, bandhas,
drishti, mudras and philosophy.

The text of this article was handed down to Sri T.
Krishnamacharya by his teacher Rama Mohan Brahmachari
in the early 1900’s. It later came into the possession
of Pattabhi Jois when he studied with Krishnamacharya
beginning in 1927. Jois has been teaching this type of
yoga since 1948 from his yoga shala.

The literal meaning of Ashtanga Yoga is “eight-limbed”
yoga as put forth by sage Patanjali. According to him,
the path of internal cleansing in order to reveal the
universal self is based on the following eight
spiritual practices:

* Yama which are moral codes

* Niyama which is based on study and self-purification

* Asana or posture

* Pranayama which is controlled breathing

* Pratyahara which is sense control

* Dharana which is concentration

* Dhyana which is meditation and

* Samadhi which is contemplation