...differences between the four paths of yoga? And relate the four paths to other philosophical or religious traditions? The four paths of yoga are jnana yoga, karma yoga, bhakti yoga, and raja yoga. Even though the four parts of yoga come from Hindu philosophies each has its own way that can make people live spiritually and comfortably by choosing a certain path that an individual is comfortable with. Everyday people will use techniques that were born with yoga and not even know they are using a basic form of yoga. Each type of yoga is different from one another in a lot of different ways. Jnana yoga is learning from others. Karma yoga believes doing work unselfishly will lead to good deeds happening for one. Bhakti yoga is expressing yourself. Raja yoga is the art of meditation. Jnana yoga or knowledge yoga is based on learning from teachers who have a lot of knowledge with jnana yoga. As such priests and intellectuals will prefer this type of yoga so they can learn and then teach it themselves. Reading the bible is also considered jnana yoga since you will gain knowledge by doing this. This type of yoga was refined by a school of philosophy that is still being done today the school of Vedanta. The Vedanta school uses the ideas of the Upanishads as its primary inspiration. Upanishads is defined as which come at the end of the Vedas. All other forms of yoga do not incorporate learning or teaching in they way they express themselves. Jnana yoga can relate to numerous religions that...
Words: 941 - Pages: 4
...The Religion Hinduism Hum/130 The religion of Hinduism is very complicated and has many different aspects to it, from cultural and social influences. This paper will discuss these many different aspects that make up this belief system, along with the liberation from earthly existence. The term Hinduism is not the main word used today for this religion, the term used in this modern time is Sanatana Dharma. The religion has a wide range of expressions and beliefs that is believed to have developed of the course of approximately ten thousand years. “The spiritual expressions of Sanatana Dharma range from extreme asceticism to extreme sensuality, from the heights of personal devotion to a deity to the heights of abstract philosophy, from metaphysical proclamations of the oneness behind the material world to worship of images representing a multiplicity of deities. According to tradition, there are actually 330 million deities in India. The feeling is that the divine has countless faces.”(Fisher, 2005, p. 69). There is a philosophical and metaphysical element to Hinduism. The Vedic age is believed to exist from around 2500 BCE. Many people believe that today’s Sanatana Dharma stems from this period. This worship consists of the praising of hymns and the worship of the cow. It is believed that the cow is a sacred animal. “In the Aryan Invasion Theory of Western historians, the highly organized cultures of the Indus Valley and the villages in other parts of the subcontinent...
Words: 773 - Pages: 4
...Jefferey Hineline Hinduism Hinduism is such a complex religion it is a very difficult topic for individuals to study. The fact that Hindus have no specific God and they have so many different belief systems made it difficult for me to interpret. Hinduism is considered one of the world’s largest religions’s and was created in the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is not just a religion; it is more so the way of life. It has its own beliefs and traditions. It is a group formed of diverse traditions and has no specific supernatural being or no single holy text. According to Huxley (2010) “Hinduism unites the worship of many gods with a belief in a single divine reality” (p. 78). Hindus also believes that on the death of the body the soul passes to or is reborn in another body, which is reincarnation. Sense Hindus have a strong believe in reincarnation they do not determine death as the end of life or a fear, instead they acknowledge death as a resurrection of the soul. They do not focus death on fear. Hinduism is such a powerful religion that it has persuaded the world with its informed beliefs. This particular religious group has a freedom of practice and belief. Hinduism has been a huge influence amongst the world for many years. It is a known religion that has created practices such as Yoga, Tantra, Karma, and so on. It is a religious tradition that could never really be categorized with any specific belief system for instance, theism, monotheism, and so forth. Hindus believe...
Words: 910 - Pages: 4
..."religion?" Hinduism represents a different approach than it regularly seems from some of the Western and Christian religions. Religions like Judaism, Christianity and Islam believe only in one God while Hinduism believe in various gods and deities. “With its many gods and goddesses, who are understood as manifestations of Brahman or the ultimate, Hinduism understands the entire world as related to and frequently even manifesting the divine” (Valkenberg, pp.133-134). However, Hinduism is not polytheistic religion. Yes, there are many gods to choose, but followers only believe and follow one god. This one god can differ within the Hinduism religion and...
Words: 512 - Pages: 3
...In America, yoga is commonly used to achieve improved physical health or fitness; however, in Hinduism, yoga “involves focusing consciousness” in a way to achieve union of body and mind, and come to the realization of the ultimate union between the individual consciousness and the universal consciousness, which is Braham. A yoga path is a purposeful search of oneness with all that is. The lecture, The Five Yogas of Hinduism, declares the five traditional types of yoga are: Hatha Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, and Raja Yoga. According to The Five Yogas of Hinduism, Hatha Yoga involves “physical exercises that prepare a person for sitting, meditation, concentration.” An emotional disposition is suited to Bhakti Yoga, which focuses...
Words: 744 - Pages: 3
...Contemporary Issues in Eastern Religion Faith Hill Rel/133 March 04, 2010 Hinduism Religions are bound to experience challenges and changes to current traditions and practices with the constant changes within the world that happen. For religions to survive changes, they must be open to adapting to the modern world while holding strong to ancient teachings and traditions. Hinduism is the major religion in India (Molloy, 2010) and focuses on the belief of the worship of many Gods. Hinduism has had a significant influence and has begun to spread into other areas of the world. Hinduism is an ancient religion that has survived the changes of the modern world and has influenced the traditions of other religions in the process. Hinduism has begun to influence the Western and modern world the religion does face some issues with ensuring their ancient traditions can sustain in this modern era. Common Characteristics Hinduism recognized as the oldest religion in the world has characteristics related to other religion. Some of these characteristics are similar to other religions such as Buddhism and Shinto. Some common characteristics of religion include belief system, rituals, and central myths. Hinduism does not have a uniformed belief system. Worshippers are allowed to worship any God of their choice. They can worship one God or many Gods. Hinduism is known for its diverse openness, and a system of thoughts that include monotheism, polytheism, panentheism...
Words: 788 - Pages: 4
...Destroyer z. Helper {. Chooser |. Creator 8. What is the title for Shiva? (86) }. Creator ~. Maker . Destroyer . Damager 9. What is the title for Vishnu? (86) . Emphasizer . Destroyer . Preserver . Proctor 10. What is the name of the Hindu soul? (87) . Atman . Etaman . Brahman . Hindu 11. What is the ultimate goal of a Hindus life? (87) . Karma . Nirvana . Caste . Untouchable 12. What is the name of the discipline used by Hindus to achieve his goal? (88) . Yopa . Yoga . Nirvana . Buddhism 13. What are the two goals for yoga? (88) . Desire, Renunciation . Desiree, Renunciation . Desire, Reemmersion . Help, Worship 14. What are the three types of yoga? (89) . Bhakti, Karma, Hatha . Bakti, Karma, Hatha . Bhakti,...
Words: 375 - Pages: 2
...October 27th, 2015 Tai Chi vs Yoga Tai chi is a form of marital arts that originated from Ancient China. Tai chi is based on the philosophy of Taoism, more specifically on Yin and Yang. This exercise connects mental concentration, deep breathing, and actions to try and equally balance these two concepts. Tai chi is made up of two main forms – Dayoin and Tuna. Dayoin is the exertion of inner force whereas Tuna refers to deep breathing exercises. Tai Chi uses this combination of breathing and moving to calm the mind and thus can be regarded primarily as a mind exercise. There are many different styles of Tai chi such as: Chen style, Yang style, Hao Style, Wu style, Sun style, etc. Each of these styles emphasizes different variations of slow...
Words: 745 - Pages: 3
...strange. But I am in fact just listing some of the yoga poses. I have been practicing yoga for the past two years and if it weren’t for yoga, I too would hate Mondays, as I get to practice yoga every Monday morning. Over the next few minutes, I’m going to discuss the physical benefits, and mental benefits, as well as ways that you can incorporate yoga into your daily lives. To begin with I’m going to start of with the physical benefits of yoga: Yoga is a great therapy for fatigued muscles. It relives tension, joint pain, and helps with muscular imbalances. Muscular imbalances happen when you use the dominant side of your body over the other side. Such as holding a bag on your right shoulder all ay, or being an athlete that uses your left hand. Each pose and posture requires balance, which helps to elevate these imbalances. Also because yoga alleviates muscle pain, various athletes like to use yoga in their daily lives. Athletes such as LeBron James and Shaquille o Neil. According to the American Cancer society website, Article titled Yoga, published in May 2008, there is evidence that suggests that yoga might be helpful when used as medical treatment to help relives symptoms of asthma, cancer, , diabetes, dug addiction, high blood pressure, heart disease and migraines. This man right here is Arthur Boorman, and he a veteran of the gulf war. He was crippled in his knees and back and after 10 months of intensive yoga treatment, he was able to loose 100 pounds, and not...
Words: 722 - Pages: 3
...Hindu Practices and Rituals Hindus prescribe to certain traditional practices in accomplishing the basic goals of their faith. The basic spiritual ideal is to be unworldly but some worldly goals are also respected. These values are kama (pleasure), artha (power and security), and dharma (religious and social duty). Hindus consider Moksha the highest goal. Moksha is liberation or complete freedom. Yoga is a technique, which Hindus use to accomplish these goals. Yoga is a method or path oriented to the work of a person’s place in society or the work required by his or her caste. These differing paths have created different forms of Yoga. One type of yoga is Jnana Yoga (wisdom yoga) acquired by studying Hindu doctrine and teachings from the enlightened. Karma Yoga (right action yoga) is based on the idea that all purposeful work is done selflessly as a path to perfection. Bhakti Yoga (love and devotion yoga) involves loving devotion to saints or gods. Also, Raja Yoga (meditation yoga) is practiced by inward thought, sitting quietly, and calming one’s thoughts (Molloy 2010). This method conducted regularly in short periods brings peace and lessens stress; practiced for longer durations, it can initiate new states of awareness. Hindus in their practice of worship seek awareness of God. This can involve pursuing a Deva’s blessing. Worship can either be done at home by creating a shrine with various icons of gods of their choosing or in a temple where there is usually one main...
Words: 847 - Pages: 4
...the consequence of any action paths | | | | |the way of their future. | |Reincarnation |Reincarnation is when one’s soul comes back to life in |When one dies, the soul leaves the dead body and enters|The main difference I found between my understanding of| | |a different form. |a new one. One can take birth again and again, over and|reincarnation and the Hindu term is that reincarnation | | | |over. But will still remain the same soul or person. |can take place over and over again. Another difference | | | | |is that the one reincarnated maintains the same soul. | |Yoga...
Words: 488 - Pages: 2
...thoughts.” These are some of the things that may come to mind when one thinks about Yoga and Meditation and all that their practices entail. However, there is much more to Yoga and Meditation than calm breathing, squishy mats, soothing music and downward dog. “Yoga is a combination of both physical and spiritual exercises, entails mastery over the body, mind and emotional self, and transcendence of desire (hafsite.org).” Yoga, when combined with certain religious practices, like Hinduism and Taoism, takes a person places where they are able to see beyond their problems and fills themselves with inner peace and tranquility. The Yoga’s of Hinduism and Taoism play a very important role in their respective religions and how they help the individual transform spiritually, mentally and physically, as well as, achieve their ultimate goals. The Yoga’s seen in Hinduism involves the typical exercise yoga, Raja yoga, one sees at gyms and fitness centers. Raja yoga involves “bodily postures and controlled breathing techniques combined with mantras and meditation (Notes).” There are three other types of yoga and meditation forms that are not as well-known as the Raja yoga. They are, Jnana yoga, “the way of wisdom (Notes).” This form of yoga uses rationality to overcome ignorance and to understand by studying and discussing texts (Notes). Many people in the world could benefit from implementing this form of yoga in their life. So many people jump on band wagons and are quick to disagree or judge...
Words: 810 - Pages: 4
...heated Bikram yoga studio where many athletes and everyday people are going to cure and prevent aches and pains. Yoga, as a way to achieve higher self-awareness, was around as early as 200 B.C. in India and has been gradually growing in popularity in the western world over the past four decades. Traditional styles of yoga, including Hatha yoga, which consists of thousands of poses, have long been studied as an effective form of complimentary or alternative medicine (CAM). The biggest yoga boom has occurred over the past decade according to statistics from the International Association of Yoga Therapists. The Association estimates there were 20 million Americans practicing some form of yoga in 2002 compared to 6 million in 1994. Increased awareness of yoga as a healing method along with high-profile celebrity endorsements have contributed to the growing numbers of yoga users recently. Madonna and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are some famous yogis that have been students of Bikram Choudhury, who founded his own style of hot yoga in India. Dina Lancour, a Hatha yoga instructor from Agawam, Massachusetts, took a Bikram yoga class under Choudhury. “It reminded me of Indian sweat tents,” Lancour said. “It becomes very meditative and deep.” Proponents of Bikram yoga and medical specialists have noted the health benefits of hot yoga. Other yoga practitioners and teachers have expressed concerns about the safety of practicing yoga in a hot room and some ‘yoga purists’ question...
Words: 2095 - Pages: 9
...Anti-Gravity Yoga Introduction Anti-gravity yoga, also known as aerial yoga, is a relatively newer concept in the fitness world, that is fast gaining popularity worldwide. This concept is the brainchild of Christopher Harrison, a former choreographer, gymnast and aerial performer. Anti-gravity yoga combines traditional yoga asanas with other exercise forms like Pilates, aerial acrobatics and calisthenics, with the aim of achieving a complete body workout. In anti-gravity yoga, hammock-like suspended gear is used to practice different yoga poses and exercises. These hammocks can support weight of up to 970kgs, so be rest assured, you will be safe. Benefits of Anti-Gravity Yoga There are a number of health benefits that can be gained through the regular practice of anti-gravity yoga. Some of the main benefits can be seen as under; ...
Words: 403 - Pages: 2
...third largest religion behind Christianity and Muslim. It is practiced predominantly in the Indian sub-continent where it originated. What makes Hinduism so different from other major religions is that it has no single founder and is a mixture of religious, philosophical, and cultural ideas. Hinduism can be considered more of a way of life than an actual religious belief system as we know it in the West. Hinduism is a complex and diverse religion. There is a huge variety of traditions ranging from small groups to large religious movements consisting of millions of followers. Hinduism allows for an unrestricted freedom to believe and worship whatever on desires and allows for separation of a distinct set of beliefs. Another factor that makes Hinduism different from other religions is its concept of god or gods. The concept of God completely depends on the individual, one may practice monotheism, polytheism, or even henotheistic. Some may believe that there are millions of gods while others are devoted to a single god but accept the fact that there are other gods. Although there may be many gods, most Hindus believe there is one supreme creator and that is Brahman. Brahman is an entity believed to inhabit every portion of reality, dimension, and existence throughout the entire world and universe. There are numerous different sects in Hinduism and they worship the supreme-beings in accordance to their sect. These include Vishnu the Protector, Shiva; The Lord of Destruction and...
Words: 765 - Pages: 4