Tag: Karma Yoga

Many people actually practice yoga and adhere to its philosophies. There are many different types of yoga. It has been practiced for over a thousand years and its purpose is for a human being to achieve self-realization. The goal is to ultimately connect you with your inner self as you unite body and spirit through meditation and breathing.

Yoga is a Sanskrit word that has various meanings depending on the context of Hindu philosophy. The word is derived from the Sanskrit origin yuj which means “to unite” or “to control”. Several of its translations include “union”, “joining”, and “conjunction”. In places outside India, it is normally associated with Hatha Yoga and its asanas or positions as sort of exercise. Someone who observes yoga practices or follows the philosophy is called a Yogi or yogist in the modern times.

As people begin to practice and maybe go to a gym for a exercise class, they will discover that the old tradition of Yoga was strictly practiced by ancient gurus and sages. Somehow, Yoga is more about spiritual awareness. In Hinduism, it is also associated with one of the orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the purpose toward which that school conducts its practices. In Jainism, it points out to the sum total of all mental, physical, and verbal activities.

Several Hindu sacred writings and tantras such as the Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and the Shiva Samhita discuss the significant aspects of yoga. The main stems of yoga in Hindu philosophy include the Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Bhakti Yoga. Raja Yoga is actually anthologized in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and is a part of the Samkhya tradition.

The Bhagavad Gita, meaning “Song of the Lord”, uses the word yoga broadly in a lot of ways. Bhagavad Gita’s chapter six is entirely devoted to the traditional yoga exercises and practice including meditation and features three major types of yoga such as Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Jnana Yoga. Karma Yoga is the yoga of action, Bhakti yoga is the yoga of devotion, and Jnana yoga is the yoga of knowledge.

In the Mahabharata, the purpose of yoga is depicted as entering the realm of Brahma, as Brahman, that encompasses all things. For the bhakti schools of Vaishnavism, bhakti or service to the Svayam Bhagavan itself may be the topmost goal of the yoga practice, where the goal is to take pleasure in an eternal relationship with the Supreme Being.

Yoga works on so many levels and incorporates intense concentration on the physical and mental part of the practice. But what’s great about yoga is that the more a person gets deeper into it, the more he or she can actually decide to explore the more spiritual and mystical traditions associated with it, tracing all the way back to the historical accounts of Krishna as the Supreme Being in the Bhagavad Gita.

This practice indeed, has mental, physical, emotional and spiritual benefits all just waiting to be unleashed. It’s an ancient discipline intended at training the consciousness for a state of ideal spiritual insight and harmony that is actualized through the three yoga paths of actions, knowledge and devotion. Even in modern times, it can certainly make a difference.

Karma Yoga is often overlooked by all of us. In most Hatha Yoga teacher training programs, we tend to highlight it, but move on toward the concepts of physical mastery. Yet, physical mastery alone does not deliver complete happiness. In fact, happiness occurs when our Yoga practice becomes part of our life off the mat.

We know that Karma Yoga is mentioned within the Bhagavad-Gita and the Ishavasya Upanishad, but many students outside of India are barely familiar with it. If you ask a class full of students about the meaning of Karma Yoga, you would be lucky to get an answer.

Karma Yoga is often translated as, “selfless service,” such as charity work or giving to others with time or money. Karma means “action or work,” so it requires effort. Yoga means many things. Most often, we hear Yoga means: Union, Unity, or a Tranquil State of Mind.

Yet, Karma is often referred to as negative. Bad luck is bad karma, but good fortune is often thought of as an internal effort within our control, which occurred because of our effort. The law of Karma is complex, but easy to understand. Our actions will have a negative or positive result.

An easy way to test this theory is to observe and experiment in the laboratory of daily life. How many people wait for someone else to greet them first? Then they feel lonely, unhappy, and depressed because nobody says hello to them. This is “karma in practice.”

Now, if the same person were to greet everyone one they meet, by waving, bowing, or shaking hands, with a smile – all of the energy created would be positive. The result of taking the initiative, with a friendly greeting, will be a state of happiness.

To go further, listening to others also makes them happy. How many people really listen to each other? The act of empathic listening costs us nothing, but it makes everyone happy when we listen. All that is required is to give a little time to someone else.

As we go through our daily routine of work and socializing with others, we cause small changes with our attitude toward others. When we are kind, charitable, and sociable, most people will naturally respond in the same manner.

There is no need to wait for someone else to be friendly first. By taking positive action, we are setting the wheels of karma in motion, and the end result is our own happiness.

Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

In order to develop your psychic ability, you need to have a greater level of consciousness which could be attained mainly by practicing Yoga. It is an Indian traditional form of breathing meditation by which one can awaken the seven chakras in the body. A person continuously practicing yoga will definitely know how to develop psychic abilities in him. Certain people are born with these psychic powers but some people need to recognize and develop them in due course through various practices. Once you start to practice these methods regularly, you will be able to understand a persons thoughts without verbal communication or sig languages.

Constant practice of yoga assists an individual to keenly concentrate on the spiritual part of his mind. Yoga awakens the Kundalini power and taps the potentiality of spiritualism. It is a form of exercise that assists a person in the transformation of his conscious mind. Thus, the individual would be able to get the difference between his physical body and his soul or spirit. In order to nourish the psychic abilities of a person, there are five major branches of yoga which are the Raja Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Sankya Yoga and the Karma Yoga. These types of yogas help a person to strengthen his psychic abilities.

Meditation along with yoga helps a person to sharpen his inner true power of psychic ability. With regular practice and much patience and guidance, one can easily achieve these powers. Yoga not only is an exercise but also helps in healing our mind from negative thoughts and feelings. By practicing yoga, you completely focus and take control of your mind and can also speak with your sub conscious mind. The breathing pattern practiced in yoga increases the energy level of your body and also changes the waves in the brain.

The foremost thing you need to do is trust yourself and your talents which is very essential for developing your psychic abilities. When practicing yoga or meditation, try to calm your mind and focus on the breathing. Pay more concentration to your sub conscious mind and try to develop your intuitive feeling by listening or imagining. Think of positive things and trash out the negative feelings or beliefs that have been worrying your mind so far. Apart from clearing your mind, you should also take care of your body with proper diet and exercise.

When you start to practice yoga for at least twice a day, you will be able to easily communicate with your sub conscious mind to make it open to the psychic energy. This would speed up the development of the psychic abilities in a person if you are genuinely committed. Once you get into the psychic living, then a healthy lifestyle is assured. It would result in good link between the sub conscious and the conscious min and also intensifies your faith and confidence towards life. Thus, by practicing yoga, one can achieve the super natural powers of psychic energy.