Here are classified into different Types and methods of Yoga according to practice, utility, and main purpose and goal. In Dattatraya Yogasastra and Yogaraja Upanishad, four types of yoga are considered mantra yoga, layyoga, Hatha yoga, and raja yoga. There are endless branches and branches of yoga. Yoga can be done for many purposes and since there are many Sadhaks and Siddhas of Yoga, there are different branches of Yoga based on this. According to Shiv Samhita, there are four main types of yoga: Mantra Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Laya Yoga, and Raja Yoga. For the management of the three organs of the mind: cognitive, emotional, and action. Gyana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Karma Yoga have been coordinated in the Gita. There are many methods of yoga:- (1) Karma yoga (2) Gyana yoga (3) Bhakti yoga (4) Ashtanga yoga (5) Hatha yoga (6) Raja yoga (7) Mantra yoga (8) Laya yoga (9) Kundalini yoga (10) Tantra yoga (11) Kriya yoga (12) Dhyana Yoga (13) Sanyas Yoga etc. Here is a brief introduction to some of the major yoga methods:
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The name of every effort, business, or movement done through the body, mind, and senses is Karma. Karma is of three types, they are: 1. Best: Sattvik or Nishkama Karma or Selfless Karma 2. Madhyama Karma: Rajas or Sakam Karma or Selfish Karma and 3. Adham Karma: Tamas or Nishiddha Karma or Harmful Karma. According to the Gita, Karma Yoga is sattvik or nishkama action.
It is mentioned in Yoga texts that it is necessary for a person who wants knowledge to keep his body, mind and senses pure. The senses and the mind are by nature fickle, as a result of which they become attached to those subjects. The result of this is that the mind becomes contaminated; it becomes impure due to karma. Amrit is obtained from knowledge. It destroys the impurity of karma and one becomes godly forever.
Bhajan means service is devotion. Bhakti Yoga is the name of yoga with devotion and love. By this, the mind can be easily concentrated and the mind is easily calmed down. Bhakti Yoga affirms the emotional side of the human mind. Bhakti yoga can be practiced through nine methods of devotion in Srimad Bhagavat such as – Shravana, Kirtan, Smaran, Padsevana, Archana, Vandana, Dasyabhava, Sakhyabhava and Atmanivedan.
Patanjali Praneet Ashtanga Yoga is the most famous and practiced yoga in the present time. Patanjali has explained these 8 limbs of yoga in a stepwise and orderly manner. These 8 yogas are as follows – 1. Yama 2 Niyam/Rule 3. Asana 4. Pranayama 5. Pratyahara 6. Dharand/Perception 7. Dhyan/ Meditation 8. Samadhi/Tomb Out of these eight, the first five are external means (body purification) and the remaining three are internal (mind purification) means.
Ramdev considered Hatha Yoga to make the body pure and the mind united by the practice of various mudras, asanas, pranayama, and bandhas. According to Gorakshapaddhati, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, meditation, and samadhi are the six parts of hatha yoga. In Yogatva Panishad, the practice of Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi is called Hatha Yoga or Samag Yoga.
Practicing Yama Niyamadi purifying the mind and realizing the luminous soul is called Raja Yoga. Raj means radiant, Jyotirmaya and Yoga means samadhi or realization. The main practice of Raja Yoga is to worship God daily by keeping the body straight and sitting with mind, thinking, perception, and meditation. Dharana, meditation, and samadhi are the important yoga parts of Raja Yoga under Ashtanga Yoga.
The sadhana done by pronouncing and chanting mantras is called Mantra Yoga. Sadhana is done by chanting and reciting or memorizing mantras such as OM, Gayatri Mantra, Mahamrityunjaya Mantra, Soham, etc., and given by the Guru. Some people also call it Japayoga. According to the Yogatva Upanishad, chanting the Matrikadi mantra for 12 years with proper sound and pronunciation achieves anima and other siddhis.
Always meditating on God while doing daily activities is Laya Yoga. Layyoga can also be placed under Dhyana, Bhakti, and Raja yoga. It is a form of yoga that focuses on the dissolution or absorption (laya) of individual consciousness into a higher, universal consciousness. It is considered a path to spiritual awakening and self-realization. Laya Yoga incorporates various techniques, including meditation, breath control (pranayama), and the use of mantra and visualization.
Laya Yoga is part of the broader tradition of Tantra, and it emphasizes the importance of a qualified teacher or guru to guide the practitioner on their spiritual journey. The ultimate goal of Laya Yoga is to attain liberation (moksha) and experience oneness with the divine.
Nada yoga is also a branch of ancient yoga in which sound is practiced. In the definition of Nadayoga, sound or music is Naad. It is of two types – the inner sound which is called Anahata and the outer sound which is called ahat. The sound felt during meditation is more powerful and important than the sound heard through the external senses. It is said that the practice of Nadayoga will awaken the Kundalini and one can reach Samadhi.
There are six chakras in the human body. Kundalini Yoga is the awakening of the Kundalini Shakti, which is dormant in the Muladhara Chakra, through Sadhana through the meditation of all the Chakras. Some people have taken this yoga under Tantra and Raja Yoga. Many tantric methods are used in this.
Tantra Yoga is a spiritual practice focused on cultivating the divine through a variety of rituals, ceremonies, and religious activities. This form of yoga emphasizes the connection between the individual and the divine, seeking spiritual growth through dedicated practices. Tantra Yoga incorporates rituals and symbolic activities as a means to attain a deeper understanding of the divine and achieve a state of heightened consciousness. It is characterized by its holistic approach, integrating physical postures, breath control, meditation, and mantra chanting to facilitate spiritual evolution.
Tapa, Swadhyaya and Ishvarapranidhana are the three Kriya Yogas. Kriyayoga is a branch established by the yogic concept mentioned in the Rajayoga and Bhagavata Gita of Patanjali. It was brought to light by Mahavatar Baba’s disciple Lahdi Mahasay (1861). After that, through Lahdi Mahasaya, Yukteswar Giri, his disciple Paramahansa Yogananda (1920) extended it to the West as well.
Dhyana Yoga is a path within Raja Yoga that focuses on achieving the ultimate goal of yoga through the practice of meditation. It emphasizes the cultivation of deep concentration and contemplation as a means to attain spiritual insight and realization. In essence, Dhyana Yoga is the yoga of meditation, guiding practitioners towards a state of profound inner absorption and connection with the higher self.
Ashtanga Yoga is a systematized or formulaic practice of yoga propounded by Maharishi Pathanjaliddha which consists of eight limbs. By practicing these parts of yoga, impurities are destroyed and the light of knowledge shows the nature of the soul, which is completely different from the intellect, ego, and senses. There are similarities in some of the yoga methods of Patanjali and Gherand, but there are differences in some of them.
According to the Yoga Sutra of Yoga Darshan, there are five types of Yama, namely: Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya, and Aparigraha. Practicing these yamas with the same spirit as the sovereign without the limits of caste, country, or time, means, that is, with everyone, at all times, is the same as Mahavrata. Yama is considered a social discipline. Yama has five appendages:
(a) Ahimsa: The meaning of non-violence is not to fight, not to speak bad words, not to cause pain, and to behave well towards everyone with mind, word, and deed. By following non-violence, others also give up enmity towards him.
(b) Truth: The truth is not to tell lies, not to act falsely, and to be honest with everyone and always be loyal to the truth. From this comes the shelter of the verb in the yogi.
(c) Stealth: Stealing means not stealing, cheating, and exploiting by mind, words, and actions, not intending to steal, not accepting bribes, not corrupting. If you follow this Yama, you will get more knowledge and economic benefits.
(d) Brahmacharya: Brahmacharya means not indulging unnecessarily in pleasures, not engaging in adultery, not adopting obscenity, being virtuous, practicing good deeds, etc. When celibacy is fully established, then one’s mind, intellect, senses, and body attain extraordinary strength.
(e) Aparigraha: It is Yama not to accumulate more wealth and luxury goods than is needed out of greed.
Patanjali has explained about Niyama, the second limb of Ashtanga Yoga in Yogadarshan. Niyama is also of five types, viz: Shauch, Santosha, Tapa, Swadhyaya, and Ishvarapranidhana. These rules are a special personal discipline for the seeker who trains the body and mind to develop personality and achieve peace and happiness. There are five types of rules:
(a) Sauch/Defecation: The practice of keeping the mind clean using cleansing the mind including the daily activities (urinating, bathing, brushing and washing the body inside and outside, etc.) is included in Sauch/Defecation. By following the rules of defecation, the external purification as well as the desire towards others is reduced, the inner cleansing, the mind happy, and the concentration in the mind. , vashikaran of senses and ability of self-realization is also obtained.
(b) Santosh/Satisfaction: Satisfaction is being satisfied with the results obtained after doing proper work. There is no better happiness than contentment.
(c) Tapa: Being patient and restrained without harming the body and mind to achieve the goal of a meaningful life are examples of tapa. Through the practice of penance, perfection comes to the body and senses.
(d) Swadhyaya: To study good thoughts and things of knowledge, to study the scriptures, think, meditate, etc. is Swadhyaya. This gives high spiritual benefits.
(e) Ishwar Pranidhana: Dedicating all the achievements that we have got to God, creating a feeling of love, and directing life towards extreme happiness through Bhakti Yoga is called Ishwar Pranidhan. Samadhi is achieved through this.
The yoga method of Maharishi Patanjali and Maharishi Gheranda is used under classical yoga. Asana is the third part of Ashtanga Yoga and it is also an important part of Hatha Yoga. According to Patanjalika in Yoga Darshan, asana is a stable and comfortable state of the body, that is, asana is the practice of staying in one place and position for a long time without moving the body.
Especially thirty-two seats are auspicious. According to Gheranda, the following asanas are important: Siddhasana, Padmasana, Bhadrasana, Muktasana, Vajrasana, Swastikasana, Sinhasana, Gomukhasana, Veerasana, Dhanurasana, Mritasana, Guptasana, Matsyasana, Matsyendrasana, Gorakshasana, Paschimottanasana, Utkatasana, Sankatasana, Mayurasana, Kukkutasana, Kurmasana, Uttanakurmasana., Uttanamandukasana, Vrikshasana, Mandukasana, Garudasana, Vrishabhasana, Salabhasana, Makrasana, Ustrasana, Bhujangasana, Yogasana, total thirty-two asanas are such as to give success in the human world.
Pranayama is stopping, prolonging, or controlling the speed of breathing after the completion of the asana. It is of four types, external, internal, columnar, and external internal and it is seen from space, time, and number, which is long and light. While practicing Pranayama, special breathing exercises are done to prolong the speed of breathing and stop it. And breathe through the nose and mouth in different ways and some of them even happen automatically during practice.
Based on various research, it has been found that after practicing pranayama, there are countless benefits, such as: strengthening the lungs and reducing. Diseases of the respiratory system, giving special benefits to the heart and blood vessels, weight loss, endocrinology, diabetes, kidney disease, mental illness, etc., concentration and memory, thinking. There is an increase in decision-making ability and psycho-physical control ability. The practice of Pranayama has also been found useful in mental illnesses such as stress, anxiety, fear, depression etc.
Pratyahara is the practice of controlling the senses and the mind. Pratyahara is the merging of the senses into the form of the mind without subject matter. The human mind is very fickle. It is because of the senses that the mind goes towards wrong conduct due to the lack of concentration in the mind. People are participating in bad deeds by following the five senses and the five senses, the eleven senses, the mind, words, touch, form, taste and smell in the name of pleasure. It is the mind that stops these senses.
Dharana is the concentration of the mind (mind) in one place. According to Bharadwaj, there are five notions such as: 1. Parthivi Dharana (of land and its root is its place), 2. Ambhasi Dharana (Mooladhara Chakra is its location), 3. Agneyi Dharana (Manipur Chakra is its place), 4. Air perception (Anahata Chakra is its location.) and 5. Celestial Dharana (Bishuddha Chakra is its location). Dharana initially manages the mind, intellect, ego, brain etc. and prepares for meditation.
The one-pointed concentration of the mind on the place or target object is called meditation. Yoga should be done to purify the conscience by subduing the mind and senses and concentrating the mind. Saguna, nirguna or sakar (thinking of an object or goal) or formless (without thinking of anything) meditation can be practiced.
Samadhi is the highest state of yoga in which there is no existence of the goal or the mind and it reaches a state of nothingness. The idea of samadhi, or reaching a state of pure consciousness, can be seen throughout Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist traditions. It was outlined in Buddhism’s eightfold path, as well as in Patanjali’s eight limbs of yoga.
In both philosophies, it represents the final stage of a spiritual path where one may become enlightened.
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Nepal’s unique natural beauty sets the stage for practicing yoga amidst a serene environment. Studies suggest that practicing yoga in such a natural environment increases mental clarity and reduces stress levels, allowing participants to connect deeply with themselves and the breathtaking landscapes of the Himalayas.
Rooted in timeless wisdom, Yoga Tours in Nepal integrates traditional teachings with modern methods. The research underscores the effectiveness of blending ancient yoga principles with contemporary approaches, providing participants with a holistic and effective yoga experience enriched by both tradition and innovation.
Filled with a rich spiritual heritage, Nepal offers fertile ground for meditation practices. Studies confirm that regular meditation improves emotional well-being, mindfulness, and physical health. Guided meditation sessions on yoga tours in Nepal enable participants to tap into their inner realms and cultivate a deeper sense of connection.
Cultural immersion enriches the tapestry of travel experiences. Yoga tours in Nepal go beyond physical practice, inviting participants to participate in cultural activities, visit ancient temples, and engage with local communities. This fusion of yoga and cultural exploration fosters a transformative journey of self-exploration.
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Starting a yoga journey in Nepal is just a physical exploration; It is a journey of holistic transformation involving mind, body, and spirit. Nepal’s unique combination of ancient knowledge, natural splendor, and cultural immersion provides a unique environment for self-exploration and development.
As research underscores the myriad benefits of yoga and mindfulness practice, Nepal stands as a beacon for those seeking deeper well-being. Join us to uncover the essence of rejuvenation amid the Himalayan serenity and cultural richness of a yoga trip to Nepal.
If you are interested in planning your itinerary, Robinson Crusoe Holiday is committed to providing exceptional services guided by our cultural motto: “Matri Debo Bhava, Pitri Devo Bhava, Athithi Devo Bhava” – where mother, father and guest are respected. As the gods.
Overall, this package offers a great balance of physical activity, cultural exploration, and relaxation. Customizing it based on the preferences of the participants will enhance their experience.
Nar Phu Valley Trek
Mardi Himal Trek – 7 Days
Annapurna Circuit Trek – 13 Days
Ghorepani Poonhill Trek – 6 Days
Ghorepani Hot Spring Trek – 7 Days
Panchase Trek – 7 Days
Annapurna Base Camp Trek -12 Days
