In This Chapter

V The history of yoga

V The nine types of yoga

V Yoga for the new millennium

V How yoga first came to the West

V Nonspiritual yoga: Is it possible?

You don't have to know anything about the yoga tradition to practice yoga. After all, we're not in school and we're not going to give you any kind of history test. But history can be interesting, especially when there isn't a test—no pressure! Yoga's history is particularly illustrious and ancient. Understanding the deep and sagacious roots of your fitness program may help you gain a deeper appreciation of yoga's staying power and sacred origins.

People Practiced Yoga in 2500 b.c.e.

Yoga has been around for a long, long time. "How long?" you ask. The Rig-Veda is quite possibly the oldest-known text in the world, and it contains definite elements of yoga. Although the only remaining written versions are a few hundred years old, the earliest hymns are believed to be over 4,000 years old. The hymns of the Rig-Veda were passed down via an oral tradition, with great accuracy. Hindu priests were trained to

memorize the hymns to the letter. If the Rig-Veda is indeed thousands of years old, its existence may coincide with the existence of the Vedic people who lived along the Indus River and also with the Pyramid Texts, thought to be the oldest written documents in existence.

But just because yoga is old doesn't mean it's old-fashioned. Yoga is timeless, transcending cultures, eras, and philosophies. They say you never know if something will be a classic until it has stood the test of time. Need we say more?

Yoga Studies All Religions

Yoga may seem like a religion. It offers guidelines for living, spirituality, study of sacred texts, and communion with the "divine." Some branches of yoga seem more religious or mystical than others, but yoga itself isn't a religion.

Yoga is open to all religions and encourages the study of all religious and spiritual texts. Yoga is not biased, prejudiced, or exclusive. You needn't be a Hindu, a Muslim, a Christian, or a Jew, but you may be any of these. Whatever religion you practice, yoga will help you understand your beliefs more clearly and get you in closer touch with your spiritual side.

In Search of the Sacred (Svadhyaya)

Because yoga encourages the study of the sacred (svadhyaya), it may be helpful for you to become at least somewhat familiar with the major spiritual texts. Reading and studying any or all of them will benefit your yoga practice by expanding your mind to possibilities you may not have considered.

Know Your Sanskrit

Svadhyaya (pronounced svahd-YAH-yah) means "inquiring into your own nature, the nature of your beliefs, and the nature of the world's spiritual journey." Accomplished by the study of sacred texts, such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Bible, as well as through self-contemplation, svadhyaya is one of yoga's observances and one aspect of Patanjali's Eightfold Path, as described in the Yoga Sutra (and further explained in Chapter 6, "Walking Yoga's Eightfold Path").

We aren't saying you should give up your other pursuits and devote your life to the minute study of ancient religious scriptures (unless you think that sounds like fun). However, reading the sacred texts of our world, or even just those of your own religion, can help you get in touch with the spiritual journey our species has undergone since we were first able to comprehend the concepts of spirituality, divinity, and the universe.

Here are a few of the major sacred texts of India (since that's where yoga really blossomed, and many of these texts directly mention yoga or its concepts):

>- The Rig-Veda, considered the most ancient of sacred texts. Meaning "Knowledge of Praise," it's been orally passed down via sages who memorized it. Consisting of 1,028 hymns, the Rig-Veda is now believed to be over 4,000 years old.

>- The Upanishads, the scriptures of ancient Hindu philosophy, which describes the path of Jnana Yoga, the discipline of wisdom as a path to self-realization.

>- The Bhagavad Gita, perhaps the most famous Hindu text and the epic story of Arjuna, a warrior-prince, who confronts moral dilemmas and is led to a better understanding of reality through the intercession of the god Krishna.

Wise Yogi Tells Us

The Bhagavad Gita is one of India's most beloved sacred texts. It tells the epic story of the warrior-prince Arjuna as he stands at the edge of a battlefield preparing for war. He discusses his universal moral dilemmas with the Hindu god, Krishna, who is driving Arjunas chariot. Is war justified? What if your loved ones are on the opposing side? What is right when your duties conflict? What does it mean to be born, to live, to die? The Bhagavad Gita is widely available and still a good read. (And it isn't even very long!) Pick up a copy and see what the fuss is all about. It's a beautiful story of inner quests and spiritual awakenings.

>- The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, the source of Patanjali's Eightfold Path. Many call Patanjali the father of yoga because of this significant and influential text, but yoga was around long before Patanjali, who only made it more accessible.

>- The Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika, a fourteenth-century guide to Hatha Yoga—

everything you always wanted to know about Hatha Yoga but were afraid to ask!

Planting the Seeds: Yoga Branches for All Growing Personalities

Up to this point, although we've been focusing primarily on Hatha Yoga, we haven't really been distinguishing between all the different types of yoga. Yoga has a unified goal (a state of pure bliss and oneness with the universe), but each of the various methods emphasizes a different way to get to that goal.

Hatha Yoga: Know Your Body, Know Your Mind

As we've mentioned before, Hatha Yoga works under the assumption that supreme control over the body, or the physical self, is one path to enlightenment. Hatha Yoga is a sort of spiritual fitness plan in which balance is a key. Attention to the physical is foremost in Hatha Yoga; this particular type of yoga involves cleansing rituals and breathing exercises designed to manipulate the body's energy through breath control, in addition to the postures or exercises for which Hatha Yoga is commonly known.

Raja Yoga: Know Your Mind, Know the Universe

Raja Yoga, also known as The Royal Path, emphasizes control of the intellect to attain enlightenment. Meditation, concentration, and breath control are paramount in Raja Yoga, the yoga of the mind. Hatha and Raja Yoga work well together; Hatha Yoga is often considered a stepping stone to Raja Yoga, because after control of the body is mastered, control of the mind comes more easily.

Kriya Yoga and Karma Yoga: Act It Out!

Kriya Yoga and Karma Yoga are the yogas of action. Kriya means "spiritual action," and Kriya Yoga involves the practice of quieting the mind through scriptural self-study, breathing techniques, mantras, and meditation. Kriya Yoga understands that divine energy is stored in the lower part of the body. The study of Kriya Yoga breathing and meditation techniques helps to bring this energy up the spine. As the energy builds, the yogi's body (physical and astral) is strengthened.

In Karma Yoga, the emphasis is selfless action. Karma Yoga transcends concerns of success or failure, egoism, and selfishness. What emerges is service to all beings. Because yoga teaches that every person is part of the divine universal spirit, Karma Yoga encourages that all beings on this earth be served with the respect deserving of a divine presence. The follower of Karma Yoga proceeds through daily life attempting to increase virtue and decrease lawlessness in the world by working for others and foregoing personal desires, resulting in greater empathy for and understanding of the world—and eventually, full understanding, or enlightenment.

Bhakti Yoga: Open Your Heart

Bhakti Yoga places sincere, heartfelt devotion to the divine ahead of all else. Bhakti Yoga involves reverence, devotion, and perpetual remembrance of whatever divine presence is meaningful to you. Unsettled minds, intellectual concerns, the material world—all fall away as love takes over and the heart is enveloped in thoughts of the divine. The heart is Bhakti Yoga's focus and is cultivated as the primary way to achieve unity with the divine.

Jnana Yoga: Sagacious You

Jnana Yoga is the path of knowledge and wisdom. Inquiring minds are what Jnana Yoga is all about, and because all knowledge is hidden within us, Jnana Yoga's goal is to inquire deeply into ourselves through questioning, meditation, and contemplation until we find that knowledge. Jnana Yoga involves a radical shift in perception. Everything you know, think, believe, or feel is questioned—temporarily. When everything you know is suddenly untrue, all that remains is you and the universe, which are the same thing. The goal is wisdom, which is far beyond the mere accumulation of information. It's direct knowledge of the divine through the elimination of all that is merely illusion.

Tantra, Mantra, and Kundalini Yoga

Tantra, Mantra, and Kundalini Yoga are grouped together here because they are all somewhat different than the other types of yoga. Although they share many practices and ideas, Tantra, Mantra, and Kundalini Yoga are more esoteric than other forms of yoga. Tantra Yoga involves the study of sacred writings and rituals. Mantra Yoga is the study of sacred sounds. Kundalini Yoga is the study of kundalini (energy) movement

along the spine, which is released through breath and specific Hatha Yoga movements. All three types of yoga should be learned under the guidance of a qualified teacher and all require a degree of emotional, mental, and moral preparation.

Tantra Yoga has been associated with sexual rituals in popular culture, but that is an inaccurate portrayal. Tantric thought assumes that we live in a dark age (kali yuga) and therefore must use every method possible to boost our spirituality. Because Tantra Yoga emphasizes the power of ritual, it has become most famous in Western culture for its notion that sexual energy is an important store of energy that can be rechan-neled to further you along your way to spiritual enlightenment. Our culture has expanded on the idea of sexual energy and sometimes perverts the concept into something it was never meant to be. Tantra isn't about sex. It is a complex, ancient, and esoteric discipline with a wide range of practices, often involving sacred rituals based on the idea that humans are reflections of divinity.

Tantra is also meant to be studied under a qualified adept, and its rituals and philosophies kept secret from others who aren't receiving professional guidance; the intention is to prevent its precepts from being misunderstood and misused.

Know Your Sanskrit

Tantra means "technique," and Tantra Yoga involves the techniques of ritual and study to eliminate obstacles to enlightenment. Kali yuga (pronounced KAH-lee YOO-gah) is the fourth of four ages (yuga means "age") and the age in which we are now living. The shortest of all the ages, kali yuga is 432,000 years long. The other ages are satya yuga, the first age (1,728,000 years); treta yuga, the second age (1,296,000 years); and dva-para yuga, the third age (864,000 years).

Mantra Yoga centers around the principle that sound can affect consciousness. Shamanism, yoga's probable precursor, considered sound an extremely important aspect of the search for spiritual enlightenment, and even today many religions use singing, chanting, rhythm, and recitation in their rituals. Mantra Yoga arose as a result of mystical experiences rather than philosophy. A mantra is a syllable or sequence of syllables designed to clear the mind and encourage spiritual awakening. Sanskrit syllables are thought to awaken reflexology points in the mouth, which in turn energize the body to higher states of consciousness. Om is the most commonly known mantra syllable and sounds curiously (but probably not coincidentally) like "Amen," the sound that punctuates so many religious hymns and prayers.

Chapter 5

Chanting a mantra puts you in touch with the vibrational patterns of the world and the universe's ocean of vibration, helping you ascend to a state of oneness with the universe. Mantra Yoga is all about that vibration and the sonic aspect of the divine.

Japa is the process of repeating mantras over and over for the purpose of clearing the mind. Here are a few mantras other than Om that you might like to try:

> OM NAMAH SHIVAYA (pronounced OHM NAH-mah SHEE-vah-YAH). "To divinity my salutations again and again."

> HARI-OM (HAH-ree OHM). "Preserving goodness in all."

> OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VASUDEVAYA (OHM

NAH-moh BAH-GAH-VAH-teh VAH-soo-DEE-

VAH-yah). "I turn to the divinity within the heart of all beings."

> AHAM BRAHMASMI (AH-HAMBRAH-MAHS-mee). "I am the absolute."

> OM MANI PADME HUM (OHM MAH-nee PAHD-may HOOM). "Enlightened body, enlightened speech, enlightened mind, active compassion."

Kundalini Yoga involves techniques meant to awaken the energy, symbolized as a snake, that "sleeps" at the base of the spine. When released correctly (that is, when the recipient is properly prepared), kundalini energy, sometimes called "serpent power," is potent and results in enlightenment. If released too soon, kundalini energy mixes with a person's negative emotionality and can turn into intense and painful experiences.

Pure kundalini is a balanced and compassionate state of being. A person cannot have a negative kundalini experience. If someone has a negative experience, it is due to something other than kundalini. A kundalini awakening is thought to result not only in enlightenment, but also in the ability to control involuntary bodily functions such as heartbeat.

To awaken the kundalini, you must go through complex mental and breathing exercises that should be practiced only under the guidance of a qualified teacher. Sometimes (though it's rare), a kundalini awakening will happen spontaneously, but don't be scared away. Kundalini Yoga is, at its heart, searching for the same thing as all other types of yoga. Classes are available in this interesting branch of yoga; with proper instruction, the practice of Kundalini Yoga can be enjoyable, energizing, and ultimately enlightening.

Why Practicing Yoga Is So Twenty-First Century

We would describe the twenty-first-century world as materialistic but optimistic. As people gradually become disillusioned by, or recover from, materialism, discovering that it doesn't bring happiness, they are searching, in increasing numbers, for a way of life more satisfying and fulfilling. So you've got the Porsche, the penthouse, the beachfront condo, and the three-carat diamond. Now what? Or maybe you've gone through a bankruptcy or divorce, and you're starting over. Stuff didn't make you happy. Relationships based on stuff, illusions, and nonreality didn't work, either. Now what?

Throughout history, priorities change and fashions come and go. The pendulum is swinging back toward spiritual priorities and self-actualization, away from more worldly concerns. This trend is apparent in the popularity of books like this one, on subjects both spiritual and holistic. People are looking inward again.

Yoga fits easily and comfortably into these new (or renewed) priorities. Yoga doesn't (or shouldn't) concern itself with technology, wealth, or sophistication. It's an inner journey toward self-realization and an outer journey toward physical control, holistic health, and confidence that comes not from possessions but from self-possession.

East Meets West

Nineteenth-century America was largely unfamiliar with Eastern thought. Then, in 1893, Swami Vivekananda addressed the Parliament of Religions, causing quite a sensation. He quickly became a popular figure and was followed by a number of other

swamis who came to the United States to teach and guide Westerners along the Eastern path of yoga. Swami Vivekananda was followed by many other gurus who came to the West and profoundly influenced their followers, such as Swami Para-mahansa Yogananda, Swami Sivananda, and many more.

The 1960s rock group The Beatles became interested in Eastern thought and even visited India, befriending Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. George Harrison in particular was fascinated with Indian culture. He became enamored with the sitar (a Hindu stringed instrument that looks a little bit like a mandolin), and was one of the first to bring sitar music into rock and roll. The Beatles, through songs such as "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" and "Within You, Without You," introduced Hindu melodies to modern music and opened Westerners' minds to different sounds and new experiences.

The Maharishi came to the West in 1959. America's "hippie generation" took to yoga in the 1960s, perhaps because traditional values were being questioned and yoga offered an alternative set of values attractive to spiritual seekers. After a few decades of excessive materialism and a world of violence, drug abuse, broken families, and the notable absence of any firmly held spiritual beliefs, yoga is more popular than ever before. We are seeking the spiritual with new vigor as an answer to a world we can't control.

Can You Do Yoga Without Being Spiritual?

"All right, all right," you may be saying, "I'm interested in yoga, but this whole spiritual angle just isn't me." Worry not. You can do yoga without being spiritual, even though yoga is traditionally a spiritual pursuit. The postures, as we've said before,

are great for fitness. Breathing exercises have wonderful physiological benefits. Even meditation needn't be spiritual—just a fitness program for the mind.

Yoga is so personal that it's impossible to say what it "should" be for anyone. In fact, yoga is distinctly "anti-should." It involves doing what feels right for you, what you want to do. The purpose of yoga is to maximize your potential—to help the best possible you emerge. Maybe the best possible you has no use for spiritual enlightenment. Whatever your potential, whatever your gifts, yoga will help you find them and make the most of them.

The Least You Need to Know

V Yoga is really, really old but still really, really relevant.

V Different types of yoga—Hatha, Raja, Kriya, Karma, Bhakti, Jnana, Tantra, Mantra, and Kunda/ini—emphasize different practices but have the same goal: enlightenment.

V You don't have to be spiritual to practice yoga, but if you practice yoga, you'll probably end up being a little more spiritual.