
Kriya Yoga is an ancient technique for
self-realization which is well known in India. Through Paramahansa
Yogananda and his "Autobiography of a Yogi" it became popular in the
West in the 1920s, yet it remains a mysterious and fascinating
spiritual path. It is taught by a limited number of masters, most of
whom are Indian. Paramahansa Yogananda arrived in the United States in 1920, where
he taught Kriya Yoga in accordance with his master's request. The transmission
of this teaching has been continued without interruption ever since. Several
masters have in the past come to Western countries to teach Kriya Yoga
so that it is available to everyone.
https://www.kriya-yoga.com/
The eight limbs of Raja Yoga are as follows.
1) yama: "Restraint."
Virtuous and moral living, which brings purity of mind, freedom from
anger, jealousy and subconscious confusion which would inhibit the
process of meditation.
2) niyama: (Sanskrit)
"Observance." Religious practices which cultivate the qualities of the
higher nature, such as devotion, cognition, humility and contentment-
giving the refinement of nature and control of mind needed to
concentrate and ultimately plunge into samadhi.
3) asana: "Seat
or posture." A sound body is needed for success in meditation. This is
attained through hatha yoga, the postures of which balance the energies
of mind and body, promoting health and serenity, e.g., padmasana, the "lotus pose," for meditation. The
Yoga Sutras indicate that asanas make the yogi impervious to the impact
of the pairs of opposites (dvandva), heat-cold, etc.
4) pranayama: "Mastering
life force." Breath control, which quiets the chitta and balances ida
and pingala. Science of controlling prana through breathing techniques
in which lengths of inhalation, retention and exhalation are modulated.
Pranayama prepares the mind for deep meditation.
5) pratyahara: "Withdrawal."
The practice of withdrawing consciousness from the physical senses
first, such as not hearing noise while meditating, then progressively
receding from emotions, intellect and eventually from individual consciousness itself in order to merge into the Universal.
6) dharana: "Concentration."
Focusing the mind on a single object or line of thought, not allowing
it to wander. The guiding of the flow of consciousness. When
concentration is sustained long and deeply enough, meditation naturally
follows.
7) dhyana: "Meditation." A quiet, alert,
powerfully concentrated state wherein new knowledge and insight pour
into the field of consciousness. This state is possible once the
subconscious mind has been cleared or quieted.
8) samadhi: "Enstasy,"
which means "standing within one's self." "Sameness, contemplation."
The state of true yoga, in which the meditator and the object of
meditation are one.
enstasy: A term coined in 1969 by Mircea Eliade to contrast the Eastern view of bliss as "standing inside oneself" (enstasy)
See: yoga, asana, samadhi, raja yoga.
(See also: Raja Yoga, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)
https://www.davedavies.com/splanet/raja.htm
summary of Raja-Yoga By Swami Vivekananda
Ana
The Four Yogas
posted by Deepak Chopra Sep 29, 2009
https://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-four-yogas.html
Everyone has feelings, so everyone can be on the path of feeling. The same is true for thinking, acting, and being.So, the vision of Yoga is simply that unity is possible for anyone,
starting from wherever you happen to be. Indeed, unity is secretly
present in every moment in daily life. Nothing can happen to me that is
outside the one reality; nothing is wasted or random in the cosmic
design. In the Vedic tradition, each person can choose four paths that arise
from feeling, thinking, acting, and being. Each path is called a Yoga,
the Sanskrit word for “union,” because unity – merging with one reality
– was the goal.
Over the ages, the four Yogas have come to define specific paths
that suit the kind of temperament a seeker has, although in truth you
can follow several or all at once:
Bhakti Yoga leads to unity by loving God.
Karma Yoga leads to unity
through selfless action. Gyana Yoga leads to unity through knowledge.
Raja Yoga leads to unity through meditation and renunciation.
It’s not necessary to think of the four paths as being Eastern.
These Yogas were the original seeds, the means that brought unity
within reach.
Literally translated, the fourth path, Raja yoga, means “the royal
way to union.” What makes it royal is a belief that meditation
transcends the other three paths.
But the fourth path is also inclusive: By following it you are
actually following all four at once. Your meditations go directly to
the essence of your being. That essence is what love of God, selfless
action, and knowledge are trying to teach.
Adapted from The Book of Secrets, by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 2004).
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