The Four Paths of Yoga


Book Description

From ancient times, people of India have practiced spiritual disciplines designed to clear the mind and support a state of serene, detached awareness. The practices for developing this desired state of balance, purity, wisdom, and peacefulness of mind are known collectively as "yoga." "Yoga" means "yoke" or "union" - referring to union with the true Self, the goal described in the Upanishads. The sages distinguished four basic types of people and developed practices that are particularly suitable for each type, in order that each man can attain the desired union with the Self. For rational people, there is the path of Knowledge. For meditative people, there is the path of Self-Knowledge. For naturally active people, there is the path of Selfless Action. For emotional people, there is the Path of Devotion. Editor's Note: In order to be more enjoyable during reading, this book is in 6" x 9" format. In the same spirit, the paper is cream-colored, which causes less fatigue to the eyes than white paper. All our publications are carefully handled both in terms of typography and design.




Pathways to Joy


Book Description

At the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago, Swami Vivekananda transformed Western thinking. He showed that, far from being an exotic novelty, Hinduism is an important, legitimate spiritual tradition with valuable lessons for the West. Pathways to Joy is a selection of 108 of his sacred teachings on Vedanta philosophy. In accessible and powerful prose, Vivekananda illuminates the four classical yoga paths — karma, bhakti, raja, and jnana — for the different natures of humankind. The messages focus on the oneness of existence; the divinity of the soul; the truth in all religions; and unifying with the Divine within. Invaluable and inspiring, the selections also explore karma, maya, rebirth, and other great revelations of Hinduism.




The Complete Book of Yoga


Book Description

The four types of yoga are covered in length in the current book, along with its philosophy, psychology, and practise techniques. It provides a comparison of the four yogas, outlining their similarities and distinctions. By destroying the ego, karma yoga, also known as the yoga of selfless action, aims to address the issue of ignorance. We are tethered to this world by attachment because of the ego, which was born out of ignorance. The practise of bhakti yoga involves inward purification. Bhakti-central yoga's thesis is that love is the most fundamental human emotion. Love is cosmocentric and divinely inspired in its most pure form. Raja-yoga ignites the flame of awareness of the self within in order to reach the Divine.




Psycho-Social Perspectives on Mental Health and Well-Being


Book Description

"This book examines the physical, social, and emotional aspects of mental health and well-being"--Provided by publisher.




The Four Yogas (Illustrated and Annotated Edition)


Book Description

Hindu philosophers of the medieval period have tried to explain the nature of these three paths and the relation between them.Shankara tended to focus on jñ?na-yoga exclusively, which he interpreted as the acquisition of knowledge or vidya. He considered karma-yoga to be inferior. The fact that he wrote some of the most famous hymns for personal gods such as Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, Ganesha and Subrahmanya underlines his affinity to Bhakti-Yoga.The 12th-century philosopher Ramanuja considered the three yogas by interpreting his predecessor Yamunacharya. In Ramanujam's interpretation, Bhakti yoga appears to be the direct path to moksha, which is however available only to those whose inner faculties have already been trained by both Karma yoga and Jnana yoga.A "fourth yoga" is sometimes added, Raja Yoga or "the Path of Meditation". This is the classical Yoga presented in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Patanjali's system came to be known as Raja Yoga (Royal Yoga) retro-actively, in about the 15th century, as the term Yoga had become popular for the general concept of a "religious path".The systematic presentation of Hindu monotheism as divided into these four paths or "Yogas" is modern, advocated by Swami Vivekananda from the 1890s in his book Raja Yoga.They are presented as four paths to God suitable for four human temperaments, viz. the active, the emotional, the philosophical and the mystic.




Bhakti-Yoga


Book Description

Bhakti-Yoga is a real, honest search for the Lord that begins, continues, and ends with love. We are free forever because of one crazy moment of crazy love for God. This love can't be reduced to anything on earth, because this love won't come as long as people want things on earth. Bhakti is better than both karma and yoga because karma and yoga are supposed to get you somewhere, but Bhakti is its own goal, its own means, and its own end. Swami Vivekananda talked about Bhakti-Yoga like a spiritual poet, describing it as a symphony of the soul and a dance of devotion in which the seeker gives in to their overwhelming love for the Divine. He stressed that this path was not limited to any one religion. Instead, it was a universal language of the heart that gave people a direct link to the divine part of themselves and the world around them.




Going Beyond the Pose


Book Description

Author Kathleen Nitting takes you off the mat with a contemporary understanding of yoga, offering practical ways to integrate this ancient philosophy into daily life. By delving deeper into the wisdom and science of yoga, Going beyond the Pose illustrates how these teachings are as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago. Nitting outlines the four paths of yogalove, action, knowledge, and meditationpracticed by great sages of the past, along with contemporary yogis, in search of true joy and success. Guiding you through the paths are insights and inspiration from some of todays spiritual leaders; glimpses of those who have left this physical realm; poignant personal stories that exemplify the meaning of being in yoga; and a brave level of authenticity from Nitting as she shares her own yogic path. Going beyond the Pose shows how you, too, can access and experience the benefits of yoga in the Living Yoga exercises peppered throughout the book. It offers an eloquent translation of Nittings journey of using yoga as a compass to orient her own life toward happiness and her passion to share this truth.




The Four Paths of Self-Realization


Book Description

From ancient times, people of India have practiced spiritual disciplines designed to clear the mind and support a state of serene, detached awareness. The practices for developing this desired state of balance, purity, wisdom, and peacefulness of mind are known collectively as "yoga." "Yoga" means "yoke" or "union" - referring to union with the true Self, the goal described in the Upanishads. The sages distinguished four basic types of people and developed practices that are particularly suitable for each type, in order that each man can attain the desired union with the Self. For rational people, there is the path of Knowledge. For meditative people, there is the path of Self-Knowledge. For naturally active people, there is the path of Selfless Action. For emotional people, there is the Path of Devotion. Editor's Note: In order to be more enjoyable during reading, this book is in 6" x 9" format. In the same spirit, the paper is cream-colored, which causes less fatigue to the eyes than white paper. All our publications are carefully handled both in terms of typography and design. 462 pages.







Paths to God


Book Description

For centuries, readers have turned to the Bhagavad Gita for inspiration and guidance as they chart their own spiritual paths. As profound and powerful as this classic text has been for generations of seekers, integrating its lessons into the ordinary patterns of our lives can ultimately seem beyond our reach. Now, in a fascinating series of reflections, anecdotes, stories, and exercises, Ram Dass gives us a unique and accessible road map for experiencing divinity in everyday life. In the engaging, conversational style that has made his teachings so popular for decades, Ram Dass traces our journey of consciousness as it is reflected in one of Hinduism’s most sacred texts. The Gita teaches a system of yogas, or “paths for coming to union with God.” In Paths to God, Ram Dass brings the heart of that system to light for a Western audience and translates the Gita’s principles into the manual for living the yoga of contemporary life. While being a guide to the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita, Paths to God is also a template for expanding our definition of ourselves and allowing us to appreciate a new level of meaning in our lives.




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