Introduction to Yoga

The term yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Yujir Yoge’.
Yoga is the union of body, breath, and mind, a state of harmony at every level of our existence. It
means uniting with the Self.

The knowledge of yoga can be found in the Vedas and Upanishads dating back to over 10,000
years. It is believed that this knowledge was first revealed by Lord Shiva to his wife Parvati (also
known as
Shakti, the cosmic creative energy).

There are also accounts of Hiranyagarbha being the first teacher of yoga, who instructed Sage
Vasishta who then passed it on to Rishi Parashara, and so on.

Definitions of Yoga

yogah chitta vritti nirodha = Yoga is restraining the modulations of the mind
(Maharishi Patanjali, Yoga Sutras (PYS 1.2))

tada drashtuh swaroope avasthaanam = Yoga is abiding in the form of the seer (drista)
(Maharishi Patanjali, Yoga Sutras (PYS 1.3))

heyam dukham anagatam = purpose of yoga is to stop the misery even before it arrives
(Maharishi Patanjali, Yoga Sutras (PYS 2.16))

samatwam yoga uchayate = Yoga is being equanimous

(Lord Krishna, Bhagavad Gita (2.48))

yogah karmasu kaushalam = Yoga is a skill in action

(Lord Krishna, Bhagavad Gita (2.50))

Timeline of Yoga

● It is believed that yoga existed at the very dawn of civilization, even before structured
religion and religious doctrines, as we know them today originated.
● In yogic lore, Shiva is seen as the first yogi or Sadashiva, the first Guru or Adi Guru.
● Legend has it that several thousand years ago Sadashiva imparted this profound knowledge
to the legendary Saptarishis or the “seven sages”. These sages carried this revolutionary
science to different parts of the world.
● The earliest documented mention of this contemplative tradition is found in the Rig Veda,
the oldest surviving literature.
● The earliest mention of the practices that later became a part of yoga is found in the oldest
Upanishad, the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. The practice of pranayama finds a mention in
one of its hymns.
 ● The first appearance of the word “yoga” with the same meaning as we know today perhaps
happens in Katha Upanishad, where yoga is seen as an inner journey or the ascent of
consciousness.
● The famous dialogue, Yog-Yajnavalkya, (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad), between Sage
Yajnavalkya and Saint Gargi, mentions asanas, and numerous breathing exercises for
cleansing the body and mind.
● 20 Upanishads along with Yoga Vasishtha, which predate Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita,
have stated yoga to be the union of mind with the Supreme Consciousness.
● Though yoga was being practiced since the pre-Vedic period, it was only in the Classical Era
that the great Sage Maharishi Patanjali structured and collated the then-existing practice
of yoga, its meaning, and related knowledge in his Yoga Sutras.

Pre-vedic period
● No scripted text. Knowledge was passed on orally.
● Most techniques were lost because of oral transmission.

Vedic Period
● Seminal texts came into being – Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda.
● Maharishi Ved Vyasa (Rishi Badarayana) collated and classified Vedas and wrote Brahma
Sutras for easy understanding of Vedas.
● He also wrote Mahabharata to grasp the highest knowledge in an easy way.
● Yoga was expressed by rishis who were ascetics by conducted rituals and yajnas. People
participated in various ways to get healing vibrations from them.

Pre-classical era
● The most fertile period in the development of yoga. Yoga was now about the outer world to
the inner world and knowledge of Self rather than just about being rituals.
● Upanishads were scripted. Yogic techniques were mentioned in over 200 Upanishads.
● It was understood that while rituals are maybe helpful for worldly achievement, there is no
liberation if we don’t understand consciousness and the self.
● Bhagawad Gita was scripted. Lord Krishna spoke also about Jnana yoga, Bhakti yoga, and
Karma yoga as ways to reach the supreme.

Classical Era
● Maharishi Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras came into being – an eightfold path to take a sincere
seeker towards liberation.
● Ved Vyasa also compiled a commentary on Yogasutras called the Yog Bhashya.
● This period witnessed the move towards the mastery of the mind, which was elucidated
through yogic practices.

Post-Classical Era
● Strengthened the existing paths of yoga.
● Focused on teaching of Vedanta. Because of that Jnana yoga held its sway through the
teachings of Adi Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Madhavacharya, and Nimbarka.
● Bhakti yoga found prominence through the teachings of Suradasa, Tulasidasa,
Purandardasa, and Mirabai.
● Hatha yoga came into being. It was popularized by Natha yogis like Matsyendaranatha,
Gorakshanatha, Chauranginatha, Swatmaram Suri, Gheranda, and Srinivasa Bhattacharya.
Modern Era
● Raja yoga was developed through Yogacharyas like Ramana Mahrishi, Ramakrishna
Paramhansa, Paramahansa Yogananda, Vivekananda, and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, etc.
● Vedanta, Bhakti yoga, and Hatha yoga flourished.

Contemporary period
● Yoga is popular for health benefits and reached corners of the world.
● Teachings of Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo, Shivananda, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, etc.
● Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar establish Sri Sri Yoga and also gave Sudarshan Kriya, a
powerful breathing technique taught through the Art of Living courses.

Structure of Knowledge and Shad Darshanas

Consciousness has the ability to know. Ancient Rishis sat in meditation and collected this whole
body of knowledge. In the Vedic tradition, this knowledge is organized in a structure put together by
Veda Vyasa.

All the knowledge is considered to be in 2 parts – Para and Apara.

● Para – obtained through grace. Just comes as a blessing. No way of obtaining it like reading
● Apara – can be learned and acquired through our own effort under the guidance of master

Apara
1. Shruti – That which is cognized
2. Smriti – That which is remembered

Many Rishis sat in deep meditation and cognized the reality of life put together in Shruti. This was
passed on in the form of stories and traditions called Smriti.

Under shruti knowledge contains the 4 Vedas

● Rig Veda (to shine) – All principles of life, how rain happens, how the universe works, what is
prana, etc. Concepts and principles of existence are addressed by the shlokas of Rig Veda.
● Yajur Veda (Prose Mantras) – Contains the application of the principles.
● Sama Veda (Song) – Repository of rhythmic chanting of the hymns. All samams (mantras of
Sama Veda) are focused on rhythms. A lot of the verses are not words and just the rhythms.
● Atharva Veda (Proceedings for everyday life) – Everything to do with the mundane. What is
the impact this rhythm has on humanity, and the usage of knowledge in day-to-day life.

Journey of Knowledge – From an ugly “I don’t know” to a beautiful “I don’t know”.

As yoga teachers
we first have to learn the principles. And then we have to know when to apply the principles like
when to give what instructions etc. Right rhythm is also important to being a good yoga teacher.
Finally, the same sentence said in the same way by different people has a different impact. So as a
yoga teachers we have to learn all 4 aspects of communication.

All this is understood through the 6 Astika Darshanas (believing in the authority of the Vedas).
1. Nyaya
○ Propounded by a Rishi called Gautama.
○ All about Logic. Talks about how to know whether what I am knowing is true or not.
○ Looks at the world through the lens of the abstract, through logic.

2. Vaisheshika
○ Propounded by Maharishi Kanada
○ Termed as Special Knowledge or Concrete Knowledge.
○ Just by understanding Padartha – the building blocks of existence, you can reach
the ultimate knowledge.
○ Contains the knowledge of atoms and subatomic particles as well. If you take any
material and keep splitting it, the smallest that you can go where it retains the
property of the whole is called an Anu.
○ Paramanu is all the divisions that exist below that.
 3. Sankhya
○ Sankhya means counting. It means Analysis.
○ Kapila Muni formed Sankhya.
○ It looks at the whole Universe and sees what are the building blocks of existence.
And counts, reasons, and analyzes.

4. Yoga
○ Synthesis or Union – looking at the bigger picture
○ Some people can break down problems into parts and some people are good at
looking at the bigger picture. Both are needed.

5. Mimasa
○ Purvamimasa is all about Rituals.
○ Maharishi Jainami formed the Jainami sutras that form this.
○ By just getting life in order and in rituals, in the right patterns, you can cognize
reality.

6. Vedanta
○ It’s the essence of Vedas.
○ It’s the end of knowledge, the point where you say “I don’t know”.
○ Vedanta says transcend all of the words and come to the ultimate.
○ 3 Main teachers of Vedanta.
i. Advaita Vedanta of Adi Shankaracharya
Says the whole universe is made of one. Just like how everything becomes
just a wave function if you deeper and deeper into objects.
ii. Dwaita Vedanta of Madhavacharya
Says divinity and the individual soul are different. A lot of emphasis on
Bhakti and devotion to transcend.
iii. Vishishta Vedanta of Ramanujacharya
Called specialized Advaita where it says there is one everywhere but they
perform different functions.

These 6 darshanas are relevant for yoga teachers.

1. Nyaya – Looking into how everything works, how yoga works, etc.
2. Vaiseshika – Experiential understanding of the asanas and teachings.
3. Sankhya – analyzing and looking at Pancha kosha, what is the yoga way of life, how it can
be implemented in the modern context
4. Yoga – going through Patanjali yoga sutras
5. Mimasa – how to arrange a yoga mat, how to arrange a class, how to arrange a sequence
6. Vedanta – how to go beyond all the words and establish in the consciousness, get a glimpse
of the self and the consciousness. That’s why having a Guru or Master on this path is so
essential to being a Yoga Teacher.
Patanjali Yoga Sutras

4 chapters
1. Samaadhi pada = where are we going
2. Saadhana oasa = how to go, obstacles etc
3. Vibhuti pada = achievements, milestones on the way, sidhis
4. Kaivalya pada = goal when reaching and how you’ll feel when nearly there

195 sutras

1st sutra:
Atha yoga anushaas = Now I will initiate the discipline of yoga
Atha = now | yoga = union | anushaasanam = self discipline → readiness is important

2nd sutra:
Yogah chitta vritti nirodahah = Yoga is restraining the modulations of the mind
chitta = mind complex | vritti = modulations | nirodhah = restraining

3rd sutra:
Tadaa drasthu sva rupa avasthaanam = yoga is being established in the nature of the seer
Tadaa = Then | Drasthu = seer / witness | Sva = own | Rupa = form | Avasthaanam = abiding

4th sutra:
Vritti saarupyam itaratra = Otherwise we start identifying with the modulations of the mind
Vritti = modulations | Saarupyam = to identify with | Itaratra = Otherwise

The 5 Vrittis & How to Overcome Them:

Vrittayah pachatayyah klishtaa aklishtaah =

The five modulations of the mind can be troublesome or non-troublesome
Vritti = Modulations | Panchatayya = 5 types | Klishtaa = Troublesome | Aklishtaa = Non-troublesome
You can’t discard them. You need them. They are activities of the mind.

How to bifurcate what is troublesome and what is nontroublesome?

→ Those that take you away from abiding in the form of the seer are troublesome, others are non-troublesome.

The 5 vrittis: Pramaana viparaya vikalpa nidraa smritrayah

1. Pramaana = right understanding (looking for proof, establishing something is correct)

Different types of Pramanas:

Pratyaksha anumaana aagamah pramanani
- Pratyaksha = Direct perception
- Anumaana = inference / conclusion
- Aagama = scriptural reference (written authority)

2. Viparyaya = wrong understanding (not understood correctly or thinking its something else)
Viparyayo mithyaa-jnaanam-atadrupa pratishtham
Viparyaya = wrong understanding | Mithyaa = false/wrong | Jnaanam = knowledge |
Atadrupa pratishtham = not based upon its real form (understanding is based on its form not
what it actually is)

3. Vikalpa = Illusion (fantasy, imagination, illusion)

Sabda-jnaana-anupati-vastu-sunyo vikalpah
Sabda = sound | Jnaana = Knowledge | Anupati = that which follows | Vastu-sunya = devoid
of object

That which follows the knowledge from sound (there is some hearsay and you follow that.
The object is not actually there. Illusions and imaginations are based on this.

4. Nidraa = Sleep
Abhaava-pratayaya-aalambanaa vrittir-nidraa = Absence of content of mind is sleep
Abhaava = lack/absense | Prayaya = content of mind | Aalambanaa = supported by |
Vritti = modulation

There is activity happening while sleeping but we feel like / it appears like there is no content
in the mind.

5. Smriti = Memory
Anubhuta-visaya-asampramoshah smritih = remembering experiences of the past
Anabhuta-visaya = experiences of the past | asampramoshah = remembering (they keep
popping up again and again / don’t go away from the mind)

How to restrain the modulations?

Abhyaasa-vairaagya-abhyam tat-nirodah
Abhyaasa = practice | Vairaagya = non attachement | Tat = Its | Nirodha = Restraining
There are two ways, practice, and non-attachment that restrain the modulations of the mind.
 1. Abhyaasa:

Tatra sthitou yatno abhyaasa = The effort we put in which takes you to the nature of the seer
is practice.

Sa tu deerga kaala nairantarya satkaarasevito dridha-bhoomih = You practice for a long time
continuously (without a break) with honor and reverence, you become firmly grounded.

Later on, he talks about how depending on the level of the intensity of your practice the time
would differ. It's a continuous practice to be in the nature of the seer. There is no
specification of practice, it's a continuous effort.

2. Vairaagya:

Drishta anushravika vishaya vitrishnasya vashikaara sangyaa vairaagyam = Non-attachment

is the knowledge of mastering the desirelessness of objects you’ve seen or heard of.

The exponent of the quality of desirelessness/non-attachment.

Mentions Non-attachment is not detachment because it's not detaching after having been
attached. Dispassion is neither craving nor being averse.

Tat param pusha khyaateh guna vaitrishnyam = Dispassion towards the finest elements that
everything is made from (the gunas), is supreme dispassion.

When you have that awareness/knowledge of the higher consciousness then supreme
dispassion dawns in you.

Ishwara & Kleshas:

Ishawara = Divinity

Klesha karma vipaaka ashaya aparaamrishta purusha vishesa ishvarah = Someone who is
untouched by afflictions, actions, the fruit of actions, and the latest impressions, such a distinct
consciousness is Ishvarah (Divinity).

It's a distinct consciousness that is devoid of all these things. The same self inside you, when it
becomes pure can attain divinity. Talks about consciousness not somewhere outside but right here
within you as divine.

Characteristics of Ishvarah

1. Tatra niratisayam sarvajna bijam = This distinct consciousness cannot be surpassed. It's a
seed of all-knowingness. All the knowledge in this universe is there in this consciousness.
 2. Sa purvesaam api guruh kaalena anavacchedaat = The same consciousness was the master
for the people who learned in the past. The masters in the past got it from the same
consciousness.

3. Word that represents Ishvarah is Aum or Pranavah.

Remembrance of Aum / Ishvarah can help you overcome the obstacles (antarayah =
obstacles on the path)

5 Kleshas (afflictions/pain)

1. Avidyaa = Ignorance (ignorance of reality. Confused between what is real or unreal. Or

thinking which is impermanent is permanent or what is unreal is real)
2. Asmitaa = I-ness (Egoness. Believing that I’m thinking is only correct)
3. Raaga = Craving / extreme desire
4. Dvesha = Aversion / hatred
5. Abhinivesha = Fear

Avidyaa is the breathing ground for the other four Kleshas. If you start seeing the reality for what it
is, then all other Kleshas will automatically go off.

If they are permanent in you, the way to handle it is Kriya Yoga.

Obstacles on the path of yoga:

 1. Vyadhi = illness in the body
2. Syana = illness in the mind
3. Sansaya = doubt (3 types: yourself, technique, teacher)
4. Pramaada = Carelessness (knowingly doing something that is wrong / not good for you and
not doing something even though you know it's good)
5. Alasya = Laziness
6. Avirati = Sensory obsession (not having the ability to get out of your senses or too much into
one sense)
7. Bhraanti darshan = Hallucination
8. Alabdha bhumikatva = Non-attainment of any stage
9. Anavastitattva = Instability (you attain a stage of progress but can’t maintain it)

When one or more of the obstacles bother you what comes along with it are symptoms:

● Dukha = Pain
● Daurmanasya = Bitterness
● Angamejayatva = Body winning over the mind
● Svaasaprasvaasa = Instability in breathing
Viksheha = Distraction | Sahabhuva = born along
When the obstacles are there one or more of these distractions are born along.
Can be looked at as a symptom of one or more of the obstacles. When one of these is there it means
one or more of the obstacles are there.

Solutions for overcoming obstacles:

 1. Eka-tattva abhyaasah = One pointed practice

2. Chitta Prasaasadam = pleasant state of the mind

How to keep your mind pleasant while dealing with people. There are four types of people
who need different types of approaches.

● Maitri = Friendliness towards people who are happy (sukkha)

● Karuuna = Compassion towards people who are in pain (dukha)
● Mudita = Gladness towards people who are doing good activities (punya)
● Upeksha = indifference towards people who are doing evil activity (apunya)

8 Limbs of yoga
All limbs are equally important and to be followed at the same time. At the same time, there is a
sequence given, that you first start with Yama and Niyama and then move on to asana, pranayama,
etc. It means that the practice of each of them is important, you cannot jump from the first to the
fourth, etc. At the same time, you don’t need to master one fully until you move to the next, you can
practice parallelly.

1-Yama = social code of conduct

How to behave in the society outwardly

1. Ahimsa = Non-violence (not in your thoughts or actions. Level of intention is more important)
Benefit: in your mere presence hatred drops (you automatically transform your environment
and don’t attract hatred)
2. Satya = being in truth (truth means being with that which is really true, the reality. Everything
is changing, is the truth. Being with that which is not changing is truth)
Benefits = actions become fruitful
3. Asteya = Non-stealing (not stealing in your mind. Not having the intention of wanting
someone else's things)
Benefit = all wealth comes to you
4. Brahmacharya = Being in infinity (on one level it's about sensory pleasures. On a deeper
level it means moving in the infinity. Then none of the smaller pleasures matter to you.)
Benefits = Great valor comes to you
5. Aparigraha = Non-accumulation (keeping only what is needed for me, not accumulating.
Avoiding distractions that bring greed, jealousy, etc)
Benefit = secrets of birth and deaths (someone who knows I will get what I need when I need
it and is so much in the present moment, all the secrets of birth and death open up to him)
These Yamas are unbound by cast, place, and time. Meant for everybody. It's a great vow (brings
great virtue) for everyone.
Jaati = cast | Desha = Place | Kaala = time | Anavachinnah = Unbound | Sarvabhauma = all leven /
everyone | Mahaa = great | Vrata = Vow

2-Niyama = personal ethics (rules you put on yourself)

1. Saucha = Cleanliness (2 levels. 1. Physical cleanliness outside and inside through water.
2. Mental purity - not throwing your emotions around at people)
Benefits:
a. Detachment from one's own body parts & others → realizing you aren’t just the body
b. Purity / sharper intellect (you gain inner purity and intellect becomes sharper)
c. Pleasant attitude (your mind becomes more pleasant)
d. Ability to focus
e. Control over senses
f. Eligible for self-realization

2. Santosha = Contentment (happiness is an attitude which you have to make a habit. If you
are content with what you have and what you have, then no matter what, you will be content)
Benefit: Right kind of joy and comfort comes to you

3. Tapas = Endurance/austerity (willingly going through something that is difficult knowing that
it will benefit you, ability to go through opposites with a smile)
Benefits:
 a. Stronger body b. Sharper senses c. Impurities are removed (from body and mind)

4. Svadhyaaya = Self-study (inquiry of self, knowing about the self. Wanting to understand the
self. I want to know who I am. Understanding your body-mind complex, intellect, memory,
etc on one level. Also realizing I’m not only this, I’m beyond all that.)
Benefits: Communion with your favorite deity (you realize that the divinity is within you)

5. Ishvara pranidhaana = surrender to the divinity (it's a great virtue and brings you great
strength. When you surrender your negative qualities, it makes you purer and when you
surrender your positive qualities your ego drops and you again become purer)
Benefits: You attain perfection in samadhi (perfect samadhi comes when it goes along
with surrender to the divinity)

Kriya Yoga = Tapas, Svadhyaaya & Ishvara pranidhaana → help you to overcome the kleshas

3- Asana = a base to sit comfortably / a comfortable seating posture

Sthira sukham aasanam = a posture that is steady and comfortable

Sthira = steady | Sukha = comfortable | Aasana = posture

Anything that you do which makes you be steady and comfortable is Asana.
Both your body and mind need to be steady and comfortable. This happens with practice.

Prayatna-saithilyananta sama apattibhyam = You first put effort, then you let go of the
effort. Along with that, aligning with infinity happens.
Prayatna = effort | Saithilya = letting go | Ananta = Infinity | Samaapattibhya = Aligning
 The effort is in the mind. So once you are in the posture, you let go in your mind and
experience the infinity within.

Benefits of doing asana:

Tato dvanda anaabhighaatah = you become independent from the dualities in life
Tato = from that | dvanda = dualities | anaabhighaata = independent

It's the opposites that are bothering you, that disturb you. Through asana, you become
stronger physically and mentally and you become untouched by the opposites.

4- Pranayama

Prana = life force | yama = controlling | ayama = expanding

Tasmin sati svaasa prasvaasayoh gati vicchedah pranayamah =

After accomplishing the previous one (asana), breaking the natural flow of inhalation
and exhalation.
Tasmin sati = after that | Svaasa = Inhalation | Prasvaasa = exhalation | Gati = flow | Viccheda
= breaking

Bahya abhyantara stambha vrittih desa kaala sankhyaabhih paridrstou deergha suksmah:

3 activities/modulations of breath:
Bahya = exhalation
Abhyantara = inhalation
Stambha = stillness

During pranayama what needs to be looked into is

Paridrstra = looked into
Desha = place of focus (where attention is while breathing)
Kaala = time of breathing (how long to breathe)
Sankhyaa = count (the count of breathing)
(some scholars have translated it to the place where you sit and the time of the day)

While doing pranayama the breath is

Deergha = long
Sukshma = subtle

Benefits of Pranayama:

Tatah kshiyate prakaash aavaranam =

Thereby the wheel around the inner light gets thinner / removed
Tata = Thereby | Kshiyate = thinning | Prakaash = light | Aavaranam = veil / covering

You start shining by practicing pranayama.

 Dhaarana su ca yogyataa manasah = By practicing Pranayama, your mind becomes eligible /
ready to move on to the next limb of yoga (dharana)
Dharana = focus | Yogyataa = eligble | Mana = mind

5- Pratyahaara = Turning the senses inwards / giving it an opposite food

Prati = Opposite | Aahara = Food
Senses always are always on the look of going outwards. Pratyahara means turning them
inwards.

Usually, people run away from sensory pleasures and drop outer objects. But what is going
on in the mind, it's still with you. It's not enough to drop the external objects, you have to
disassociate from your internal objects also. That's when Pratyahara happens.

Benefits of Pratyahaara:
Tatah pranama vasyate indriyaanam = You gain supreme control over your senses
Tata = By that | Parama = Supreme | Vasyata = control | Indriyaa = senses

6- Dhaarana = Focus/Attention

Desha bandha chittasya dhaarana = Dharana is binding the mind to a place or point
internal or external.
Desha = Place / point | Bandha = Binding | Chittasya = related to the mind

Doesn’t say the specific place, could be anything external or internal. Also, he doesn’t say
how long.

7- Dhyana = Meditation

Tatra pratyaya eka taanata dhayaanam = When your attention continues for some time, it
becomes like an unbroken flow towards that point or object, then it becomes Dhyana.
Tatra = There | Pratyaya = Content of the mind | Eka taanata = one stretch / unbroken flow |
Dhyaana = meditation
That’s the definition of meditation: an uninterrupted flow of the content of the mind towards
an object or point, Dharana, in Dhyana.

8- Samadhi

Tadeva artha maatra nirbhaasam svarupa sunyamiva samaadhih

Tadeva = After that | Artha = Essence | Maatra = Only | Nirbhaasam = Shine | Svarupa = own
form | Sunya = non existent | Iva = as though

When continuing that for some time, only the essence shines through as though you don’t
exist / you are not there anymore. The subject and the scenery become one. That is
Samadhi. Equanimity. There is no difference. It's all balanced / one. That’s Samadhi.
So first is Dharana where you put attention and which can be on and off and then comes
uninterrupted attention and that is Dhyana and then a little later when there is no more difference
between the object and the seer and only the essence shines forth, then it becomes Samadhi.

There is no distinction between when Dharana ends, Dhyana starts, and when Samadhi comes.
You can seamlessly slip from one into the other in any order. That’s why it says:

Trayam ekatra samyamah = All these three together are called Sanyama
Trayam = Three | Ekatra = Together

Paths of Yoga

Whenever you want to get somewhere, you need a path. It makes it easier and directed to reach.
Yoga is both the journey and the goal. The state of yoga makes it worth achieving and gives you a
goal. The tools give you the pathway to reach there.

Whatever path of yoga you take it takes you to the same place. All paths of yoga are simultaneous.
They are like different legs of the same chair. When you pull one, the others follow automatically.

Bhagavad Gita talks about three paths of yoga.

Krishna says how to become a yogi is through these three paths (they go hand in hand).

Paths of yoga (for main paths):

1. Karma Yoga - Path of Selfless Service

You have the right to action but not to the fruit of action. Able to put our 100% without
bothering about the outcome, that is Karma Yoga. To a certain extent, we all do actions
without expecting any results. The fruit of the action depends on many causes. Your action
alone doesn’t ensure the result. It’s dependent on many other factors. When we know this,
when we don’t bother about the result and are so focused on the action, that is Karma Yoga.

1. Sakama Karma = Action performed with desires -> current action suffers as we keep
looking for the result of the action
2. Niskarma Karma = Action performed without the desire for the result

2. Jnana Yoga - Path of knowledge

Consciousness has the innate ability and needs to know. Every child is inquisitive. The
nature of human consciousness is to want to know. When we ask the right questions,
liberation can be achieved. When the quest is in the right direction, it takes us in the right
direction. It’s not just the study of scriptures, it’s the study of existence. Gurudev says
behind every event there is knowledge. The study of the self is what is called Jnana Yoga.
And real Jnana yoga happens when the knowledge comes from the Guru. The knowledge is
already established in the Guru. When we hear it from the Guru, it creates the experience.
The experience of the words comes along with the words when it’s said by the Guru. That is
 the key to Jnana Yoga.

3 steps to Jnana, to obtain knowledge:

1. Shravana: Listening through any senses. Experiencing. Absorbing. Comprehending.
2. Manana: Contemplation. Reflecting, Revising. When we contemplate how the knowledge
is applicable in our life, that is Manana.
3. Nidhidhyasan: Culmination. Wealth becomes superimposed on us, it becomes our own.

Until it becomes your own experience, Jnana knowledge has not happened.

3. Bhakti Yoga - Path of devotion

There is not one being on this planet that has not experienced love. It comes in so many
different forms. Every negative emotion is also a distortion of love. Love is not an emotion,
it’s your very existence. Bhakti Yoga is the path of total devotion towards the divine. When
your love is so focused in one direction, it becomes Bhakti. Nature loves us all equally.
Recognizing this and giving back to nature, is devotion. Devotion is the simplest way of
moving ahead. Bhakti is the end result of Jnana etc. So if you start with Bhakti you’ve
already reached the goal. Many yogis share about Bhakti, like in the Bhakti Sutras. Veda
Vyasa talks about the nine forms of Bhakti (these are tools to kindle the Bhakti):

1. Shravanam = Hearing the glories of the divine

2. Kirtanam = Chanting the praises of the divine
3. Smaranam = Remembering the divine
4. Padasevanam = Serving at the feet of the divine (very personal, the feet)
5. Archanam = Offering to the divine
6. Vandanam = Praying to the divine
7. Daasyam = Serving the divine (any work the lord has, even if he sends me away)
8. Sakhyam = Being friendly towards the divine
9. Aatma Nivedanam = Complete surrender to the divine

4. Raja Yoga - The royal path

Effortlessness. Samadhi.

Hatha Yoga

Two definitions:
1. Hatha = Willfully going through challenges
2. Pingala (Ha) + Ida (tha) = Goal of Hatha yoga is balancing Pingala and Ida Nadi.
Kundalini Shakti = energy center below the lowest chakra. It can raise up only when Pingala and Ida
are balanced (prana flows equally through both). And when Kundalini Shakti flows to the seventh
chakra, then Samadhi happens.
Hatha Yoga starts with the body → the easiest for anyone to start with.
Cleansing techniques are given lots of importance.

Hatha Yoga Parampara:

comes from Tantra.
Matsyendranath = Father of Hatha Yoga
Knowledge came through Shiva manifested through Matsyendranath, who was born as a fish.

Important texts in Hatha Yoga:

1. Goraksha Samhita by Gorakshanath

2. Hatha Yoga Pradipika (most popular/followed one) by Swami Swatmarana
3. Gheranda Samhita by Rishi Gheranda
4. Hatha Rantavali by Srinivasa Bhattacharya
5. Shiva Samhita

In all of these texts, it says that everything written in the texts is just principles. The real practice of
Hatha Yoga has to happen under the guidance of a master.

Chaturanga Yoga - 4 limbs of yoga

in Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Swami Swatmarana
1. Asanas (postures)
2. Pranayama (breathing techniques)
3. Mudras and Bandhas (gestures and locks)
4. Nada Asunandhana (meditation on sound)
= Samadhi

Shat Kriya
Shat = Six | Kriya = Cleansing technique

Those with excess mucus and fat should practice Shat Kriya. Otherwise normal Pranayamas are
enough to cleanse the Nadis (only Swami Swatmarana gives this exception. Other yogis don’t
mention this exception).
1. Kapalbhati = Frontal brain cleansing
2. Trataka = Cleansing of the eyes
3. Neti = Nasal cleansing
4. Dhauti = Cleansing of the GI tract
5. Nauli = Abdominal cleansing
6. Bhasti = Cleansing of the large intestine

What you need to look into for a successful practice:

1. Mitahara (mita = agreeable; ahara = food)
leaving one-fourth of the stomach empty as an offering to Shiva
→ remind you that this body is an instrument for us to experience the higher state of consciousness
Pathya = food to eat → those that balance the elements in the body
Apathya = food to avoid → cause toxins in the body and imbalance in elements in the body

2. Badhak Tattva = Cause of failure

1. Overeating
2. Over exertion
3. Over talkativeness
4. Over adherance to the rules
 5. Company of common people
6. Unsteady mind

3. Sadhak Tattva = Cause of success

1. Enthusiasm
2. Courage
3. Perseverance
4. Ability to discriminate
5. Faith
6. Letting go of disturbing company

Bhagavad Gita

Maharishi Vyedavasa composed the Bhagavad Gita. He took the help of Ganesha to write it down.
Part of Mahabharata, the big epos about the history of the baratas.

The story goes that cousins went to war. Arjuna refused to fight. Krishna was a good friend of Arjuna.
He revealed the knowledge of consciousness to him on the battlefield. The leader of the nation asks
someone who attained the knowledge.

● Chapter 1: Arjuna Vishaad Yoga = Arjuna’s Delusion

He holds on to his concept and idea of knowledge and becomes miserable. When we fight
with the current system, these are all my people, but we can’t run away.

● Chapter 2: Sankhya Yoga = The eternal reality of the immortal soul

● Chapter 3 - Karma Yoga = The duties of a human being

● Chapter 4: Jnana Yoga = The ultimate truth

The true purpose of life is to move toward knowledge

● Chapter 5: Karma Vairagya Yoga = Action and renunciation

Nature of existence is that balance of action and then effortlessness, letting go.

● Chapter 6: Dhyana Yoga = Meditation

Allows us to tap into that unseen.

● Chapter 7: Jnana Vjnana Yoga = Material and spiritual knowledge

● Chapter 8: Akshara Parabrahma Yoga = Knowledge of the eternal consciousness

● Chapter 9: Rajvidya Rajguhiya Yoga = Hidden knowledge

royal knowledge where it’s all effortless

● Chapter 10: Vibhuti Yoga = The glory of the divine

 ● Chapter 11: Vishwaroopa Darshana Yoga = The vision of the vastness of consciousness

● Chapter 12: Bhakti Yoga = Devotion

● Chapter 13: Kshetra Kshetragya Vibhaga Yoga = Individual and cosmic consciousness

● Chapter 14: Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga = The three qualities of nature (rajas, tamas, sattva)

● Chapter 15: Purushotam Yoga = Knowledge of the existence

● Chapter 16: Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga = The divine and the demonic natures

● Chapter 17: Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga = The three-fold faith

● Chapter 18: Moksha Sanyasa Yoga = The path of liberation

You’ll find lots of contradictions in the Bhagavad Gita.

References of Yoga in Bhagavad Gita:

Karma Yoga:
Lord Krishna says:
- be steadfast in service, drop all attachments to success and failure and become
equanimous. Such equanimity is called Yoga.
- Yoga is skill in action. The skill is to engage in service without attachment. This helps
one go beyond both good and bad in life.
- One has a right to perform the duty but is not entitled to the fruits of action. Do not
consider oneself to be the cause of the results of the actions and not to be attached
to not doing one’s duty.

3 types of karma:

Karma includes physical action and impression of action.

The cause of the effect of an action is unfathomable.
The ways of karma are unfathomable.
What we know what we do or don’t do has an effect. We know the possibilities and how to
prevent certain karma.

1. Sanchita = Latent impressions

Fruits have not yet come. It has not yet given fruits.
2. Prarabdha Karma = Actions of the past that are fructified in the present.
3. Aagami Karma = Karma of the future

Krishna says: continue doing your karma to the best of your ability. Don’t worry about the
outcome.
Bhakti Yoga:
For those who are completely absorebd in Divinity, the oblation (that which is offered) is divine, the
ladle with which it is offered is divine, the act of offering is divine and the sacrificial fire is also the
same divine. Such people who view everything as the same divine, easily attain Him.

Bhakti is recognizing that there is a higher power that is running the show.
Who is a devotee: those who fix their minds on me.

Raja Yoga:
Effortless, royal path.

Three gunas:
Rajas = Activity (passion, action) | Tamas = Inertia (laziness, dullness,...) | Sattva = Balance
(peace...)

These three qualities are inherent in any object / any aspect of life.
When they are in balance we call it harmony.
All three gunas are essential.
When they get into imbalance, it leads to distortion.

“When wise people see that all action is because of the three gunas, and they know that divinity is
beyond the three gunas, they then attain the divine nature.”

When you recognize all action is because of the gunas, you can transcend the gunas.

Principles of Yoga

The vedic texts explain that every individual can be perceived to consist of three bodies - sharira

1. Sthula Sharira = Gross / Physical Body

Subject to birth, growth, change, death.

It’s made up of the five great elements - maha buta:

1. Akash: Space / Ether 2. Vayu: Air 3. Agni: Fire 4. Jal: Water 5. Prithvi: Earth

It’s also made up of the five sense organs - Gyanendriya:

1. Ear 2. Skin 3. Eyes 4. Tongue 5. Nose

And of five organs of action - Karmendriya

1. Mouth 2. Hands 3. Legs 4. Genitals 5. Anus

To give energy and movement for all these functions of the physical body there is the subtle
body:
 2. Sukshma Sharira = Subtle Body
Result of our past karma.

Composed of
1. Prana 2. Nadis and Chakras that carry the prana
3. Anthakarna = the four inner modes/functions of consciousness (= Bharaman)
1. Manas = Mind
2. Buddhi = Intellect (judgement)
3. Chitta = Memory
4. Ahamkar = Ego

3. Karana Sharira = Causal Body

Born out of ignorance. Continues after the other two bodies.
Contains the seed of a new life in a new body.

Prana = Subtle life force energy

Part of the subtle body. Cannot be seen but can be felt.

Breath is directly connected to prana. It’s the gross manifestation of prana.

By manipulating, stretching, and working with the breath, we can achieve the revitalization of prana.

Manifests itself in five different forms - 5 Pancha Prana (based on movement, direction, and
function). It’s said that they are created in the very first four months of the development of the fetus.
1. Prana - Forward moving (air flowing from head to navel - Inhalation)
Ingestion, inhalation, eating, drinking, reception of senses are all functions of prana
Functioning of heart

2. Apana - Outward moving (air moving away, downward, outward - Exhalation)

Elimination, excretion, ejaculation, urine, menstrual fluid, etc. Responsible for the elimination
 of mental negativity.

3. Udana - Upward moving

Responsible for growth in the body. Ability to stand up. Speech and emotions. The spinal
system and sense organs are governed by Udana. Known to be operating in limbs. Known to
be active at the time of death. Responsible for separating subtle and gross bodies at the
time of death.

4. Samana - Balanced
Situated between diaphragm and navel region
Balancer of prana and aparna. Responsible for digestion and excretion of digestive juices
and metabolism.

5. Vyana - Circulation
Moves from the center of the body to all peripheral organs and limbs. It's all-pervasive. All
the circulation of the body, movement of food, water, oxygen, emotions, thoughts - all of this
is the function of Vyana. It’s also called assisting prana because it helps the other pranas to
function better.

7 Layers of Existence
1. Body
2. Breath (Prana)
3. Mind (Manas) - which perceives and controls the senses. Interaction with the environment
through the senses happens here.
4. Intellect (Buddhi) - analyzes what we perceive
5. Memory (Chitta)
6. Ego
7. Self

When these layers are not in harmony with each other it causes stress. Yoga brings that unity
between the layers.

Our existence can be looked at in five sheets - Panchakosha

1. Annamaya Kosha - That which is made out of food (Environment (food for senses) and body
(manifests from food)). Our body is not like an unchanging entity. It’s changing every
moment. There is an interaction happening between the environment and the body.
2. Pranayama Kosha - Flows through different nadis and chakras and keeps this body
moving. There are five different functions of prana.
3. Manomaya Kosha - manas is that which interacts with the environment
4. Vignanamaya Kosha - special knowledge, feelings, intuition
5. Anandamaya Kosha - joy, the bliss of the self
Yoga has an impact on all five Koshas.

Nadis = to flow
Irrigation system through which prana and mental force flow throughout the body.
Whenever there is a block in any of the Nadis, it causes stress and imbalance on the physical and
mental wellbeing.

1,72,000 Nadis. 72,000 are commonly known and acknowledged.

Three are most important as they control the flow of prana and consciousness between all the other
nadis in the body.

1. Ida (Luna Nadi): starts at the base chakra and moves in spiral movements from chakra to
chakra till the forehead chakra and goes on to nurture the right brain. Starts from the left
side. Known to control all our mental processes. More feminine aspects of our personality
are also controlled by Ida Nadi.

2. Pingala (Surya/Solar Nadi) - starts at the base chakra and moves in spiral movements from
chakra to chakra till the forehead chakra and goes on to nurture the left brain. Starts from
the right side. Warm, stimulating. Controls all vital processes of the body.

3. Sushumna (central Nadi) - starts at the base chakra and moves straight up to the crown
chakra. When the prana is flowing freely through Sushumna, the practitioner can attain a
balanced, peaceful state of mind.

The three Nadis meet back at the forehead chakra. Pranayama removes all those blocks

Ida and Pingala function in the body alternately, not simultaneously.

When the left nostril is open: Ida nadi is active → we are calm, peaceful, and settled.
When the right nostril is open: Pingala Nadi is active → all vital functions, logical analysis, focus, learn, grasp.

Chakras are located along the spine. As the prana moves along the chakras, the more upward it
moves we are able to experience deeper states of consciousness.

7 Chakras
 1. Muladhara - Root Chakra (Foundation for all other chakras)
Lies at the base of the spine. Energy manifests as enthusiasm and inertia.
Responsible for stability in our life.

2. Svadhishthana - Sacral Chakra (the seed of the self)

Lies four fingers above the Muladhara chakra, behind the genitals.
Connected to the water element. Supposed to be the seed of the subconscious mind.
Energy manifests as creative and procreative.

3. Manipura - Solar Plexus Chakra

Related with the fire element. Also considered responsible for digestion, absorption.
Energy manifests as greed, jealousy, generosity, and joy.

4. Anahata - Heart Chakra

Related to the air element. Energy manifests as love, hate, and fear

5. Vishuddha - Throat Chakra

Related to the space element. Energy manifests as grief and gratitude.

6. Ajna - Third Eye Chakra

Ida, Pingala and Shushuma Nadi meet back here. Alertness, wisdom, awareness.
Energy manifests as alertness and anger.

7. Sahasrara - Crown Chakra

There is only silence here. Corresponds with bliss. It's beyond space, time, and elements.

5 things happen in the presence of a master

1. Sorrow diminishes
2. Joy springs
3. Knowledge is nourished
 4. Talents blossom
5. Abundance comes to us

All we have to do is to give our 100%.