Philosophy

The philosophy underpinning Hatha yoga comes from the ancient Vedas (four sacred scriptures of India) and is known as Vedanta. Vedanta literally means the end of knowledge. ‘Veda’ means knowledge and ‘anta’ means end. It is the knowledge of our real Self. Vedanta maps out how best to use each one's unique personality to achieve inner peace & outer prosperity. It does this through a systematic presentation of the eternal principles of living.

There are many yogas designed to assist the heterogeneous variety of personality types. Listed below is a summary of the five main yogas:

Hatha Yoga The Path of Physical Discipline for all personality types. This path predominately uses the physical body to awaken the mind and intellect to pursue the silence within.

Karma Yoga The Path of Action for people who are predominately active in nature & balanced in both mind (emotions/feelings) and intellect (rational thought). By directing one's action towards an unselfish ideal, the bulk of selfish desires are reduced. The mind becomes quiet and fit for deeper study.

Gnana Yoga The Path of Knowledge for people who are predominately intellectual in nature. A path that encourages the seeker to enquire into the mystery of life. Who am I? Is death the end? Who/what is God? A gnana yogi ponders the distinction between the permanent & impermanent aspects to life.

Bhakti Yoga The Path of Devotion for people who are predominately emotional in nature. This path involves worship, prayer and surrender of the personal will to Thy will. Bhakti is also an attitude of gratefulness which should be present in all yogas.

Dhyana Yoga The Path of Meditation for advanced spiritual practioners. These yogis have off-loaded the bulk of their desires and developed a mental quietitude enabling them to remain mentally still and focused on a single mantra (word symbol).

In truth, rarely is any one person wholly physical, intellectual or emotional. What is important is applying the right mix of Hatha, Karma, Gnanam and Bhakti to suit one’s temperament. In time and with the right amount of effort, one achieves a  meditative state of mind and becomes ripe for advanced spiritual practices (Dhyana yoga).

Philosophy Classes

The philosophy classes involve much group discussion on the principles of Vedanta.

Contact Caitanya Yoga if you are interested in a Hatha Yoga or Philosophy class at your place of employment. Corporations can greatly benefit from the practice and knowledge of Yoga.