Yogas citta vritti nirodhah - Part 2 of 2

continued...

Yoga is control of the energies of the mind

Yogas citta vritti nirodhah...

Yogas citta vritti nirodhah...

Yoga citta vritti nirodhah...

Done.  One hundred and eight repetitions.

“So, what is yoga?”  While traditional practitioners understand that itself is not limited only to the physical practice that most people do nowadays, a study done in Australia reported that at present, yoga is understood as a form of physical activity which people engage in to increase health and fitness, improve flexibility and muscle tone, and reduce stress.  Before yoga hit mainstream, yoga was practiced as a spiritual disclipine.  However, at present, practicing yoga for spiritual reasons only come in the picture after the practitioner has been doing for a long time.  But still, that reason only comes in 5th of all the reasons mentioned in the study.

“You still haven’t answered the question.  Again, what is yoga?”

Yogascittavritti nirodhah.  Yoga is the control of the energies of the mind.  That's how Patanjali defined yoga in the Yoga Sutras.  However, as I mentioned in the previous article, yoga has now become a popular form of physical activity all throughout the world and people have come to equate yoga only with asana practice.  Studies have been conducted and have showed promising results in yoga's ability to improve health, fitness, and well-being, that even physicians are recommending it to their patients.  I leave the discussion on yoga as a spiritual discipline next time.

There are many styles of yoga and most of the popular styles which are practiced in the West are now here in the Philippines.  I did some data-mining a few months ago and here’s a list of the styles that now being taught in the country.  They are listed according to the total number of available classes per week.

• Bikram Yoga - the original hot yoga.  
• Hatha Yoga - the generic term for all asana-based classes which cannot be classified elsewhere (of course, all of these are really just forms of hatha yoga but for some reasons, when you go to yoga facilities, hatha yoga is used to classify generic classes.)
• Ashtanga Yoga - the traditional method taught by Sri Pattabhi Jois
• Vinyasa/Flow - all other methods which uses breath-movement synchronization technique.  
• Hot Yoga - generic term used for any class done in a heated room.
• Gentle Yoga - a more restorative and relaxing style of class.
• Power Yoga - almost similar to vinyasa/flow but inspired more by the ashtanga yoga tradition.
• Iyengar Yoga - created by BKS Iyengar, a contemporary of Sri Pattabhi Jois.  Uses props like blocks, belts, blankets, ropes, and chairs to help the practitioner sustain the pose longer.

Which style is the best?  My suggestion is to try each style for at least 10 sessions before deciding on which style to focus on.  I have tried most of these styles and I will share with you my experience next time, inshallah.

Om.

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The author is a faculty in UP Diliman where he teaches yoga as part of the general service physical education program and as a mind-body training for the UP Pep Squad. 

He has long retired his cheer uniform but still cheers for the UP Fighting Maroons every UAAP basketball season... (but really, that's only because I want to see the Pep Squad perform live). He is contemplating on teaching them the yogic technique of levitation thinking maybe that will help them win the next championship title.