The word ‘Yoga’ means union. In ancient times, when the concept of yoga was created, people believed that there was no separation between the individual and the universe. The term ‘union’ in the English language has been derived from the Sanskrit word ‘yoga’. The word yoga also has another meaning which is union with God. This is the true meaning of yoga.
It was believed by the people in ancient India that the mind, body, and soul were all connected to each other. The mind is the control center of the body and the soul is the spirit. It is only through meditation and concentration that the individual can attain union with the universe. Meditation is a process of relaxing the mind and concentrating it on one thought or object. When the mind is concentrated and relaxed, it attains a state of deep sleep. This state of deep sleep is called Samadhi. Samadhi is a state of complete union with universal power.
In the state of samadhi, the individual forgets his own body and mind and merges into the universal energy. This state of union with universal energy is the ultimate goal of yoga. There are many forms of yoga. They differ in the techniques that they use to achieve this state of the union. Some forms of yoga include:
* Bhakti Yoga
Bhakti yoga is a form of yoga that helps the individual to attain union with God. The main technique used in bhakti yoga is prayer. The individual should pray for God’s blessings and ask for His grace. He should pray to Him at least four times a day. In the course of time, the individual will find that he has attained a state of complete union with God.
* Karma Yoga
Karma yoga is a type of yoga that teaches the individual how to lead a good life. In karma yoga, the individual should not concentrate on his worldly possessions. He should focus his attention on doing good to others. This good work should be done without expecting anything in return. He should also do the work willingly and without expecting any reward. This is the key to karma yoga.
* Jnana Yoga
Jnana yoga is a form of yoga in which the individual concentrates on learning spiritual knowledge. The aim of jnana yoga is to attain enlightenment. In order to attain enlightenment, the individual must learn about the various aspects of the universe. This knowledge is acquired through the study of scriptures.
* Tantra Yoga
Tantra yoga is a form of yoga practiced by the yogis. The main aim of tantra yoga is to attain complete union with the universal power.
Types of Yoga
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