Spiritual Disciplines

1
Spiritual Disciplines

• Yoga
• Yug yoke or union
• State of living in the divine
• Four Paths

2
Bhakti Yoga

• To Share
• Most common path
• Path of Devotion or Love

• Ishta
• Mantra
• Japam

3
Jnana Yoga

• Path of Knowledge
• Way of Wisdom
• Intellectual Orientation Spiritual Insight

• Who am I?
• Neti-Neti
• not this, not this

4
Karma Yoga

• Path of Selfless Action
• Putting yourself to work helping others without
  any thought to your own reward
• Every act part of the divine that we all share

5
Raja Yoga

• Raj reintegration
• Path of Stillness
• Samadhi or union with the divine is your goal
• Sadhanas or practices
• Date back in time
• Coherent system finally developed by 2nd century

• Pantanajalis sutras or threads (196 total
  eight steps)

6
First, the body

• The body is full of energy (kundalini)
• Seven chakras or circles. They move energy
• Must move energy through the body in order to
  reintegrate and reach higher consciousness

7
Chakras

• Mooladhara or base
• Swadishthan or sacral
• Nabhi (Manipura) or solar plexus

• Anahat, Anahata or Heart
• Vishuddhi or throat
• Agnya or brow
• Sahasara or crown 1000-petal lotus

8
Step One

• Yamas
• Self-control

• Five Abstentions
• Ahimsa or non-injury
• Satya
• Bramacharya
• No Greed
• No Theft

9
Step Two

• Niyamas or observances
• 5 observances
• Cleanliness
• Contentment
• Self-Control
• Studiousness
• Contemplation of the Divine

• Works with step one
• Clears your visual field by removing you from
  concerns of this world

10
Step Three

• Asanas or posture
• Most common is the lotus (padmasana)
• Align chakras for good energy flow

11
Step Four

• Pranayamas or breath control
• Prana is life energy
• Three basic types of breath
• Clavicular
• Thoracic
• Deep Abdomina

12
Step Five

• Pratyahara or sense control
• Learning to control all of the data you see,
  hear, smell, taste, and touch

13
Step Six

• Dharana
• Steadying the Mind
• Working to Focus on One Thing
• Mantras again are helpful as are ishtas

• Yantras linear image

14
Step Seven

• Dhyana
• Meditation
• Start Experiencing Loss of Self

15
Step Eight

• Samadhi
• Sam with
• Adhi divine or Lord
• Higher Consciousness or Illumination