Knowledge Traditions And Practices Of India: Class 11 — Chapter 9: Yoga

• Derived from the Sanskrit root Yuj, meaning 'to join', 'to yoke', or 'to unite'.
• In yogic scriptures, it signifies the union of individual consciousness with the universal consciousness, indicating perfect harmony between body, mind, human, and nature.
• A practitioner who experiences this oneness is termed a yogi, achieving a state of freedom known as mukti, nirvana, or mokṣa.

• Archaeological findings from the Indus Valley Civilisation (dating back to 2700 B.C. – 3000 B.C.) reveal that Yoga was practiced in ancient urban centers.
• Soapstone seals depicting figures in yogic postures, such as the famous Pashupati seal and carvings of Yoga Mudrā, verify the ancient roots of Yoga culture.

• Marked by the emergence of the four Vedas: Ṛgveda, Sāmaveda, Yajurveda, and Atharvaveda.
• Vedic seers (ṛṣis) utilized intensive spiritual practices to perceive ultimate reality, recording the oldest teachings as Vedic Yoga.
• The Upaniṣads (the concluding essence of the Vedas) contain extensive concepts of Yoga, describing inner vision and self-inquiry through Jñāna-yoga, Karma-yoga, and Dhyāna-yoga.

• Defined by Maharshi Patanjali's Yoga Sūtras, which provided the first systematic presentation of Yoga.
• This era is associated with two great religious teachers: Mahavir and Buddha.
• The Bhagavad Gītā elaborates on Jñāna-yoga, Bhakti-yoga, and Karma-yoga.
• Patanjali formulated the "eight-limbed path" (Aṣṭāṅga-yoga) to control the mind and body to attain Samādhi (enlightenment).

• Prominent Acharyas: Adi Śaṅkaracārya, Rāmānujācārya, and Mādhavācharya.
• Bhakti saints: Suradāsa, Tulasīdāsa, Purandaradāsa, and Mīrābāī.
• The Nātha Yogis of the Haṭha Yoga tradition, including Matsyendranātha, Gorakṣanātha, Caurangiṅātha, Svātmarāma Suri, Gheraṇḍa, and Śrīnivāsa Bhaṭṭa, popularized physical practices to rejuvenate the body as a vehicle for enlightenment.

• Modern Period (A.D. 1700 – 1900): Legacy preserved and propagated by Ramaṇa Maharṣi, Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahaṁsa, Paramahaṁsa Yogānanda, Swami Vivekānanda, Swami Dayānanda Sarasvatī, and Sri Aurobindo.
• Contemporary Period: Globalized by masters like Swami Shivananda, Shri T. Krishnamacharya, Swami Kuvalayananda, Shri Yogendara, Swami Rama, Maharshi Mahesh Yogi, Pattabhi Jois, B.K.S. Iyengar, and Swami Satyananda Sarasvati.
• Global Recognition: On 11 December 2014, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 21st June as the International Day of Yoga. On 1 December 2016, UNESCO inscribed Yoga on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritages of Humanity.

The Yoga of wisdom and knowledge. It guides the seeker toward self-realisation by discriminating between the real and the unreal, and right and wrong. It involves three stages:

• Śravaṇa: Listening to or absorbing spiritual instructions.
• Manana: Reflection, contemplation, and intellectual conviction.
• Nidhidhyāsana: Repeated meditation and experiential realization of oneness with reality.

The path of systematic devotion and unconditional love for God. It softens the heart, removing negative traits like egoism, jealousy, and anger. It features nine primary forms (Navadhā Bhakti):

1. śravaṇa (listening to scriptural stories)
2. kīrtana (singing praises)
3. smaraṇa (remembering or fixing the mind on the Divine)
4. pāda-sevana (rendering service)
5. arcana (worshiping an image)
6. vandana (paying homage)
7. dāsya (servitude)
8. sākhya (friendship)
9. ātma-nivedana (complete self-surrender)

• The path of selfless action, performed without desire for personal rewards or fruits of labor.
• Purifies actions and emotions, helping the practitioner transcend the ego and surrender all outcomes to the Divine.

• Aims to attain citta-vṛtti-nirodha (cessation of mental modifications) to achieve kaivalya (liberation).
• Utilizes the eight-limbed path (Aṣṭāṅga Yoga) to manage the mind and realize the true self.

• Focuses on balancing opposing forces in the body. The word is composed of Ha (sun) and Tha (moon).
• Represents the balancing of the Iḍā (left/moon) and Piṅgala (right/sun) energy channels (nāḍīs).
• Practices include Ṣat-karma (cleansing), Āsana, Prāṇāyāma, Mudrā, Pratyāhāra, Dhyāna, and Samādhi.

• Kriyā (Detoxification): Clinical purification procedures including Jala Neti, Sūtra Neti, Dhauti, Trāṭaka, and Agnisāra.
• Sūrya Namaskāra: A structured sequence of 12 postures that improves blood circulation and overall vitality.
• Āsana (Postures): Classified into:
  • Standing: Pāda-hastāsana, Garuḍāsana, Trikoṇāsana, Kaṭicakrāsana.
  • Sitting: Padmāsana, Vajrāsana, Svastikāsana, Pascimottānāsana, Uṣṭrāsana, Gomukhāsana, Maṇḍūkāsana.
  • Prone: Bhujaṅgāsana, Śalabhāsana, Dhanurāsana.
  • Supine: Setubandhāsana, Pavanamuktāsana, Sarvaṅgāsana, Halāsana, Matsyāsana.
• Bandha and Mudrā: Mental and physical locks/gestures associated with breath control, such as Uḍḍīyana Bandha, Yoga Mudrā, and Brahma Mudrā.
• Prāṇāyāma (Breath Regulation): Includes Anuloma-viloma, Bhastrikā, Śītalī, and Bhrāmarī.
• Dhāraṇā and Dhyāna: Concentration and meditation practices that quiet the mind and foster self-realisation.

1. Detoxification (Śodhana)
2. Diet Modification (Āhāra)
3. Postural Modification (Āsana)
4. Breath Modification (Prāṇāyāma)
5. Relaxation (Vihāra)
6. Concentration (Dhāraṇā)
7. Meditation (Dhyāna)
8. Behavioural Modifications (Vyavahāra)