beyond the mat: Re-introduce yourself to what Yoga means through the 5 Traditional paths & walk the one that feels right for you
written by Rebecca Manankil, Movement Educator at The Aura House
Yoga Mat? Check. Clothes you can move freely in? Check. Assorted props aka straps, blocks and bolsters? Check.
What if I told you that if you ticked off all the boxes on this list that you would be completely unprepared to practice yoga?
...How can that be?!
If you, like many, believe that these tools are what you need to be fully equipped to practice, then allow me to expand your mind a little bit. Like many traditional wellness modalities in the Western world that find mass popularity through the corporate lens of capitalism, Yoga has been watered down to being a physical activity. While this is true, it is not the only way to do yoga. If you asked 9 folks who practice yoga all over the world, you would likely receive 9 different answers. This is because the yoga done by moving our body, is only one path of many. There are many practices that don’t require a mat or getting into a pose.
To start this shift in the thinking, a good place to start is the word itself. Yoga comes the The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit root word “yug,” which literally means to yoke or unite. Knowing this is where your inner teacher gets to find the answer for your inner student. The union no matter what medium it takes is finding the union between you and whatever you believe is bigger than you. We strive to unite our individual consciousness (our individual experience of our reality) with the Divine consciousness (the essence of truth as perceived when we quiet our five senses and reconnect with the Supreme Self within). Now, however that union takes place can come into fruition in a multitude of ways. Travis Eliot, world-renowned yoga instructor, kirtan musician and certified ayurvedic practitioner put this into a great perspective here:
“For some people, this might mean yoking or uniting your breath with body movements. And this is where we create a flow state of yoga, or a power yoga, or vinyasa yoga. Where we’re moving with the rhythm of breath.
For some people, it may mean uniting your mind with your breath. So you’re focusing on your breath. So it becomes more of a meditation.
And then for some people, is yoga religious? Yeah. For some people it is. They may be uniting themselves to Krishna. But you could also unite yourself to Christ consciousness, or to the energy of Buddha or Muhammad. You can unite yourself to whatever it is that you want to unite yourself to.”
With this knowing that yoga refers to a union vs. movement - now we can explore the 5 different paths, some of which where no mat is required! Let’s dive in.
Raja Yoga
Dating back 5000 years, Raja find its name in the Sanskrit root word meaning “royal” and refers to the classical yoga which aspires to achieving spiritual awakening, enlightenment, and realization through the science of mastering the mind. Its name comes from the traditional Indian practice of sages and yogis devoting their entire life, to create practices which help reach this level of enlightenment, often going into the mountains and forests in complete solitude and braving harsh conditions. They would come back from these journeys as “superhuman”, often possessing mystical skills and supernatural consciousness. This knowledge was then sought out by royalty to be learned from these wise men to also obtain these super powers.
The practice was systemized by the great sage Pantajali who organized all pre-existing teachings that had been passed down orally from generation to generation; creating the spiritual text what’s called the “Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.“ These Yoga Sutras contain the science of the mind and a roadmap called the eight limbs of yoga.
Raja Yoga is the one path that we see least of in the western world because it is one of complete devotion to become an enlightened being. It requires complete shedding of all material things and habitual attachments to the physical world; as well as complete control over the mind to create the closest connection possible with divine energy.
2. Jnana Yoga
The word Jnana translates from Sanskrit as “knowledge”, so this path is union to wisdom. This path focuses on the practice of learning and self-study to attain greater knowledge. An example of a Jnana Yoga practitioner would be Nikola Tesla, a Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and futurist. Tesla is best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current electricity supply system, which are used in vented, predicted or contributed to development of hundreds of technologies that play big parts in our daily lives -- like the remote control, neon and fluorescent lights, wireless transmission, computers, smartphones, laser beams, x-rays and robotics. He used his mind to fully understand energy and its laws; and through self study was able to create technology to demonstrate his learning.
Jnana Yoga is can also be seen as the Yoga of self-realization. Through the broadening of the mind through philosophical study of scriptures or past documented knowledge, we come to realize the truth of our existence: who we really are on a deeper level is not this separate form disconnected from other people, from the world, from nature, from the universe. [1] This realization is the true wisdom to be found from gaining knowledge, allowing us to connect deeper to ourselves and others by removing the illusion of separation through the practice of reflection, contemplation, deep thinking which Jnana Yoga is rooted in.
“My brain is only a receiver, in the Universe there is a core from which we obtain knowledge, strength and inspiration. I have not penetrated into the secrets of this core, but I know that it exists.”
― Nikola Tesla
A great way to explore Jnana Yoga is by registering for your 200 hour Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher Training with our teacher training program, Divine Aura Yoga School. By diving deep into what it means to be a certified teacher, you are able to deepen your wisdom through discipline of the mind; in turn, being able to guide others in their practices. Learn more about the program through our website here.
3. Bhakti Yoga
Known as the Yoga of Devotion or the Yoga of Love, Bhakti Yoga in practice ranges from chanting, singing and dancing to selfless service in the community, all inspired by the joy that comes from feeling at one with the universe and everything in it. The intention of Bhakti Yoga is to find salvation through connection with the Divine. [2] The purpose of Bhakti Yoga is to come into union with the divine
The most widely spread medium we see in the practice is Kirtan, call-and-response chanting and it’s meant to open up the heart, and to connect us to a higher power, to the divine. You can experience this part of Bhakti Yoga here at The Aura House by participating in our Kundalini Yoga offering. Kundalini Yoga is a form of yoga that involves chanting, singing, breathing exercises, and repetitive poses. Its purpose is to activate your Kundalini energy, or Shakti - a spiritual energy that's said to be located at the base of your spine and holds the power of divine cosmic energy that represents feminine energy & the dynamic forces that move through the universe. Explore aspects of that path of devotion through Kundalini Yoga on Wednesday Evenings with Karen, register here!
4. Hatha Yoga
“Hatha Yoga teaches us to use the body as the bow, asana as the arrow, and the soul as the target.”
-B.K.S. Iyengar
Hatha Yoga is the path that most are familiar with in the western world. While the term “Hatha” is often used to define the style of movement in a class, it refers to any physical practice of asanas (poses). This path of yoga is actually the newest in comparison to the other 4 paths and was designed to be complimentary to meditation. In addition to asana practice, there are other energy controlling techniques through the breath and cleansing rituals to purify and strengthen the physical body, enabling control of both our internal and external state of being. [3]
Here at The Aura House, Hatha Yoga takes on many different forms – from Vinyasa flow to restorative and everything in between! The key to finding your preferred form of Hatha Yoga is by asking your body to be the teacher for you to be guided physically to creating the union between yourself and the higher Self.
Browse our schedule here to explore which movement is the medicine you need!
5. Karma Yoga
This path is where we practice selflessness by harnessing our thoughts, speech and actions in a way that is of service to others. Karma Yoga is the yoga of action, tying into the idea that our actions are in union to what it is we experience & attract back to our lives. Karma Yoga allows us to explore the idea of seeing ourselves in others, to nurture them as we would nurture ourselves. Realizing the power we have to shift the world by moving from a selfish mind state, to a selfless life style. Travis Eliot described Karma Yoga into this beautiful analogy:
“Life is like a garden. That’s how you know this knowledge the yogis speak of is so true. Because it exists in nature. When you plant seeds of benevolence in your life, you create a benevolent garden. And on the other side of coin, when you plant seeds of malevolence, you’re going to create a malevolent garden.
You reap what you sow.
What kind of seeds are you planting? And if you’re doing, and acting, and speaking in a way that’s harmful, and negative, and nasty, and violent, and critical, and judgmental, and divisive, then you’re going to create suffering for yourself.
This is what karma is. And we all have the capacity and the ability to choose what kind of seeds that we’re going to plant in the garden of our life. What kind of life and world are we going to create?”
Here at The Aura House, we are calling on those in our community to explore Karma Yoga through the donation of skills, time and energy to help in the renovation of our space beginning this July. Here are some of the handy jobs we’ll need to do:
Sourcing and Installing drywall and windows (internal windows, not for the building!)
Sourcing and Installing doors
Building and installing custom shelving
Building and installing a suspended ceiling
Adding electrical outlets
Installing lighting
Soundproofing
Painting
Installing faucets
We’re going to be honest in saying that our budget can cover materials, and we’re hoping to coordinate an exchange for those who lend their helping hands!
If any of these things sound up your alley, or you know someone in the skilled trades who’d be up for a community-based project, please reach out! We do have a couple of people who have already raised their hands. So we'll be putting a team together based on everyone's skills and strengths! Email us at hello@theaurahouse.ca if you’re interested in putting your yoga into action through Karma Yoga!
So next time you’re tempted to beat yourself for not coming to your in-studio class, remember that Yoga is found in many ways – both on and off the mat. The more we focus on the union between ourselves as an individual to that of divine higher energy, picking a path (or several!) that feel aligned with embodying that connection will bring us closer to the true meaning of yoga – no downwards dog necessary. We hope to see you soon in the studio :)
