Hatha-yoga is an ancient spiritual practice, which via the work with body and breath allows "bringing out" a human consciousness to higher level of functioning.
There is no secrete that human mind and body are interrelated. The final goal of traditional yoga practice can be designated as spiritual self-actualization, Unity with Divinity.
Today, yoga takes on the second birth, and gradually its perception will deepen, because many highly embodied Indian teachers specially directed their disciples to the West with the words like: "People are waiting."
Also, as in India itself, in the West, there are different practices, different teachers, different levels of depth perception.
In today's world, there are a number of well-known hatha yoga schools, each of which presents its own style of practice.
In the West, the most famous is Ashtanga vinyasa yoga in the transfer of Shri K. Pattabhi Joyce and style of yoga developed by Sri B.K.S. Ayengar called for brevity as “Ayengar yoga”.
Both of these outstanding masters studied from a guru Sri Tirumalay Krishnamacharya (1888 - 1989), which in the early 1930's, opened Ygashala (yoga school) in South India town of Mysore. Krishnamacharya was a great connoisseur of Sanskrit, Indian religion, philosophy and literature, Ayurveda, astrology and other mystical subjects.
In addition to P. Joyce and B.K.S. Ayengar, the known disciples of Krishnamacharya are also his son T.K.V. Desikachar and the native of Riga, the daughter of a Swedish father and Russian mother - Indra Davy (her real name is Eugene Peterson, 1899-2002).
Different philosophies and training systems are based on different per se Spirit. The essence of the Rivalry Spirit is more peculiar to single combats used in training of competition with a partner. But in yoga, there is only one opponent - one's own imperfections, which are not in the others, but inside one's own essence, at the level of these or those coverings.
On the 9-17 of April, The International Yoga Festival took place in Milan.
First, the Olympic Yoga Sport competition took place. The participants demonstrated a specific set of asanas, and the members of the jury were choosing the one who, in their opinion, was the best to cope with a task. The criteria for selection were not only high technical level of performance, but also a calm attitude to what is happening. It was the calm and smiling by which the Indian guys predisposed the jury, although, of course, there were no equals of them in technique terms. In competition on artistic-yoga-sport a technique, artistry, costumes, music were estimated...
This competition is now more than two millennia. In ancient times, the masters, yogacharyas, sadhu gathered on so-called Kumbha-mely in the days of big festivals. In addition to asanas demonstration, they competed in Pranayama, and had philosophical debates. So, the competition is in blood of Indians.
Any Indian child is familiar with the philosophy of yoga since school years, and even sits for the corresponding examinations. As a sports discipline, yoga is a part of school and university, urban and national sports competitions.
The International Federation has been existing for more than 3 year. Its foundation was the «Vishwa Yoga Samsad» World Council of Yoga, founded in 1965. In Spain, the European Yoga Alliance supported by the Federation, annually holds the training course for professional teachers of yoga. Diploma issued by the end of this course is consistent with the college diploma, because the quality of training is very high.
The first official competitions on yoga were held in India. There are championship of India, Indian cup, national competitions held in each state. Age of participants is different, they can be representatives of different schools and directions, but united by one important idea: they believe that yoga is good!
Meditation and its types
Meditation is a practice of using certain methods or procedures that can cause the “trophotropic” condition in awake person. Although, there are many types of meditation, the presence of some stimulus or object, which the meditating person is focusing on, is common to all of its forms. Meditation techniques can therefore be classified according to the nature of the object of concentration. According to this criterion, there are four types of meditation.
Repetition in the mind.
In this case the object for concentration is some mental stimulus. A classic example of the mental facility to focus is the "mantra". Mantra is the word or phrase repeated over and over again, usually to oneself. Singing can also be included into this category. Mantra can be selected from a number of Sanskrit words. Herbert Bacon used the word "one" as a mantra for patients with hypertension. Repetition of poetic passages can also be considered a kind of mantra. Sometimes they use the text of folk songs as a mantra.
Repetition of physical action.
This object of concentration is related to focusing one's attention on any physical action. In ancient yoga (Hindu) way of meditation the attention is focused on recurring respiratory movements. Various forms of respiratory control of breaths and exhales counting (called pranayama) are the basis of one of the Hatha yoga forms. The public better knows another version of Hatha yoga that uses various postures (called Asanas). Some people use the East practice: round dances with repetitive movements. Ancient artists of the round dance are known as "dancing dervishes." Finally, the spread of jogging in the United States gave impetus to study this activity. One of the effects reported by some of these runners are experiences similar to meditative ones. The reason for this may be the regular breathing set during the jogging or monotonous sounds of feet touching the ground.
Focusing on the problem.
This object of concentration is an attempt to solve the problem including the paradoxical components. A classic example is dzen "koans”. In this case, one is given a paradoxical problem to solve. One of the most famous koan is: "How does the clap of one hand sound?
Visual concentration.
Here the object of concentration is the visual image. This may be a picture, candlelight, tree leaf, relaxing scene, or something else. "Mandala" is a geometric figure, a square inside a circle, symbolizing the unity of man and the universe. In eastern cultures, it is often used for visual concentration.
Repetition in the mind.
In this case the object for concentration is some mental stimulus. A classic example of the mental facility to focus is the "mantra". Mantra is the word or phrase repeated over and over again, usually to oneself. Singing can also be included into this category. Mantra can be selected from a number of Sanskrit words. Herbert Bacon used the word "one" as a mantra for patients with hypertension. Repetition of poetic passages can also be considered a kind of mantra. Sometimes they use the text of folk songs as a mantra.
Repetition of physical action.
This object of concentration is related to focusing one's attention on any physical action. In ancient yoga (Hindu) way of meditation the attention is focused on recurring respiratory movements. Various forms of respiratory control of breaths and exhales counting (called pranayama) are the basis of one of the Hatha yoga forms. The public better knows another version of Hatha yoga that uses various postures (called Asanas). Some people use the East practice: round dances with repetitive movements. Ancient artists of the round dance are known as "dancing dervishes." Finally, the spread of jogging in the United States gave impetus to study this activity. One of the effects reported by some of these runners are experiences similar to meditative ones. The reason for this may be the regular breathing set during the jogging or monotonous sounds of feet touching the ground.
Focusing on the problem.
This object of concentration is an attempt to solve the problem including the paradoxical components. A classic example is dzen "koans”. In this case, one is given a paradoxical problem to solve. One of the most famous koan is: "How does the clap of one hand sound?
Visual concentration.
Here the object of concentration is the visual image. This may be a picture, candlelight, tree leaf, relaxing scene, or something else. "Mandala" is a geometric figure, a square inside a circle, symbolizing the unity of man and the universe. In eastern cultures, it is often used for visual concentration.
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