Yoga (correct Sanskrit pronunciation: Yog) is highly multi-contextual term. Here are some interesting excerpts from the Wikipedia that explain it very briefly.
Yoga is an Indian spiritual path aimed at achieving the union with the Supreme Consciousness. Many Hindu texts discuss aspects of yoga, including the Vedas, Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Shiva Samhita and various Tantras.
Classical Yogas
Bhakti Yoga (Devanāgarī: भक्ति योग) is a term within Hinduism which denotes the spiritual practice of fostering loving devotion to God, called bhakti. Traditionally there are nine forms of bhakti-yoga. Bhakti yoga is generally considered the easiest of the four general paths to liberation, or moksha (the others being Karma, Raja and Jnana Yoga), and especially so within the current age of Kali yuga (according to the Hindu cycle of time).
Bhakti is the Sanskrit term that signifies a blissful, selfless and overwhelming love of God as the beloved Father, Mother, Child, Friend or whichever relationship or personal aspect of God that finds appeal in the devotee’s heart. Bhakti incorporates a number of universal principles, also common in other world religions.
Karma yoga (Sanskrit: कर्म योग), (also known as Buddhi Yoga) or the “discipline of action” is based on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. One of the four pillars of yoga, Karma yoga focuses on the adherence to duty (dharma) while remaining detached from the reward. It states that one can attain Moksha (salvation) or love of God(bhakti) by performing their duties in an unselfish manner for the pleasure of the Supreme.
Jnâna yoga (Devanāgarī: ज्ञान योग) or “path of knowledge” is one of the types of yoga mentioned in Hindu philosophies. Jnâna in Sanskrit means “knowledge”. In Buddhism, it refers to pure awareness that is free of conceptual encumbrances, and is contrasted with vijnana, which is a moment of ‘divided knowing’. In Hinduism it means true knowledge, the knowledge that one’s self (atman) is identical with Ultimate Reality Brahman. It is also referred to as Atma.
Rāja Yoga (”royal yoga”) is concerned principally with the cultivation of the mind using meditation (dhyana) to further one’s acquaintance with reality and finally achieve liberation. Raja Yoga is sometimes referred to as Aṣṭānga (eight-limbed) yoga because there are eight aspects to the path to which one must attend.
Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras begin with the statement yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ (1.2), “Yoga limits the oscillations of the mind”. They go on to detail the ways in which mind can create false ideations and advocate meditation on real objects, which process, it is said, will lead to a spontaneous state of quiet mind, the “Nirbija” or “seedless state”, in which there is no mental object of focus.
Practices that serve to maintain for the individual the ability to access this state may be considered Raja Yoga practices. Thus Raja Yoga encompasses and differentiates itself from other forms of Yoga by encouraging the mind to avoid the sort of absorption in obsessional practice (including other traditional yogic practices) that can create false mental objects. In this sense Raja Yoga is referred to as the “king among yogas”: all yogic practices are seen as potential tools for obtaining the seedless state, itself considered to be the starting point in the quest to cleanse Karma and obtain Moksha or Nirvana.
It may be surprising why I said mind and not the eyes to be the viewer of truth. Consider a brief example: Two people may see the same rose differently — someone with a negative attitude may complain that why do roses have thorns; however, someone else with a positive attitude may thank God for providing thorns with roses.
Similarly, consider the example of nuclear energy — some may view it as a source of destruction, to make atom bombs and to hurt human life; while others may use it to generate electricity and help fellow humans. Therefore, I conclude we can change a lot in our lives by changing the way we look at things.
Do share any change you had by looking at things differently — that is by looking at them through your mind.
Author: Jyoti
Note: The links were discovered after a quick Google search, and for more info further search should be done.
- Surya-namaskar or Sun Salutation: Considered to be the best stretching exercise and consists of 12 sequential steps. Advanced practise includes correct breathing per step (I’m yet to learn that).
- For initial sessions, it maybe useful to substitute surya namaskar with a simpler stretching exercise.
- Pranayama: Part of Yoga that soley focus on correct breathing (alike correct body postures when sitting or sleeping or lifting weights).
- Bhastrika Pranayam, Kapal Bhati Pranayam and Anulom Vilom Pranayam are particularly of interest.
- Meditation: This is very subjective and vague. Personally, I prefer to categorize (coarse or fine) all incoming thoughts, such that I touch them all — atmost once; until I have no more thoughts. The objective is to maximise time in latter state.
All three activities can be performed in less than 30 minutes in total, with approx 10 minutes per activity.
Technically, this is a very high level abstraction of deeper study of Yoga and corresponds to level 3 (Asana), level 4 (Pranayama) and level 7 (Dhyana) of “Ashtanga Yoga”.
Wikipedia has further details, but please note that here Yoga term is overloaded with both philosophical-and-spiritual meaning and the usual health-related Yoga meaning.
The most important thing in a relationship is neither physical attraction; nor intellect (witty, humour, emotional, thoughtful, worldly-wise etc.); nor nature and behaviour; nor commitment; nor spirituality – it is trust. Not just how much you trust the other person, but more importantly, how much does the other person trust you.
jyoti: People say that nothing in this world happens without gods consent then why is man blamed for his actions. answer now.
Saket: It’s a mix of perceptions and abstraction levels; and the unclarity that results from this results into non-intuitive observations.
jyoti: That is not a clear answer.
Saket: Here it goes. we humans need abstraction to comprehend things.
for example, do you see car as a box?
or as a box with four wheels
or as a things with four wheels, steering wheel, and gear stick
…
or as the mechanical functioning of the engine components
…
or the electron level functioning in the chemical reactions that transform energy and cause movement
…
each abstraction level is correct, but contradicts the explanation at the higher or lower abstraction level.
So, this is understanding that different abstraction levels exist, each offer truth, and such truths co-exist but contradict each other
Now see perception:
Lift a book and face the cover in front you, and the binding to Nayna; and ask her what she sees. She’ll probably say that she sees the binding of the book. And now ask yourself; you’ll say you see the cover of the book, with some image, with some title etc.
Nayna will politely disagree that she sees no image etc. Both perceptions are true, but again are co-existing contradicting truths.
Looking at it mathematically:
Mx Ty
where, Mx is a mind frame
and, Ty is a time frame
Your viewpoint is Mx Ty bounded at some abstraction level z. People associate with their viewpoint more strongly than other’s viewpoints (trapped in Mx Ty and z) and hence the conflict.
Saket: So, by definition of Mx and Ty;
As x changes to be x’ - implies different minds will see it differently;
And y changes to be y’ - implies your mind with see the truth differently, in past or future.
So, if there is a conflct b/w Mx Ty z and Mx’ Ty z’ - then that’s natural.
Note: i’ve kept Ty constant
jyoti: that was really nice answer; with a touch of reality
Saket: i’m glad you like it 
An excellent excerpt from a great book:
To comprehend the true meaning of the term Vijnana, we shall first break it down into its literal connotations. The syllable Vi, used as a prefix to the word Jnana, is capable of conveying three meanings: special (Vishesh) knowledge; the variety (Vividham) of knowledge; and perverted knowledge (Viruddham). Negative or perverse knowledge is indicated by the word Ajnana and special knowledge is conveyed by the word Jnana. Therefore, Vijnana means ‘variety of knowledge’ or, to be more exact, the knowledge of variety. The knowledge of how this variegated and diverse universe evolves from one source is Jnana, and the knowledge of how that one source grows into a diverse, plural world of great variety is the field of Vijnana. Thus, what the the seer-scientists are at pains to explain to us is precisely how this variegated universe has arisen from one source. Their explanation covers the study of the forces and processes by which supraphysical energy — which is ultimately one — gives rise to this variety.
Intuitively, negative events (absolute or as-per expectations) result in unhappiness. Surprisingly and quite non-intuitively, there is a very subtle beauty about them that is revealed in time – few hours, few months or few years. Isn’t a human life an absolutely fascinating creation — full of interesting patterns?
Famous vedic thought (Sanskrit): How to convey a thought
“Saam Daam Dand Bhed” in SEQUENCE
Saam: Explain with LOGIC
Daam: Exploit the GREED
Dand: Create FEAR
Bhed: Enlighten the DIFFERENCE (spirituality)
First try Saam, failing which try Daam, then Dand and finally Bhed.
As humans, we think we are logical, we’re not sometimes. We think we are intuitive, we are not mostly. Mostly we think we are not random, and it appears, we are indeed not random. We follow some order in limited space and limited time – this seems to be yet to be named and yet to be understood. What we are seems to be complex and somewhat weak. Is talking about human fallacies hypocritical or pessimism? Well that depends on your perspective and thought. At least we have hope, and that makes a profound difference.
Given a mix of things, it is possible that the mix could have been created in several ways. Currently, I have a mix - unfavorable conditions in life and optimism. What is this mix – are there really some unfavorable conditions in life that is overlaid with optimism; or is it actually cool life with some under laid pessimism? I’m not sure, but I think it is the former.
So, what drives this sub-conscious optimism despite the “logical” unfavorable conditions? And more broadly, is this question generally applicable or specifically applicable to an individual? One possible reasoning would be the conscious known popular push towards optimism that results in this sub-conscious feeling. Another possible reasoning perhaps would be that I’m delusional about it. Furthermore, a third possible reasoning - that logic cannot be applied to a sub-conscious thought, so the original question isn’t really applicable. None of them are very convincing. Thinking further about this — it appears that the illogical sub-conscious optimism is due to sub-conscious shift in levels of abstraction and/or due to a sub-conscious change of perspective. What is the bigger picture based on this conclusion?
Saket Rungta