Yoga is a simple process of reversing the ordinary outward flow of energy and consciousness so that the mind becomes dynamic center of direct perception– no longer dependent upon the fallible senses but capable of actually experiencing Truth.
In past centuries many of the higher techniques of yoga were little understood or practiced, owing to mankind’s limited knowledge of the forces that run the universe. But today scientific investigation is rapidly changing the way we view ourselves and the world.The traditional materialistic conception of life has vanished with the discovery that matter and energy are essential one: every existing substance can be reduced to a pattern or form of energy, which interacts and interconnects with other forms. Thus modern science is confirming the ancient principles of yoga, which proclaim that unity pervades the universe.
The word yoga itself means “union”: of the individual consciousness or soul with the Universal consciousness or Spirit.There are various paths of yoga that lead toward this goal, each one a specialized branch of one comprehensive system:
Hatha Yoga— A system of physical postures, or asanas, whose higher purpose is to purify the body, giving one awareness and control over its internal states and rendering it fit for meditation.
Karma Yoga—-Selfless service to others as part of one’s larger self, without attachment to the results; and the performance of all actions with the consciousness of God as the Doer.
Mantra Yoga-–Centering the consciousness within through japa or the repetition of certain universal root-word sounds representing a particular aspect of spirit.
Bhakti Yoga—-All- surrendering devotion through which one strives to see and love the divinity in every creature and in everything, thus maintaining an unceasing worship.
Jnana Yoga — The path of wisdom, which emphasizes the application of discriminative intelligence to achieve spiritual liberation.
Raja Yoga–The royal or highest path of yoga, formally systematized in the second century B.C. by Maharishi Patanjali, which combines the essence of all the other paths. At the heart of the Raja yoga system, balancing and unifying these various approaches, is the practice of definite, scientific methods of meditation that enable one to perceive, from the very beginning of one’s efforts, glimpses of the ultimate goal—–conscious union with the inexhaustibly blissful spirit. Such methods are an integral path of the Yogada Satsanga teachings.
The Science of Kriya Yoga: The quickest and most effective approach to the goal of yoga employs those methods of meditation that deal directly with energy and consciousness. It is this direct approach that characterizes Kriya Yoga, the particular system of meditation taught by Paramahansa Yogananda. Specifically, Kriya is an advanced Raja Yoga technique that reinforces and revitalizes subtle currents of life energy in the body, enabling the normal activities of heart and lungs to slow down naturally. As a result, the consciousness is drawn to higher levels of perception, gradually bringing about an inner awakening more blissful and more deeply satisfying than any of the experiences that the mind or the senses or the ordinary human emotions can give.
All scriptures declare man to be not a corruptible body, but a living soul.The ancient science of Kriya Yoga reveals a way to prove this scriptural truth.
Referring to the sure and methodical efficacy of devoted practice of the Kriya science, Paramahansa Yogananda declared: “It works like mathematics, it cannot fail.”
