Modern people today again come to realize the importance of everything spiritual. Exhausted by constant worries and stresses, they just need a breath of fresh air, a source of peace and inspiration.
And yoga philosophy can become this source, allowing you to gradually discover the true path to liberation. And awareness of one's own essence with further disclosure of the hidden inner potential.
Understanding yoga in a philosophical sense
For many people, the philosophical teaching of yoga becomes an incredible discovery, saving them from constant anxiety and stress, helping to openly see the main thing in life. But one should not think that yoga is reduced to the usual performance of asanas.
IN philosophical sense it helps to find the shortest path to liberation, to reveal one's own potential and open the true path to the inner essence.
Therefore, the basic principles of yoga are reduced to achieving a harmonious fusion of the human soul with the body. In a deeper understanding, it means unity with the Supreme. In general, the foundations of yoga are not very systematized, and its individual aspects are spelled out in detail in various ancient sources - the Vedas.
And according to numerous sources, for the first time the philosophy that entered the foundations of yoga was described precisely in the works of Patanjali. In the classical sense, yoga includes two main categories - Purusha (spirit) and Prakriti (matter). Together they allow us to consider and unite the external and internal world of each person.
The philosophical theory of yoga is multifaceted, and its main goal is to gradually achieve the state of Nirvana in the form of a complete reunion with the Creator. In the modern world, there are a number of different yogic directions that can effectively help in achieving Nirvana.
It is also worth noting that the philosophical teaching of yoga also works in the case when a person has little knowledge in this area or practically does not believe in the power of the teaching. And such an approach is quite justified for a modern person who seeks to get more material, rather than spiritual, in the learning process.
Purusha and Prakriti
For those who find it difficult to understand what the essence of yoga is, it is necessary to study various sources of information and first try to realize what Purusha (spirit) and Prakriti (matter) are. It is the spiritual and material components that are the main basis of everything that exists in the world.
According to the teachings, Prakriti consists of three main forces:
- peace - Guna Sattva;
- degradation - Guna Tamas;
- movement - Guna Rajas.
But the true essence of the spiritual component in yoga philosophy is very difficult to imagine. It has no specific form, and its location is outside the material world.
Purusha also has real consciousness, but in matter it is completely absent. And its incarnation is the ancient god Inshvara, although other deities are also known.
Having studied the basics of philosophical teaching, one can realize the unity of the material and the spiritual, which forms everything that exists on Earth. And outside the framework of space and time, since yoga implies continuous processes of change occurring in material structures. And the spiritual basis remains completely unchanged, because it is not subject to time.
The history of yoga goes back over 5000 years. Its integrated system includes religion, philosophy, medicine, historical traditions and many other aspects. It is easy for a beginner to get lost in the vast yogic practice, ancient varieties and modern currents, therefore, our article presents short review system and its rich traditions.
History of Yoga
The earliest archaeological evidence for the existence of yoga can be found in stone seals depicting its postures (asanas). The seals found date back to 3000 BC. e. Scientists believe that the system existed earlier: they attribute its beginning to Stone Age shamanism. 
Both currents have the same features - they are aimed at healing members of the community and prescribe to people the observance of certain rules for organizing life. The history of yoga is divided into four periods: Vedic, pre-classical, classical and post-classical periods.
The Vedic period is marked by the emergence of the Vedas, the scripture on Brahmanism, the basis of modern Hinduism. The Vedas are the oldest of the Vedic teachings: it is often referred to as Vedic yoga. The main principle of this teaching is Rishi, it is a philosophical system that teaches to live in divine harmony and see the ultimate reality through intensive spiritual practice.
Preclassical yoga is the 200 Upanishad scriptures that describe and explain the teachings of the Vedas through three main subjects: the ultimate reality (brahman), the transient Self (atman) and the relationship between them. At this stage, the teaching becomes closely related to Buddhism. Here the importance of meditation and the practice of physical postures (asanas) is enhanced. 
The creation of the Bhagavad-Gita, or the Song of the Lord (about 500 BC) belongs to the same stage. This treatise gives rise to a new trend in yoga. It becomes an attempt to combine bhakti yoga, jnana yoga and karma yoga in the teaching that a living person should be active, and his actions should have a good practical orientation and resist evil.
The classical period is marked by the creation of Patanjali in the 1st-2nd century CE. e. - this is the "Yoga Sutra": it is an attempt to combine the accumulated spiritual experience and improve it. The Yoga Sutra consists of 195 aphorisms, or sutras, which outline its fundamental 8 principles: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi.
Did you know?The origins of yoga are the subject of much debate. There is no consensus on chronology or origin other than that it developed in ancient India. The chronology of the earliest texts describing the practice of yoga is also not clear.
The era of classical yoga lasted for several centuries. It was replaced by the trends of the post-classical period of development. Unlike the previous stages, modern yogic practice does not seek to liberate a person from reality; rather, it teaches to accept reality and live in this moment. The writings of Guru Swami Sivananda are characteristic of our time. His main work describes the 5 modified yoga principles:
- Savasana - proper relaxation;
- Asana is the correct physical exercise;
- Pranayama - correct breathing;
- Proper diet;
- Dhyana is positive thinking and meditation.
yoga philosophy
Yoga is a dualistic philosophy. It considers the interaction of two main objects: purusha - pure consciousness, and prakriti - matter. Each being is a manifestation of one of the forms of connection of these objects. The living being unites body and mind. If a person lives in accordance with ethical principles, then this leads him to moksha, spiritual liberation. 
The philosophy of yoga is perfectly conveyed by the parable of divinity. Brahma, having created the first people, made them equal to the gods. But people used his power wrong: they were not righteous and honest. Brahma took their divinity away from them and thought for a long time about where to hide it so that only those who have pure thoughts and high moral qualities could get to it. Therefore, he hid divinity within man and gave him yoga as the path to it.
It is a set of practices and principles that lead a person to attain divinity. In the classical system of these principles there are 8, in the post-classical - 5. This can be interpreted as follows: the main goal is to achieve the liberation of consciousness, and how many steps lead to it is not so important. 
Some people think that yoga is a religion, but it is not. It is used by representatives of different religions. Rather, these are methods of working on one's own spirituality, improving the physical body and mind. It also cannot be said that these are exercises aimed at strengthening health. The philosophy of teaching considers the harmonization of the body, mind and spirituality and proposes to improve them in a complex.
In philosophy, the following properties are distinguished:
- ethics - achieving peace and harmony between people;
- emotionality - positive thinking and affection for others;
- practicality - control of the physical body;
- intellectuality - mind control;
- spirituality - liberation from passions and the achievement of harmony of the spirit.
Did you know?The best time for yoga is considered to be dawn. It is at this time that the vital energy carries the maximum healing power. It is also believed that the positions of the hands (mudras) affect the intensity of the flow of vital energy.
Eight Stages of Achievement
The Classical Yoga Sutra of Patajali is based on the 8-step path to reunite man with divinity:
- Yama is the basic initial stage at which the yogi must develop ethical values in himself and learn to take into account social restrictions without negative reactions.
- Niyama is the second stage at which a person learns to be happy, immerse himself in positive thinking and stay in it.
- Asana is the third step that develops the physical body.
- Pranayama is the stage at which control or methods of controlling the breath are mastered.
- Pratyahara is the achievement of a state of bliss, regardless of the correct posture and breathing technique; this is the final merging of Asana and Pranayama with a person going beyond the organs of perception.
- Dharana is the stage characterized by meditation without thought.
- Dhyana - deep meditation, merging with the spirit.
- Samadhi is the inner awakening of the true essence.
Video: Patajali's Classical Yoga Sutra The stages follow in a certain sequence. Having mastered one, a person can move on to the next, not forgetting that he continues to follow the learned principles of each previous stage. Mastering the stage, a person harmonizes the physical and spiritual principles, learns to concentrate, achieve complete peace and unity with divinity.
Types of yoga
Ancient yogis believed that in order to be in harmony with oneself, the body, mind and spirit of a person must be in harmony with the environment. Different kinds Yogas were formulated and developed as a means to achieve and maintain this balance. Improvement of a person occurs with the help of special exercises. 
We will consider the main directions of yoga below. There are also other directions. Some of them are very ancient, others have just begun to develop at the present time.
Did you know?Doga is a type of yoga that originated in New York City in 2002. Her goal is to achieve harmony with pets. As part of the course, dogs can perform exercises on their own or be props for their owners' asanas. Susie Teitelman's project was originally called Yoga for Dogs.
raja yoga
Synonymous names for classical yoga: yoga sutra, eight-step yoga, yoga of self-control. Its founder is the sage Patanjali (I century BC), legends speak of his divine origin. The teaching is based on the comprehension of 8 principles that were expounded by Patanjali in his work - "Yoga Sutra".
Mastering each step is the improvement of one of the components of the personality, as a result of which the amount of energy available to a person increases. The Raja Yogi considers himself the main one in the system of the world and therefore improves, his fate is to be the master of himself. Raja yoga teaches a person to discipline and maintain purity in everything: body, mind, spirit.
Video: Raja Yoga
jnana yoga
Or the yoga of the mind is the path on which the mind, the human intellect, is improved. It leads a person along the path of self-improvement through changing his knowledge about the world and about himself. Jnana yoga proceeds from the postulate that wrong or "evil" deeds are done out of ignorance. By conquering ignorance, man moves on the path to divine knowledge. A jnana yogi, using the teaching as a method, cognizes the world himself through meditation and a sense of truth.
Video: Jnana Yoga
Karma yoga
Or the yoga of service considers that where you are now and your state is the result of previous actions. And your task in the present is correct execution tasks assigned to you, without worrying about the result. The principles of the teaching are set forth in the Indian epic - Mahabharata, in the form of a conversation between Prince Arjuna and Krishna, who is in the guise of Arjuna's charioteer.
Video: Karma Yoga
Did you know?There are currently over 100 various schools yoga. Although each school has different practices, they share a common goal: a state of pure bliss and oneness with the universe.
bhakti
Or the yoga of devotion is a path aimed at developing love for God through service. This is the path most often followed in India. Bhakti is represented by many currents, both monotheistic and pantheistic. Bhakti-yogis worship Shiva, Krishna, Vishnu, the infinite absolute (Brahman), and other deities. 
This is the oldest doctrine of the impact of sound on the human body, as well as his mind and intellect. At the same time, not just any sound affects, but a special one - a mantra. This may be a sound combination considered sacred, prayer, etc. If practiced for long enough, mantra yoga is believed to lead to the erasure of old karma. 
Tantra yoga, or ritual yoga, is the performance of sacred rituals. So, for example, bypassing Mount Kailash, sacred to Buddhists, is considered to free a person from all his sins. The journey lasts several days, during which the traveler is immersed in unity with the deity. 
This type of yoga got its name from the sacred texts - tantras, which set out the dialogues of Shiva and his wife Shakti. Tantric yoga associated with the cult of Shakti. Sex is also part of tantra yoga, but it is not the main one, since this path is aimed at finding that which is sacred in everything we do.
Or yoga postures is the most popular type of teaching among Westerners. She uses physical postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation to improve health and spirituality. The path is characterized by many styles - Iyengar, Integral, Ashtanga and others. 
Did you know?Hatha yoga is a teaching that has received most widespread in Western culture. "Ha" means the sun, and "tha" means the moon. It is the union of the two elemental forces of nature.
Asanas for beginners
Asana is described by Patanjali as a free posture. It can be assumed that at the very beginning it was only about comfortable postures for meditation. heal the body and prepare it for meditation. It is also worth remembering that classical yoga considers it useful and working only in the form integrated system, and without observing basic principles Yamas and Niyama asanas will become just an interesting fitness. 
For classes, you will need a comfortable mat and a small, quiet place. Clothing should be comfortable for you and elastic, not interfering with the exercise. You can stay barefoot, wear socks or soft shoes. The lesson should be carried out at least 1-1.5 hours after eating.
Important!15 minutes before the start of yoga classes, it is recommended to drink a glass of warm water and clean the nasopharynx. The purpose of these actions is to clear the channels through which life energy moves along with the breath.
Morning - best time for performing asanas, and the evening is the best time for meditation. Start with simple exercises, do not strain: asanas imply a state of comfort when performing. Classes should not be long, but it should be done daily, for at least 15 minutes a day. Each exercise can be performed up to 3 times. 
The sequence of exercises will usually be as follows:
- Asanas for warming up - 2-3 minutes; these exercises stretch the shoulder muscles, spine, hips, lower back and groin.
- "Racks" are necessary to align the posture and legs; performed to improve digestion and circulation.
- "Sitting postures" allow you to practice proper breathing, prana.
- Bending exercises that relieve tension in the joints; they relieve back pain, facilitate the circulation of blood and nutrients in the body.
- Inverted and balanced asanas are exercises for developing coordination, increasing endurance and strength, and improving concentration.
- Finishing asanas.
While doing the exercise, try to focus on each movement. You don't have to strain to perform an action. While performing asanas, breathe slowly and deeply. Focus on inner feelings.
Important!If an exercise causes pain, remove it from your program. Asanas are not an endurance competition, but an opportunity to improve stretching and muscle condition. If you have contraindications for yoga, then discuss with your doctor the possibility of performing the set of exercises you have planned.
Warm up asanas is a few minutes of meditation and concentration in a comfortable sitting or lying position.
- Savasana (corpse pose)- classic relaxation pose. Performed with closed eyes. Initial position- Lying on the mat, slightly spreading your arms to the sides, palms up. The spine is in full contact with the surface of the mat. Bend your knees and slowly straighten, gradually relaxing the muscles, starting from the buttocks. You should not be disturbed by bright lights and loud sounds. Breathe through your nose. The duration of the performance is 5–10 minutes. The pose is practiced before or between asanas, as well as for final relaxation.
Video: Savasana technique (corpse pose) To enhance the effect, combine Savasana with correct breathing. Imagine that with the exhalation, heaviness and stress leave the body, and renewed energy (Prana) enters on inhalation. It moves across the face, then fills the back of the head, neck and reaches a point 2 cm below the navel. This point is considered the center of the energy channels through which it will spread in the body.
You also need to exit Savasana correctly: first wiggle your fingers, slowly turn on your side and go to the fetal position. Now slowly stand up. This is the best posture for relieving psychological stress.
- Sukhasana- This is a classic sitting posture ("sit in Turkish"). The pose helps in straightening the spine, slowing down the metabolism, increasing inner peace. To do this, you will need a small pillow - sit so that the pelvis is on its edge. Interlace your legs, having previously bent at the knees. The feet should be under the knees. The shins must be crossed. Slowly relax your feet, then your groin area and lower your knees. Straighten up, straighten your shoulders, straightening your spine. Place the palms of your hands on your thighs. The fingers are relaxed. Rib cage should also be dealt with. Stay in this pose for several breaths. Imagine that when you inhale, the flow of energy goes down, and when you exhale, it rushes up.
Video: Sukhasana technique (Turkish sitting pose) Basic postures are asanas that are used to move from one exercise to another:
- Tadasana (mountain pose)- Basic standing posture. It helps to relax the muscles of the back and reduce the load on the spine. Tadasana is desirable for anyone who works a lot while sitting. Starting position - stand up straight. Close your legs and evenly distribute the weight. Start slowly aligning your spine, starting from the foot and gradually moving up. Straighten your arms and take a deep breath. The pose is transitional between the other two asanas, as well as the base one, from which you move into another exercise, which is done while standing;
Video: Tadasana technique (mountain pose)
- Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose- This is an asana that is practiced for violations of posture, stoop, back pain and disorders in the spine. The pose strengthens the back and develops the lungs. Starting position - lying face down. Legs are straightened. The arms are bent at the elbows in front of the head. While inhaling, begin to raise your head and, aligning your spine, lift your body. Stay in this position. As you exhale, return to the starting position.
Video: Bhujangasana technique (cobra pose)
- Utkasana (chair pose)- one of the easiest balancing poses. Performed from Tadasana. Hands need to be raised above your head and grab the invisible handrails. Take a deep breath and begin to sit down on an invisible chair. The hips and body should form a right angle. Execution time - 40 seconds. The pose strengthens the muscles of the pelvis and legs, aligns the spine, develops balance.
Video: Utkasana technique (chair pose)
Surya Namaskar is an alternate inclination, flexion and straightening of the spine. The complex provides a deep study of all joints and tendons. Its advantage is that the complex is mentioned in the Vedic literature, and its state of the art- this is the result, the effectiveness of which is confirmed by thousands of years of practice.
Important!Research by researchers at the University of York has proven that yoga reduces the physical and psychological symptoms of chronic pain in women with fibromyalgia.
Philosophical teachings of ancient India
Indian philosophy is one of the oldest on the continent. All philosophical schools or currents are divided according to the principle of attitude to the Vedas. For the orthodox, the recognition of the Vedas is characteristic - here they are considered a source of knowledge. This group includes Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa and Vedanta.
The unorthodox do not recognize the exclusive property of the source of knowledge behind the Vedas. These include Jain, Buddhism, Ajivika, Ajna and Karvakas. The main currents formed around 1000 BC. e. 
The Vaisheshika school (Skt. "peculiarity, difference") attempts to identify, inventory and classify the entities and their relationships that appear to human perception. The goal of vaisheshika is the liberation of the individual "I".
Ignorance gives rise to problems and evil, and the reduction of this ignorance leads to right actions, harmonization of relations between people, deity and nature. Therefore, liberation from ignorance leads to liberation from suffering.
Nyaya (Sanskrit "law") is a religious and philosophical system at the same time. It studies the conditions and means of cognition of reality. It is believed here that reality does not depend on consciousness, which cannot always perceive it. Compiled by the sage Gautama (Gotama) in the 3rd-4th century AD. e. The principles of this philosophy are used in the construction of other philosophical systems.
This system recognizes the existence of a creator god. God is the root cause of everything in the world. Nyaya considers and studies the ways of cognition of reality, the means of cognition, the conditions under which cognition occurs and its sources. 
Sankhya is one of the most influential directions. Founded around 600 BC. e. The purpose of the doctrine is the knowledge of reality through cause-and-effect relationships. The Sankhya school assumes the existence of two bodies - a temporary body and a body of "subtle" matter, which persists after biological death.
When the temporary body dies, the subtle one migrates to another temporary body. It consists of higher functions - buddhi ("consciousness"), ahamkara ("I-consciousness"), manas ("mind") and prana ("breath", the principle of vitality). This doctrine substantiates the existence of the world without divine intervention.
Did you know?Ancient yogis believed that a person has limited quantity breaths. Therefore, they recommended slowly inhaling and exhaling to prolong life.
Yoga (Sanskrit "Yuking" or "Union") is one of the six systems (darshans) of Indian philosophy. Its influence has always been widespread among many other schools of Indian thought. The basis yogic teachings- Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
In today's world, the practical aspects of the system are especially popular and in demand, much more so than its intellectual content based on Sankhya philosophy. The difference between these systems is that yoga presupposes the presence of a deity, to which the spirit (purusha) should strive, freeing itself from the slavery of matter (prakriti), through the eradication of ignorance and illusions. 
The purpose of Mimamsa is to interpret the Vedas, or rather to give rules for their interpretation. Mimamsa studies the various parts and periods of writing the Vedas. The earliest work of this philosophical school is the Mimansa Sutra, compiled by the sage Jamini in the 4th century BC. e. Mimamsa develops the doctrine of knowledge and its five sources, following through reasoning and critical research.
Vedanta originally referred to the Vedic period in the development of philosophical thought. The literal meaning of this term is "completion of the Vedas". During the Middle Ages, the Vedanta merged with the course of the Mimamsa.
Jainism is one of the three oldest Indian religious traditions still in existence. The name of the teaching comes from the Sanskrit verb "ji" - "to win", and refers to the battle that a monk must fight against passions in order to gain enlightenment. 
Buddhism is a religious and philosophical system that developed from the teachings of the Buddha between the mid-6th and mid-4th centuries. BC e. Despite the fact that Buddhism is one of the main world religions of our time, the term itself originated in Europe in the 19th century.
Did you know?According to legend, Shiva knows 8,000,000 asanas, but only 84 of them are available to people. Modern sports medicine experts estimate that, given all the muscles and joints in the body, humans can perform over 78,000 exercises.
The followers of this religion call their teaching - Dharma (Sanskrit "law"). Buddhists consider the world to be uncreated and unmanaged. There is no belief in karma, the immortality of the soul, and even a religious organization. 
Yoga as medicine
Being a combination of theory and practice about the management of the body and mind, yoga has created a unique therapeutic direction. The combination of physical postures (asanas) and breathing practices (pranayama) has been used in India for over 5,000 years.
The US National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has proposed the use of yogic practices as one of the alternative types of treatment. Various types of alternative medicine, including yoga, have gained recognition at the international level.
Thus, the World Health Organization has developed a new international classifier of diseases (MBK-11), in which for alternative methods treatment created a special section.
The basic positions of yoga are an excellent means of preventing mental disorders, stress, and depression. The first stage of classical yoga, Yama, teaches to perceive the events of reality without negativity and to keep the spirit and body pure. And the second step, Niyama, teaches you to fill the mind cleansed of negativity with positive thinking and joy. 
Stress causes disruption at work of cardio-vascular system and functional disorders. A person who practices yoga has a higher resistance to stress and positive thinking, which means they are less prone to illness.
Many people lead sedentary image life and spend a lot of time at the computer. This contributes to disorders in the functioning of the musculoskeletal system. Asanas help relieve tension in the muscles of the back, align posture, improve endurance, eliminate pain and relieve inflammation. In combination with breathing practice, pranayama, they help to return to good physical shape.
A healthy diet combined with asanas helps slow down the aging process and prevent the development of age-related diseases.
In terms of therapeutic effect, asanas can affect:
- muscle groups, ligaments and bones - mechanical type of impact;
- psycho-emotional state of a person - stress type of impact;
- psychosomatic;
- internal organs - humoral type of impact;
- hormonal level;
- energy level;
- stressful.
The classification of asanas in terms of therapeutic effect is presented in the table:
| Localization of the therapeutic effect | Categories of asanas | Therapeutic effect | Asana examples |
| Psycho-emotional state | Relaxation asanas that can be done lying down, standing or sitting | Impact on the psycho-emotional state of a person, stress relief, calming, improving mood | Lying down: Shavasana, Supta Padangushthasana Racks: Tadasana; Pranamasana; Utthita Trikonasana; Virabhadrasana In sitting position: Sukhasana; Stambhasana; Virasana; Padmasana |
| Mechanical on muscles, ligaments, joints and bones | Any asanas have a relaxing and stretching effect on the muscles - stretching, tilting, twisting, backbends, power asanas, boat poses | The task of the asana is to relax a group of muscles and stretch it; localization depends on the exercise: back muscles, spine, chest. The therapeutic effect is to remove pain, improving flexibility and elasticity, restoring the health of the body | Pull forward: Ashwa Sanchalanasana Backbends: Hasta Uttanasana; Bitilasana; Padmasana Boat poses: Bhujangasana; Navasana Twisting: Power asanas: Shalabakhsan; Mayurasana |
| Internal organs | Backbends, twists, inverted poses | Removal of internal stress, improvement of the gastrointestinal tract, spleen, pelvic organs | Backbends: Hasta Uttanasana; Bitilasana; Padmasana Twisting: Utthita Trikonasana; Ardha Matsyendrasana Reversed postures: Sarvangasana; halasana |
| Endocrine system, immunity | inverted poses | Stabilization of the endocrine system, including the thyroid and parathyroid glands | Sarvangasana; halasana |
| Balance and coordination of movements | Balance | Improved sense of balance and concentration | Utkatasana; Vrikshasana; Utthita Hasta Padangushthasana |
| Prevention of strokes, improvement of brain function | forward bends | Improving the blood supply to the brain | Padangushthasana; Padahastasana; Parvatasana. |
Philosophers practicing yoga
The founder of yoga - an ancient sage, philosopher and ascetic As in many similar cases, the exact facts of his biography do not exist, so neither the date of birth nor the circumstances of his life can be precisely named. The main work is the Yoga Sutra, which consists of 195 sutras. Probably, yoga existed before Patanjali, but it was he who summarized the existing knowledge, systematized and improved it. 
No less famous ancient yogic sage - Swami Swatmarama. He wrote the most ancient treatise of Hatha Yoga - "Hatha Yoga Pradipika". This manual describes the use of Shatkarma, Asana, Pranayama, Mudras and Bandhas and their practical application for Kundalini awakening.
Over the past 100-150 years, the number of practicing yogis has become quite large, and with them, attention to ancient wisdom and its rethinking has increased.
Did you know?Yoga was included in the list of the cultural heritage of mankind compiled by UNESCO in 2016.
Among the yogis and sages of the 19th-20th centuries and their works, the most important are described in the table:
| Yogi | Major works | Flow | About the author |
| Baba Sawan Singh | "Spiritual Guidance"; "Letters from Soul to Soul" | Surat Shabd Yoga | Yogi, philosopher; studied the basic principles of all religions and tried to generalize them into a single doctrine |
| Brahmachari Dhirendra | "Yoga-sukshma-vyayama"; "Yogasana Vijnana" | Yogi; yoga adviser to Indira Gandhi, created the Yoga Institute, where scientists from all over the world can conduct scientific medical research on the effects of yoga on the body | |
| Swami Vivekananda | "Practical Vedanta"; "Raja Yoga"; "Six Instructions on Raja Yoga"; "Bhakti Yoga"; "Karma Yoga"; "Jnana Yoga"; "Para-bhakti" | Vedanta and yoga | Founder of one of the largest monastic orders, yogi, philosopher, public figure. Brought yoga to the West and formed the concept of this system in the Western world |
| Lahiri Mahasai | The yogi himself did not describe his teaching. It, like biographical information, is described by his student and follower Paramahansa Yogananda in the Autobiography of a Yogi. | kriya yoga | Founder of Kriya Yoga, Hindu yogi and saint; it is believed that he had the ability not only to heal the sick, but also to resurrect the dead, dematerialize objects and perform other miraculous actions |
| Swami Paramahamsa Hariharananda Giri | "Kriya Yoga: The Scientific Process of Soul Culture and the Essence of All Religions" | kriya yoga | Yogi, guru, philosopher |
| Paramahans Yogananda | "Autobiography of a Yogi" | Yogi, popularizer and distributor of yoga in the West, it was thanks to his work that hatha yoga received a huge number of followers in the West | |
| Swami Satyananda Saraswati | He wrote 14 works: “Asana. Pranayama. Wise. Bandha"; "Bhakti Yoga Sagar"; "Ocean of Yoga of Devotion"; "Kundalini Tantra"; "Swara yoga"; "Tantric practices of transformation"; "Kriya Yoga"; "Hatha Yoga"; "Pradipika" and others | Karma yoga | Yogi, guru, master of yoga and tantra; founder of the International Yoga Fellowship |
| Sant Kirpal Singh | "Morning Conversations"; "Spirituality - what is it"; "Crown of life"; "Research on Yoga"; "Surat Shabd Yoga"; "Secret of Death"; "Great saint Baba Jaimal Singh. His Life and Teachings”; "Wheel of Life". | Surat Shabd Yoga | Yogi, writer, philosopher |
Yoga is the most popular ancient teaching of all with practical application. Its popularity is due to the depth of the issues under consideration, the ability to change and improve one's own life with the help of this unique teaching. Yoga helps people find themselves, their path, their essence and, of course, cope with the perception of reality.
yoga philosophy in a broad sense, one can name the ancient doctrine of the spiritual self-improvement of man, which came to us from the civilization of the Aryans and developed into the form known today in the religious and philosophical schools of ancient and medieval India. This article will focus on the basic philosophical concepts and concepts of this doctrine, which for almost two millennia has been for many admirers of Indian spirituality a model of wisdom that leads a person to the highest possible goal of his life.
Yoga- this is one of the darshans, six orthodox (following the spiritual tradition Vedas) philosophical schools of India. Its theories and principles are set forth in the school's seminal work, " yoga sutra”, and comments on this work. We know almost nothing about the author of the Yoga Sutra, Patanjali. In India, he has long been considered a great teacher, yogi and philosopher, who lived in the II century. BC. However, today most scholars agree that, in terms of content and terminology, the Yoga Sutra should be attributed to the 2nd century AD.
Patanjali was not the person who invented the teachings of yoga. We find the origins of the yoga outlined by him in the most ancient monument of world culture - Vedah(~ II millennium BC), sacred texts of India. The doctrine of the basic elements of yogic practice - concentration, contemplation, control of consciousness and the term "yoga" itself - is present in the early Upanishads(~ VI - III centuries BC), comments on the Vedas. A special place in protoyoga is occupied by the ancient epic works of India: Ramayana And Mahabharata(~ I millennium BC). The part of the Mahabharata that is called Bhagavad Gita. It contains many important parts of the teachings of yoga, there is only no systematization and classification of categories necessary for philosophy - the basic philosophical concepts. Patanjali acted as such a systematizer, summarizing and briefly formulating the ancient spiritual knowledge. The theory and practice of the Yoga Sutras has stood the test of time to the fullest extent and has earned the right to be called classical yoga .
The work of Patanjali, like many treatises of that time in India, is a collection of short sentences (sutras). For students, they may have served, as it were, as a reminder to restore the course of complex oral reasoning. However, for posterity who do not have the opportunity to personally communicate with the teacher, short sutras are often not enough. Therefore, the teaching of classical yoga that exists today was formed, in addition to the original treatise of Patanjali, by an extensive commentary literature. In this article, we focus on the Yoga Sutra and the most authoritative commentary by the philosopher Vyasa, “ yoga bhashya»(5th century AD).
Coming directly to the philosophy of classical yoga, we single out two fundamental categories that include all being, all that exists. This Purusha And Prakriti- spiritual and material substances.
Prakriti (matter) is everything that we see, hear, touch or are able to feel in any other way. This is everything that the most advanced instruments can register, from the smallest particles to space-scale objects. The concept of Prakriti contains the entire universe, all physical objects and energy fields.
Purusha is understood as the eternal Spirit, the spiritual principle. He is transcendent to Prakriti, that is, he is beyond all Nature. Purusha is the highest part of being. There are no forms characteristic of Prakriti in Him, therefore it is impossible to imagine Him. He is conscious, while matter is unconscious. It is not necessary, however, to identify Purusha with the doctrine of God familiar to Westerners. Purusha is devoid of any personal attributes. God of classical yoga Ishvara- a manifestation of Purusha, but He does not create the world and does not control it. Besides Him, there are other gods in the Spirit, but Ishvara is the highest among all spiritual beings. It also has the most important property for yoga philosophy to connect and separate Purusha and Prakriti.
Until the connection of Spirit and matter, the latter is in an unmanifested state. This means that the universe does not exist, but rather the three basic properties or forces ( gunas) Prakriti are in balance. Guna sattva responsible for the principle of clarity, rajas- for the principle of movement, activity, tamas- for the principle of rest, inertia. When the Spirit and matter are united, Purusha, as a conscious principle, begins to control Prakriti in a certain sense, to cause changes in it. The gunas begin to interact with each other in many combinations and, passing through certain stages, form the objective world in all its forms. In this case, the first product of the interaction of gunas becomes Buddhi Mahat. This important concept of yoga philosophy denotes the ideal basis of all future universe. In the course of further evolution through a series of stages, five primary elements are formed: ether, air, fire, water, earth, of which all objects consist.
The interaction of the gunas is a continuous change, the consequences of which we observe in our ever-changing world. These modifications give us a sense of time. That is, we can say that a second is not a small time interval, but some change we observe, for example, the transition of the clock hand to the next position. According to classical yoga, time as such does not exist, there is only a moment (now) of change. Any changes are possible in some space, therefore the category of space is also characteristic of the objective world.
Unlike Prakriti, Purusha is not subject to change. Therefore, we can say that he is outside of time and space. Purusha is called the Spectator watching the unfolding picture of the change of matter.
Now consider the teachings of classical yoga about man. Here it is necessary to understand an idea that is unusual for the consciousness of modern Western man. In the anthropology of yoga, the inner world of a person corresponds to the outer being. Man is considered as a microcosm, which is identical in its structure to the macrocosm external to him. Thus, man is also the result of the union of Purusha and Prakriti.
Buddhi-Mahat is the stage of development of Prakriti and the basis of the universe. In it, as a stage in the evolution of matter, an individual Buddhi, which is the ideal basis for the human psyche. In the future, other elements of the microcosm are formed. These are the organs of perception - hearing, sight, touch, taste, smell; organs of action - arms, legs, organs of excretion and reproduction, organ of speech; the organ of the mind is the mind ( manas). So, in fact, everything that we are used to identify with ourselves, with our self - the physical body, memory, emotions, intellect, mental images, etc. - refers to matter and is potentially contained in the individual Buddhi.
Purusha in a person is pure consciousness, his Spirit, his true Self. Yoga assumes the existence of many “small parts” of Purusha, individual souls that manifest through different beings in Prakriti. Our true self is eternal and unchanging. It is conscious and directs all processes in the sphere of Prakriti. The model of the connection of Purusha and Prakriti in a person is often compared to two people lost in the forest. One of which is without legs (Purusha) and the other is blind (Prakriti). It is clear that, having united, they will be able to begin to get out of the forest. Purusha, interacting with Prakriti, fills the individual buddhi of a person, the matrix of all his mental phenomena, with the ability to self-consciousness. Therefore, we, not knowing about Purusha, are aware of ourselves in our mental activity.
So, having considered the main philosophical categories of classical yoga, we turn to the theory release, the central doctrine of the meaning of human existence, for the sake of which both the Yoga Sutra and its commentaries were written. Liberation is the separation in man of Spirit and matter, Purusha and Prakriti. Why is such a division necessary? The fact is that a person in his usual state does not know his true Self and identifies himself, at best, with his individual buddhi. But the ability of buddhi to be aware of itself is nothing more than an illusion, because only Purusha has true consciousness. We always say to ourselves: “I walk, I feel, I think”, etc., thereby limiting our being to the framework of Prakriti. As we already know, any manifestations of Prakriti are only consequences of the interaction of the gunas. They are changeable and no form is eternal. We, identifying ourselves with our psyche, become attached to its manifestations and to the forms of the objective world. From this attachment all our suffering. Attachments give rise to desires and expectations in relation to the world around us and to ourselves. But the world is changing - people close to us grow old and die, the things done do not bring former satisfaction, negative emotions replace positive ones, any pleasures always end. We want a constant feeling of satisfaction, but this is not achievable, and, as a rule, the more pleasure we get from something, the greater the disappointment later. 
Moreover, striving for the forms of Prakriti gives existence to our karma. Karma is a causal relationship generated by a person and other beings. By our attraction to one form or another of Prakriti, we determine what we will be in the future. For example, if we tend to be kind and honest, we want to be judged according to these virtues, which in turn creates our desire to be the same in the future. Aspirations leave, figuratively speaking, imprints ( vasanas) in our individual buddhi. Every moment we do something, feel, think, adding more and more new imprints. After physical death, our spiritual essence incarnates in another body ( reincarnation), and vasanas are preserved, determining our future life. As long as our adherence to the forms of Prakriti remains, more and more imprints are added to the buddhi, which ensures the next births. Thus, we are in a series of rebirths ( wheel samsara), eternally suffering in the changing world of Prakriti.
Liberation from suffering is possible, and the pursuit of it is the highest possible goal of existence. Through the practice of yoga and philosophical reflections, a person gradually, better and better, realizes his higher being, Purusha, achieves complete spiritual dispassion, ceases to strive internally for anything in the material world. Then his karma is no longer created, and he comes to the separation of Spirit from matter, leaves the circle of samsara and achieves absolute liberation. Such a person will no longer be born, but he will probably still continue to live in his present life, being in an unceasing awareness of himself as an eternal and unchanging Spirit. This is the state of a god in essence equal to Ishvara. This being cannot be described in words, but it is difficult to imagine being better than that in which there is not even the very potential for suffering or any dissatisfaction, and at the same time there is full awareness.
In conclusion, it should be noted that the ideas of yoga can be found in all orthodox Indian philosophical schools, as well as in Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Taoism, not to mention the numerous directions in yoga itself, which have grown out of their classical form.
During the period of active colonization of the East by European countries, yoga philosophy begins to make its way to the West. Scientists from Europe, America and Russia get acquainted with it. There are also Indian thinkers who popularize the teachings of yoga. 
The most famous of them are Ramakrishna (1836-1886), his follower Vivekananda (1869-1902), and Aurobindo Ghose (1872-1950). Philosophical basis yoga, spread in the West, has not undergone major changes, but there have been trends towards a combination of the spirituality of yoga and the achievements of Western science, as well as towards the synthesis of various religious teachings.
Yoga is becoming more and more popular in today's world. Television programs are filmed about her, they are engaged in fitness clubs, famous artists talk about her. However, having become generally accessible, yoga has largely lost its esoteric part, and people today strive to live better in this world with the help of yoga methods, without striving for the world beyond, for the innermost essence of yoga philosophy.
The philosophy of yoga is understood as the most ancient teaching about the improvement of the human spirit. This teaching came to us from the ancient civilization of the Aryans. Yoga is one of the schools of philosophy (darshan) in India. The basic principles of yoga are described in the treatise Yoga Sutra, authored by Patanjali. Very little information about the author has come down to our time, various sources date the Yoga Sutra between the 2nd century BC and the 2nd century AD. However, it is reliably known that Patanjali did not invent the teaching itself. The primary source of the yoga he described is the oldest written treatise - the Vedas (2nd millennium BC), as well as in the Upanishads (6th-3rd century BC), and in such ancient works as the Mahabharata and Ramayana (1 millennium BC). In all these ancient sources there are references to the key yoga techniques, but there is no system and order. Patanjali was the first to summarize and systematize all the ancient knowledge about yoga in his work "Yoga Sutra" and after more than two thousand years, his work is deservedly considered a classic in yoga theory. The Yoga Sutras, like most books written at that time, consisted of short sayings - sutras, which most likely acted as reminders for memorizing long oral discourses. Obviously, for the disciples of Patanjali, this was enough, but for followers who do not have the opportunity to go directly to the teacher, it is impossible to practice yoga only on these sutras. Therefore, there are explanations for the Yoga Sutra. The most authoritative of these were written by the philosopher Vyasa, who wrote his treatise Yoga Bhashya in the 5th century AD.
yoga philosophy
Everything that exists is divided into two components - Purusha and Prakriti. Purusha is the spiritual component and Prakriti is the material component. Matter is everything that we can see, hear, feel by any possible way and is called Prakriti. In other words, it's practically everything, from molecules to planets and galaxies. Purusha is the eternal Spirit or spiritual principle, outside the material world, it does not have a specific form, and it is difficult for a person to imagine it. Purusha is the highest part of being and at the same time has consciousness, while there is no consciousness in matter. However, Purusha should not be confused with the idea of God in the West. Nevertheless, in the classical version of yoga there is a god - Inshvara, this is the incarnation of Purusha, but besides him there are many other deities, and he is considered the main one among them. Inshvara did not create the Earth and does not dominate the world, but can unite spirit and matter. There are three main forces that make up Prakriti (matter). These forces are called gunas. Guna sattva - peace, guna rajas - movement, guna tamas - degradation. As long as the spiritual principle does not affect matter, these forces are balanced. When Spirit and matter unite, the forces begin to interact and change, forming everything that exists. In the interaction of forces, the first thing that is formed is the ideal basis of the universe (Buddhi-mahat). In the future, five elements are formed: water, earth, fire, air and ether. From the five elements, everything else that exists in Prakriti is formed. A very important point in this philosophy is the absence of time. Yoga considers everything that exists as a continuous process of change, so there is no time, but there is a process of change. That is, time is a change in the state of matter. Unlike Prakriti, Purusha is considered immutable, therefore it exists outside of space and does not depend on time. Purusha is compared to an observer who watches the changes of Prakriti.
Yoga teaching about man
The main point in the philosophy of yoga is that a person is a micro Universe inside a large Universe, respectively, is also the result of the connection of Purusha (spirit) and Prakriti (matter). As a result of the interaction of Purushu and Prakriti, Budhi-mahat is created, the ideal basis of the Universe, everything happens in a person in exactly the same way, only an individual budhi is created for each person. Further, as a result of transformations, other organs appear: the organs of action, the organ of consciousness, the sense organs. All this belongs to the material and is in the individual buddhi. The spiritual part of a person, his Purusha is the Spirit, his true Self, which never changes and controls all processes and changes in our material part of Prakriti. The teaching of yoga compares Purusha and Prakriti with the blind and legless, who are lost in the forest and can only get out by joining their efforts.
The Central Teaching of Yoga
The classical teaching of yoga says that the ultimate goal of human existence should be liberation from the material. In the standard state, a person is able to perceive himself only from a material point of view. A person identifies himself with his actions (I do), feelings (I feel), thoughts (I think), but this is all material and is contained within the framework of Prakriti, in fact, all this is the result of the interaction of forces (gunas). And the true consciousness, the true Self is Purusha. Everything material changes - our loved ones are subject to aging and death, repeated events do not bring initial satisfaction, pleasure always ends, and emotions change from positive to negative. A person wants to constantly have fun, but this is impossible. And the more pleasure that a person receives, the more he is disappointed when the pleasure ends. The desire for material things affects Karma. In fact, karma is the law of cause and effect, which states that all actions performed by a person affect what his future will be like. In the Vedas, this law is interpreted as follows: whoever sows good will reap good, whoever sows evil will reap evil. Unlike the Western concept of “fate”, which does not depend on a person, the concept of “karma” completely determines the future depending on a person’s actions, both good and bad. All our aspirations for the material leave imprints on our buddha. Every moment we do something, think, say something and it leaves new traces, and after the death of the body, our spirit is reborn in a new form, depending on what prints were left in a previous life. Thus, there is a constant cycle of rebirths (the wheel of samsara), and a person is constantly present in the material environment and must constantly suffer. According to the teaching, one can escape from the cycle of rebirths only by practicing yoga and gradually coming to an understanding of one's higher being and renunciation of the desire for material things. A person who manages to give up material attachments will cease to be reborn, will break out of the circle of samsara and will exist only in the spiritual world in the form of an unchanging Spirit, which is equal to the god Inshvari. Such an existence cannot be imagined, but it excludes suffering or dissatisfaction. However, with the ever-growing popularity of yoga, its original goals are being lost, and now people who practice yoga are striving to gain more in the material world than to achieve spiritual liberation.
2) Yoga is one of the systems of Hindu philosophy, which was created by the sage Patanjali and recorded by him in the Yoga Sutras (Aphorisms of Yoga) around the 2nd century BC. e.
Yoga of Patanjali is both a philosophy and a practical method, which includes 8 steps of human perfection:
1. Pit - regulation of external conditions
2. Niyama - regulation of internal conditions
3. Asana - comfortable and stable position body
4. Pranayama - perception of the movement of energies in the body
5. Pratyathara - control of the perception of feelings
6. Dharana - the ability to direct our mind
7. Dhyana - the ability to perceive what we seek to understand
8. Samadhi - the ability to become and be what we intended to understand.
The philosophy of the Yoga Sutras is closely connected with the ancient Sankhya philosophy, the main sources of which are the great Indian epic Mahabharata and the Sankhya Sutras by the sage Kapila.
According to the main provisions of this philosophy, there are two independent substances: Purusha (the contemplator, the source of consciousness) and Prakriti (matter, nature). It is their interaction that leads to the emergence of all the phenomena of this world, from the most subtle to the most dense. Every man, being a product of nature, contains within himself the source of true knowledge. But getting involved in the games of nature, he loses the purity of perception of the Contemplator and becomes dependent on the conditions of the external world.
Only a return to inner comprehension allows a person to gain peace, equanimity, experience a blissful state of freedom and learn to manage his life based on a true understanding of the essence of things and phenomena of this world.
To achieve this higher state of consciousness, one must calm and balance the qualities of nature in the body, mind and senses. This is the aim of the first five steps of Patanjali yoga. The first five steps are the regulation of the 5 primary elements of nature (Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether (Space)). When the elements of nature in a person are balanced, a person is able to consciously control the unconscious and subconscious spheres of his psyche, that is, his animal nature.
The last three steps are possible only with the successful mastering of the first five and allow you to achieve higher states of deep insight into the essence of all the phenomena of the world.
In the Middle Ages, on the basis of the classical yoga of Patanjali, a special type of yogic practice arose, called "hatha yoga". One of the translations of the term "hatha" is "sun and moon". In essence, these are two energies that are manifested in the body in two channels: the left - Ida (property of the lunar channel) and the right - Pingala (property of the solar channel).
Ida governs mental energy and corresponds to the parasympathetic response in the body (passivity, relaxation). Pingala is associated with vital energy and corresponds to the sympathetic reaction in the body (activity, tension). The main task of hatha yoga is to balance these two energies in the body and keep them in a clear balance.
This makes it possible to balance the qualities of nature in the body and promotes the passage of energy through the central channel - Sushumna. It is this energy that is used to awaken higher forms of consciousness.
Hatha Yoga uses the concept of chakras - special energy centers in the human body, each of which is associated with a certain level of consciousness. The lower chakras are responsible for the unconscious plane of existence, the middle ones for subconscious mechanisms, the upper ones for consciousness, the seventh chakra - sahasrara connects a person with superconsciousness. If the higher chakras in the human body remain closed, the person is under the influence of the unconscious and subconscious layers of his psyche all his life, not being able to consciously control his body, mind and feelings.
The first 7 steps of Patanjali's yoga correspond to the 7 chakras in the human body, and the 8th step corresponds to the chakra, which is located above the head.
Hatha Yoga is an exact sequence of certain actions that brings different types of people into the same state: tranquility of the qualities of nature in the body, feelings, mind (the first five chakras). This makes it possible to divert energy from external stimuli to inner world to provide a deep understanding process.
When the body, feelings and mind are calmed, the energy rises freely through the central channel - Sushumna, awakening all chakras, from the lowest to the highest, and a person has the opportunity to comprehend the higher principle, which by nature is the entire manifested world. As a result, a person leaves the power of external circumstances and becomes the ruler of his life, gains freedom.
That is why the Yoga of Patanjali is very often called "Raja Yoga", which translates as "Royal Yoga" or "Yoga of the Kings".
