What is it?

•yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline•it originated in ancient India•yoga is a practice•the goal is to attain a state of spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating

What is yoga?Why is it used in therapy?How is it used in therapy?How do you practice?

OUTLINE

What is it?•it is a Hindu philosophy•Based on The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

•there are other types of yoga•Jnana yoga (knowledge)•Karma yoga

•“yoga” in Sanskrit has a literal meaning of “yoke”•A term for a system of abstract meditation or mental abstraction

Why do people do it?

•varied reasons•Improving health•achieving moksha (liberation from samsara)

•different people, different purposes

The Buddha depicted in yogic meditation in Kamkura, Japan

Closeup of Vishnu, seated in the lotus position on a lotus.

From depiction of the poet Jayadeva bowing to Vishnu, Gouache on paper

Pahari, The very picture of devotion, bare-bodied, head

bowed, legs crossed and hands

folded, Jayadeva stands at left, with the implements of

worship placed before the lotus-

seat of Vishnu who sits there, blessing

the poet.

Shiva Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance.

Tamil Nadu, ca. 990, bronze. Freer

Gallery, Washington DC

Tridevi, popular religious art print without copyright notice, available on many Hindu religious websitesca. 1920-1930 CEIndian Public domain

Yogi in Birla Mandir. Birla Mandir (Birla Temple) refers to

different Hindu temples or Mandirs

built by the Birla family, in different

cities. Birla Mandir on the

Naubath Pahad is a Hindu temple of

Lord Venkateshwara, built entirely of

white marble located in

Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.

YOGA

Image Sources

Thyes (2004). The Buddha depicted in yogic meditation, Kamakura, Japan. Retrieved 12 February 2012 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kamakura-buddha-1.jpg

Image of a painting of Vishnu, from The Government Museum and Art Gallery, Chandigarh (dated 1730 CE). Retrieved 12 February 2012 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vishnu.jpg

Ruedas, Thomas (2007, June 14). Image of Shiva Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance. Tamil Nadu, ca. 990, bronze. Freer Gallery, Washington DC. Retrieved 12 February 2012 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shiva-nataraja.jpg

Image of Tridevi (ca. 1920-1930), available on many Hindu websites. Public domain of India. Retrieved on 12 February 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tridevi.png

Birla Mandir, Hyderabad. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12 February 2012 from http://en.wikipedia.org/.../Birla_Mandir,_Hyderabad

Birla Mandir, Hyderabad. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12 February 2012 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birla_Mandir