Yoga is all about unification or relationship. For millennia, seekers have tried through introspection and action to discover pathways to grace. The Vedas are the earliest known texts (usually passed down orally) of the quest for grace. These texts were developed by Rishis (teachers) over 3000 years ago. The Rig Veda is the oldest of these texts and contains the roots of yogic philosophy and seminal chants used in yogic practice. The Gayatri Mantra, an invocation used before yoga classes is one of the oldest of mantras it is in the vedic language which predates Sanskrit. Its focus is enlightenment. (There are several different variations of the Gayatri Mantra--see Sri Aurobindo's Gayatri.)

OM is probably the most well-know of the mantras, also known as the Pranavah (sound of God) it embodies creation (represented by the god Brahma the Creator), preservation (represented by Vishnu the preserver) and termination (represented by Shiva the destroyer) of existence.

Yogic philosophy is extensive and complex and a careful study of it would take a lifetime. Basically, there are three major schools of yogic philosophy. The oldest of the three schools is the Sankhya school also known as the Classical School of Yoga. The second major school is Vedanta and the third school is Tantric. A brief explanation of each school is below but for a very readable and probably one of the best texts I have had the pleasure to read that covers these three schools is, The Heart of the Yogi: The Philosophical World of Hatha Yoga by Doug Keller.

Samkhya School of Yoga - Classic Idealism (Your head is in the world)

The Samkhya school most parallels Platonic Idealism in that Reality (purusa) exists separately from nature (prikiti). Thus there is an inherent dualistic character/nature to existence. Like Platonism, you can never know reality through the senses because the senses can be deceived. In addition, all things in nature are subject to change (birth, growth, decay, death). Therefore, there can be no "enduring" knowledge by studying nature. You can only know what is Real by transcending nature ie, meditation. The best you can do by studying nature is to get a "pretty good idea or approximation" of what is real, so discernment becomes very important. That is looking through the world with a very keen microscope and with great discipline.

Patanjali's Yoga Sutras (See Patanjali) comes from this philosophical school and all hatha yoga trainings and classes recognize the 8 limbs of yoga defined in this text as are the Kleshas (or 5 hinderences) as well as the Chakras. There are many editions of the Yoga Sutras each with their own emphasis.

Vedanta School - Psychological Idealism (The world is in your head)

This philosohical school places the emphasis on how we perceive the world. We come to know the world through out perceptions (like the Samkhya school) but it differs in that we are "taught or more accurately "mis-taught" and our mis-guided beliefs lead to a world of illusion. A contemporary example of this "mis-education" is advertising. Each day we are bombarded with messages that we need this product to have better hair, this car to be exciting, this gadget to be "connected" and the list goes on and on and on. We come to look at the world through filtered lenses and actually we are chasing an illusion.

Another example (this time more positive) is the axiom that "We create our own reality." That is that our thoughts govern the way we perceive the world.

This philosophical school is represented by many sages and yoga teachers. One of the most famous is Sri Aurobindo who died in 1971. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest sages of modern times. Aurobindo (and his consort The Mother) wrote many texts and is a great source for information and practice of this school of thought/experience. One of the models that comes from vedanta yoga is the Koshas or sheaths.

Tantric School (Tantrik) - Spiritual Pragmatism (Your head is in both)

The Tantric school of philosophy has its roots in the Kasmir region of India and in many respects is the most eloquent (or radical depending on who you talk to) school of yogic philosophy. Its proponents view reality as a mixture of what's out there and what we perceive. Indeed, reality is what we make it to some extent. There are two schools of tantra, light tantra and dark tantra. Both schools work through the senses to gain more intimate knowledge of one's body, one's mind and finally spirit. Light tantra represents a methodology of working through the senses using a mixture of experience and intellectual exercises. A classic yogic text is the Yoga Vasistha which represents some of the most developed philosophy of all three schools. Dark tantra works through the senses and utilizes, what I call an "outrage factor", it is a bit iconoclastic and can range from sacred sexuality to canniblism. Sacred sexuality is most widly known in this society. Many new age books and periodicals will have articles based on tantric sexual practices they make for good sales :-) . One such classic book is the Kama Sutra that was written around the 17th century and is considered to be a very sacred text. The temples at Karanac, India also represent the tantric orientation with their erotic statues.

What's best?

In closing each school has contributed to our knowledge of the world and of our selves. When one follows any of the paths with sincerity and integrity one can find realization.

Mantrums used in Hatha Yoga

Gayatri Mantra as given by Rishi Vishvamitra

Om
Bhoor Bhoovuha Svuha
Tut Suvitoor vu rain yum
Bur go day vus ya dhee muhi
Dhiyo yo nuhu proucho duyaat

Sri Aurobindo's Gayatri

Tat savitur varam roomam jyotihi parasya dheemahi
yannaha satyenna deepayet

(Translation: Let us meditate on the most auspicious form of Saviri,
on the light of the Supreme which shall illumine us with the Truth)

OM mantra

OM pronounced Au (uh)- Oo (ooh)-Mm (mmmm) creates the connection between the earth and the soul. The shape of the symbol corresponds to the shape of the sound as it moves through the body. The lower the sound, the deeper the vibration. Amen is derived from "om". See below for the descriptions of each of the sounds.

Au - (creation or birth) Is the fundamental universal vibration, it is the non-sound (no consonant or vowel and cannot be written), vaka starts at the perineum or just below the root chakra and becomes "uh" (pronounced as in almost)

Oo - (life or preservation) As the sound rises up back of the spine, it curves up the back of the skull becoming oh (pronounced as in home)

Mm - (end or termination) As the sounds rounds over the top of the head and ends in the heart becoming m

Invocation to Patanjali

This invocation is used to start classes in the Pune and Iyengar styles of yoga--used only in the beginning not at the end of the class.

Yogena cittasya padena vacam
Malam sarirasya ca vaidyakena
Yopa karot tam pravaram muninam
Patanjalim pranjalir anato smi
Abahu-purusakaram
sankha-cakrasi-dharinam
Sahasra-sirsam svetam
Pranamani Patanjalim

Invocation to Genesh

Genesh is the elephant god of hinduism. He represents abundance and knowledge. He is one of the most popular of all the deities and can be seen in any indian resturant.

Om
gananam tva ganapatigam havamahe
kavim kavinamupamasravastamam
jyestarajam brahmanam brahmanaspata a nah
srnvannutibhissida sadanam

Translation:
Om
We invoke thee, O leader of all the hosts.
The wisest of the wise.
The Sage of Sages with treasures beyond measure.
The King of Brilliance.
The lead chanter of prayers.
Come with your blessings, listen to our prayers.
Have a seat in our sacred space.

The vedic conception of time and the universe

The following sections provide definitions of the vedic concept of cosmic time. It is interesting to note that the rishis (teachers) conceived of the universe in millions of years while it was not until Darwin that Western thinkers began to expand their concept of the universe beyond several thousand years. This conception of cosmic time has been influential in writings of "New Age Physics". These conceptions of time are also related to vedic astrology.

Small Yuga: 2,000 years. The axis of the earth spends 2,000 years in an astrological sign and the moves on to the next sign, going backwards through the signs of the zodiac. Since we are finishing the Pisceaen cycle, we are ready to enter the Aquarian cycle for the next 2,000 years. We commonly refer to entering Aquarius as the "dawning of the age of Aquarius."

Complete Cycle of Small Yugas: 24,000 years. This is the amount of time needed for the earth to spend 2,000 years in each sign of the zodiac.

The Great Cycle

In addition to the earth's axis moving in an arc as it travels through the signs of the zodiac, there is another cycle. This is a cycle which involves the revolution of the entire solar system around the Central Sun of the Galaxy. The orbit is elliptical rather than circular. To make the elliptical movement of the solar system around a great central point more understandable, the analogy of "seasons" is used. This is a useful analogy because changes in overall states of consciousness are represented as "seasons" through which the solar system passes on its journey.

When consciousness is in a high state, it is summer. At this time, 90% of the inhabitants of the earth are enlightened. This is called Satya Yuga, or the Age of Truth. When Fall or Spring are in full swing, the numbers of enlightened beings drops to less than 10%. When Winter comes, far less than 1% of the people on earth are enlightened. However, there are trade offs.

First, it is easier to make progress in the "'winter of consciousness." The analogy is often used that if one tries to row one's boat in air, very little progress will be achieved. But when the oars are placed in water, much more rapid progress can be made. This is because compared to air, the resistance of water is much higher enabling the work of the oars to bear fruit. It is the resistance itself which provides a route to rapid progress. Similarly, in spiritual winter our efforts to achieve spiritual growth produce much faster results than they would in any other age of consciousness because of the great general resistance to things spiritual.

There is no disagreement among all the sages, pundits, gurus and swamis that Kali Yuga, the present spiritual winter, affords an opportunity for more rapid spiritual progress than any other age. Further, the medium for rapid growth is almost universally prescribed by these same classes of spiritual teachers as divine sound through the medium of mantra. Here are the various seasons and ages of the universe as measured in human years.

Winter (Kali Yuga):* 432,000 years

* The year 1998 is 5,090 years from the beginning of Kali Yuga of the long cycle. For the short cycle, winter is ending with the entrance of the planetary axis into Aquarius, which begins the season of Spring for the shorter, 24,000 year cycle.

Spring: (Treta Yuga) 1,296,000 years

Summer (Satya or Krita Yuga) 1,728,000 years

Autumn (Dwapara Yuga) 864,000 years

Total Time for One Cycle or Manvantara: 4,320,000,000 years

This is called "A Day of Brahma" and is followed by a night of equal length.

One complete day and night of Brahma: 8,640,000,000 years

360 of these days is called "One Year of Brahma": 3,110,400,000,000 years

100 of these years constitute the life of Brahma called a Maha Kalpa: 311,040,000,000,000 years

At the end of a "Maha. Kalpa" or cycle of creation, Shiva manifests his destructive influence and the universe is dissolved. [Actually the entire universe becomes spiritualized, see the chapter on Shiva for discussion of this point.] The ancient texts call this the cosmic dissolution. All the levels of the manifest universe disappear. After a great cosmic rest cycle, another creative cycle begins as a new Brahma emerges out of the navel of Narayana and the universe is created anew.

Another item of importance is that one who has achieved the highest level of conscious realization is said to realize and become one with Brahman. At this point, all individuality as we know it disappears. The individual Jiva, Soul or Atman retums to its source from which it will not return of its own volition. However, for reasons known only to itself, certain souls may return for reasons understood only by Narayana.