Reflect
by Kacee Must, Citizen Yoga Owner + Founder
Yoga is not just a practice for the body, but traditionally is designed as a system to rehabilitate the mind and intellect into a working relationship with one another. As a human, you have three equipments: mind, body and intellect.
THE FOUR YOGAS
HATHA YOGA
The most commonly known yoga is Hatha yoga, and involves asana and pranayama. When presented as more than just exercise for the body, asana (translates to “seat”) practice can be a physical experience using subtle tools to support the growth of the mind and intellect. The practice on the mat can also act as a frame, providing a boundary for the mind and intellect in the form of growth, learning and self-reflection. Physical asana is a practice that can attend to any body type, age, flexibility. It is a practice of integration of body, mind and intellect for anyone at any stage of life. Please note, that it does take time, technique and appropriate class type to support growth for different practitioners. But that is no different than the other types of yoga outlined below.
Beyond Hatha yoga, there are three other yogas used to address the other two equipments of a human being (mind + intellect). The other three yogas are Karma, Bhakti, and Jnana Yoga. The mind is the seat of emotion, impulse, preference, desire. The mind is often likened to the nature of the child. The majority of people have a highly developed mind, but often need more support using the intellect to best manage the direction of the mind. The intellect functions as the director or parent to the mind, offering it boundary, choice, and discernment. The intention of yoga is to redirect the mind away from chasing happiness outside of oneself to a more self-sufficient sense of contentment inwards. It takes a lot of time, technique and repetition to redirect from the natural tendency to chase to the spiritual stillness of contemplation. It is important to find a structure of support that works for you and agrees with your ethics and core values. The four yogas are just one suggestion.
KARMA YOGA
Karma yoga is the yoga for the body and mind. The mind pitches up a higher ideal, the intellect holds the mind in the direction while the body moves throughout the world in acts of physical service and sacrifice. If you assess that your mind and intellect are of equal strength, your day to day will primarily be that of karma yoga.
BHAKTI YOGA
Bhakti yoga is the yoga for the mind. It is a devotional practice. You are in acute awareness of the infinite hand conducting the universe and can see the interconnectedness in small and big ways. The feeling of love directed towards this realization or Being is the foundation of Bhakti yoga. A person with a stronger mind (more emotion) than intellect would practice more Bhakti yoga, like dance, nature, altars, etc.
JNANA YOGA
Jnana yoga is the yoga for the intellect, a contemplative practice. The individual has a stronger intellect than mind, and uses texts contemplating the real and unreal aspects of the world to clarify and eliminate desire.
The important note is that the majority of people are all three, so it is necessary to proportion the yogas based on how physical, emotional, and intellectual you may be. Any act can be a part of your yoga practice, it is not what you do, but the intention and state of mind guiding it.
How do you use yoga is to redirect the mind away from chasing outside happiness to a more self-sufficient sense of contentment inwards? Which type of yoga resonates with you the most during the winter months?
