Often when teaching the first class of an introduction to yoga series I share the following with them:
“The Six Branches of Yoga
The word "yoga" means "unity" or "yoke" indicating that the purpose of yoga is to unite ourselves with our highest nature as defined through all six branches:
1 The branch of knowledge, wisdom, introspection, and contemplation (Jnana Yoga) is the study of classical texts
2 The branch of service or action (Karma Yoga) often referred to as selfless service
3 The branch of devotion to God or a higher power (Bhakti Yoga) is driven by divine love and involves our personal relationship with God.
4 The ritual branch (Tantra Yoga) is a combination of practices and ideas that views the universe as the physical manifestation of pure consciousness—that which connects us all
5 The royal branch, or classical yoga (Raja Yoga) involves the eightfold path, The eight limbs are:
1.Five moral restraints that involve our interactions with others: non-violence, truthfulness, moderation, non-stealing, non-covetousness (Yamas).
2.Five ethical observances that involve our personal practices: purity, contentment, austerity, study of sacred texts, and awareness of our divine nature (Niyamas).
3.Physical postures (Asanas).
4.Breath control (Pranayama).
5.Withdrawal of the senses in order to still the mind (Pratyahara).
6.Concentration (Dharana).
7.Meditation (Dhyana).
8.The highest state of consciousness (Samadhi).
6 The physical and mental branch (Hatha Yoga) involves physical postures and breath—that which we are most familiar with in yoga class. <<<<<<what we practice in the west. Incomplete!!
You may or may not choose to incorporate any of the six branches into your life, you may already do so. We will focus on the physical and mental aspects of yoga with a little bit of meditation. We will not be focusing on the spiritual aspects unless 100% of the class wants to do so. I personally consider a Christian life or a walk in the woods to be the practice of yoga. This information is only provided to offer clarity into the true meaning of yoga.” Yoga 1 Week 1
As I read this week’s Gospel of Matthew I was struck by the concept of Karma Yoga that is so present. “You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff” This is the way in which Karma Yoga was meant to be interpreted: as selfless service or action. When teaching yoga there is often talk of an energy exchange between the teacher and the student, usually this comes in the form of payment for the class. But in the case of karma yoga no such exchange happens. The teacher gives, or donates, their times as an act of service without an expectation of payment. Without expectation of some advance in life on the bad things they may have done or will do. No expectation at all, just teaching for the love of it and the desire to serve. Any form of volunteerism is karma yoga.
However, this is not the way Karma is interpreted in our culture.
Perhaps because the word Yoga is removed. Yoga does bring us in union with
others and the world, binding us together for good. It is not uncommon to blame some one’s bad
luck on karma, especially if they were known to do bad things. Karma without Yoga
may look at the sum of a person’s deeds.
I think of this as a negative use of the word karma and I don’t like it.
Perhaps it started with John Lennon’s Instant Karma…
Karma Yoga is completely about accepting with love an imbalance and embracing it as good, not retribution. We hear some of this retribution thought in the second part of Matthew’s gospel “As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.” Now I’m not saying that we should stay in places we are not welcome, I am simply saying this is not what karma truly means to me. At least it is not what karma yoga means to me. Maybe it wasn’t John Lennon who began this confusion but this passage from Matthew taken as a complete piece rather than as two parts.
Shine On! Namaste
Gospel - Matthew 9:35-10:8 (9-23)
Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good
news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he
had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the
Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast
them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles:
first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother
John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and
Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and
enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go,
proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. [Take
no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a
staff; for laborers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is
worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let
your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not
welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or
town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of
judgment than for that town.
“See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent
as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues;
and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the
Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to
say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the
Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his
child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all
because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you
in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of
Israel before the Son of Man comes.”
http://www.theyogasanctuary.biz/
http://www.yogajournal.com/article/beginners/the-branches-of-yoga/
http://www.swamij.com/
Photo Credit: http://swamivenkatesananda.org
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