Philosophy · 67 pages
Yoga philosophy, in plain English
The words you hear in a yoga class have a history. These pages explain what they mean, where they come from, and how they show up in a practice today.
Where to start
If you are new to the ideas behind yoga, read what yoga is and the history of yoga first. Together they explain how a practice described in old Indian texts became the class you take in a Manila studio today. Then read the eight limbs of yoga, the framework set out in the Yoga Sutras attributed to the author known as Patanjali, which most teachers refer back to. The types of yoga page links each modern style to the tradition it comes from.
The words you hear in class
Most people arrive here because a teacher said something unfamiliar. The greeting namaste, the sound om and shanti open or close many classes; a mantra is a repeated word or phrase, and a mudra is a symbolic hand gesture such as anjali mudra, the palms pressed together. Pranayama is breath practice, prana, the idea of life force, sits behind it, and the bandhas are the locks some teachers cue in Ashtanga. For anything else, the Sanskrit yoga glossary gives a one-line meaning for the common terms.
Texts, paths and traditions
The Upanishad texts and the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna's teaching to Arjuna, are the older Hindu texts behind ideas such as atman, brahman, karma as action and result and dharma as duty. The Gita describes several paths of yoga, which have their own pages: karma yoga, the path of action, bhakti yoga, the path of devotion, jnana yoga, the path of knowledge and raja yoga, the path of meditation. The ethical guidelines of the Sutras, the yamas and niyamas, include ahimsa, non-harming, which Jain teaching also places at its centre.
Some words you meet in yoga come from Buddhism instead. The four noble truths, nirvana, Zen and the mantra om mani padme hum belong to Buddhist traditions, and moksha compared with nirvana explains how the Hindu and Buddhist ideas of liberation differ.
All philosophy
Chakras, koshas and the subtle body
The chakras, from the root chakra to the crown chakra, and the koshas describe a map of the body found in tantric and hatha texts. These pages cover what the tradition says, the location, element, colour and seed syllable given to each, and where the ideas come from. They make no health claims, and none of these ideas needs to be accepted to enjoy a class.
How these pages are written
Each page opens with a plain definition, then names the text or tradition the idea comes from and roughly when, crediting Hindu, Buddhist and Jain sources where each applies. Quotations are kept short and come from public-domain translations. The last part of each page explains how the idea tends to show up in a modern class, so you can connect what you read with what a teacher says.
This is one section of the YogaPhilippines.com library; the others cover poses, stretches, exercises, meditation, guides and gear.
Questions
Do you need to learn yoga philosophy to practise yoga?
No. Many people practise the poses for years without reading any of it. The philosophy helps if you want to understand the words a teacher uses, the structure behind some styles, or why some classes include chanting and meditation.
Which yoga philosophy page should a curious beginner read first?
Start with what yoga is, then the eight limbs described by Patanjali. The first gives the overview and the second is the framework most teachers refer to when they talk about yoga beyond the poses.
Is yoga philosophy the same thing as religion?
Yoga grew out of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions, and some of its texts are religious. Modern classes usually draw on the ethical and practical parts, such as non-harming and attention to the breath, and people of any faith or none take part. These pages explain the sources so you can decide for yourself.
What is the basic philosophy of yoga?
At its root, yoga is a practice for steadying the mind. The Yoga Sutras describe it as the stilling of the movements of the mind, reached through ethical living, posture, breath, focused attention and meditation, the eight limbs. Most modern classes draw on this framework, even when the emphasis is on the poses.
Who founded yoga philosophy?
No single person founded it. Yoga grew over many centuries in India, with ideas found in the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. The sage known as Patanjali is credited with compiling the Yoga Sutras, the short text most teachers refer back to, but he gathered and ordered ideas that already existed rather than inventing them.
What are the yamas and niyamas of yoga?
They are the first two of the eight limbs, often taught as the ten basic principles of yoga. The five yamas are non-harming, truthfulness, not stealing, moderation and non-grasping. The five niyamas are cleanliness, contentment, discipline, self-study and surrender to something larger than yourself. Some teachers call either set the five main principles.
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