The amazing image above is from the NYT story “A Yoga Class’s Path to Serenity Leads Through Times Square”.

From the story:

Attendance at the event, called “Mind Over Madness Yoga,” has grown considerably since the first day of summer in 2003, the first time Mr. Stewart, Mr. Tompkins and another friend practiced yoga in Times Square.

Carol Solimene, 45, who lives in Tiverton, R.I., said she has practiced yoga for 13 years. “It was worth the trip,” Ms. Solimene said. “I found it to be energizing in its own way.”

So there you go – you can practice yoga anywhere, including your office. Start the day or end the day with a session of yoga. You’ll notice the difference.

[tags]yoga, practice, outdoors, urban, event[/tags]

Should you take yoga classes or learn on your own? You can buy DVDs or read books, after all.

However, yoga classes are, for the most part, a much better idea, because then you are able to have a teacher right there with you. You’ll also be inspired and motivated by the other students. It’s difficult to learn yoga completely on your own if you’ve never taken a single class. Once you’ve seen and experienced the basic asanas, then you can certainly continue on your own if this is more convenient for you.

Find a yoga studio that is in your area. There are yoga studios in most cities, and in many towns.

Yoga teachers also teach in work places. If your company provides a gym, explain your interest in yoga to the manager, who may be able to arrange someone to hold a series of classes.

[tags]yoga, yoga classes, DVDs, books[/tags]

If you’re a beginning yoga student, you may have heard of the various paths of yoga philosophy.

The four most basic which are: Raja, the path of physical and mental control; Karma, the path of action; Bhakti, the path of devotion; and Jnana, the path of knowledge or wisdom.

Each of these different yoga paths has its own separate traits, and for instance with Raja, this is often known as the ‘royal road’ and it is considered as being the most complete yoga because it is the one which focuses on controlling both the mind and body in order to attain enlightenment, rather than just one or the other.

Karma yoga is one which focuses more on the causes and effects of an individual’s actions, and it basically teaches a person how to live a life of spiritual action and selfless service. Karma yoga achieves union with God through this right action and selfless service.

Bhakti yoga is the path which is most followed in India, and it involves the surrendering of oneself to the Divine through prayer, worship, and ritual. Chanting or singing the praises of whatever divine presence is meaningful to you form an incredibly substantial part of this yoga.

Finally, with Jnana yoga, this is the one which is most often considered as being the most difficult path, because it requires a radical shift in perception. The goal of this path is to seek the knowledge that is hidden in all of us.

In beginners yoga you will start with hatha yoga, focusing on the postures. However, as you gain experience, you may be intrigued enough to pursue yoga philosophy.

[tags]yoga, philosophy, paths[/tags]