The JKYog system introduces a complete system of Yog that incorporates both material and spiritual knowledge for the physical, mental, intellectual, and spiritual health of humankind. The JKYog system of yoga is comprised of several elements: :
Radhey Krishna yogasans (postures)
Radhey Krishna Pranayam (breath control)
Subtle body relaxation
Roop Dhyan (meditation)
Science of healthy diet
This article goes into detail about what the system consists of, what the origins of this system are, and how it is practiced today.
What is yog?
Yog literally means “to unite”. It is derived from the Sanskrit word “yuj”, which means “to join”. It means to join the individual soul with the Supreme Soul (Bhagawan, god). It is through this union that the soul is freed from the veil of Maya, or darkness, and is allowed to realize its true nature. Put very simply, yog is a practical discipline on how to live life to minimize distractions, suffering, optimize your physical, mental, and emotional state, and to realize the purpose of life, which is the reunion with the Supreme.
What is the difference between western yoga and traditional yog?
If that is the meaning of yog, then what is yoga, which appears to be much more common in modern times? Yoga in common terms usually refers to a series of exercises that focus on improving bodily functions. It is practiced all over the world and goes by many names. Many of these focus on primary postures, and these have been followed by millions of people around the world to improve their physical bodies.
The traditional system of yog offers so much more than just physical improvement, however, and not all of the modern practitioners are based on the root definition of uniting the soul with God, hence, they may not cover the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of yog, in addition to the physical body.
What is the goal of yog? (Why yog?)
In modern times, many yoga practitioners are looking for relief from stress. We have stress in many aspects of our life. There can be stressing factors at school, work, family, money, lack of sleep, health issues, mental health issues, inability to focus, lack of time, illness or death of family members, marital issues, or social anxiety, among others. Yog, ideally, allows for a period of time isolated from these stressors, to help recharge the body, mind, and soul, to help us reduce or better handle these stresses when they inevitably appear. Specifically:
- Yogasans help stretch the muscles and produce stamina in the body. These can help improve strength, flexibility, and posture
- Pranayams are breathing exercises intended to improve the flow of pran, or the life energy, within us. They enhance lung capacity, resulting in more oxygenization and energized blood, which in turn improves blood circulation. Both yogasans and pranayams also help calm the mind.
- Dhyan is meditation, which helps us focus our mind, understand how the mind works, and suppress negative thought patterns. These allow us to become focused, confident, open-minded, and sincere. The purest form of Dhyan is Roopdhyan, where one takes the Supreme as the object of meditation.
- Subtle body relaxation and shatkarm help cleanse the body and mind and thus result in the development of a healthy overall personality.
What is the source of yog?
Yog is glorified in several Vedic texts, going back to the Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad Gita itself. Hundreds of seals and statues have been excavated at prehistoric places showing yogasans being performed in India many millennia before the arrival of western civilization. The secrets of yog from the Vedas were handed down in oral disciplic succession until around 400 BC when the sage Patanjali wrote them down. He wrote 196 verses describing the system of yog. In it, he himself describes yog as “restriction of the perturbations of the mind”. These were broken up into eight steps:
Niyam – self-observances
Yam – self-restraint
Asan – postures
Pranayam – organized way of breathing
Pratyahar – disassociation of consciousness from the surroundings
Darana – concentration
Dhyan – meditation
Samadhi – unification with the Supreme consciousness
Why JKYog?
The JKYog system was established by Swami Mukundananda, author of Yoga for the Mind, Body, and Soul. He is a senior disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji. Under the guidance of Shree Maharajji, he practiced intense Sadhana, studied the Vedic scriptures and Western system of philosophy. Upon completion of his studies, his Guru entrusted him with the key task of propagating the ancient knowledge and holistic system of Yog the world over. Oh his spiritual instructions, Swamiji studied the best systems of Hatha Yoga at many universities, and combined it with Bhakti Yog to form the system of “Jagadguru Kripaluji Yog” also called “JKYog”.
Who is eligible for yog?
There are no barriers of entry to those who want to do yog. It can be practiced by kids, adults, senior citizens, and anyone. There is a spiritual benefit to yog, but it is not essential to follow any spiritual practice at the start of the journey. The JKYog system always encourages followers to push themselves, but never beyond the point of pain or over-exertion when following along in a yog class. It is, of course, always imperative to consult your doctor before starting yogasans, especially when recovering from injuries or surgery.
Examples of yogasans
One of the most famous and beneficial of the yogasans is Surya Namaskar, or the sun salutation. (Surya means ‘the sun’ and ‘namaskar’ means ‘the act of paying Namaste with folded hands’). The process of saluting the Sun symbolizes the process of showing respect for a higher entity. During this, students are encouraged to visualize the rising sun, which symbolizes love and enlightenment, and, by showing deference to a greater being, also helps reduce ego and ignorance.
This paranayam includes 12 poses. In this and all other pranayams, it is essential to coordinate breathing exercises with the physical postures (inhaling on some breaths and exhaling on others). Surya namaskar is usually done at both sunrise and sunset, but it can be practiced at any time when the stomach is empty. This is used as a warm-up exercise, but it is also a complete exercise in itself. It stretches and tones many of the joints and muscles in the body. It massages the internal organs, encouraging them to secret their hormones and digestive juices. As shown below, it includes many postures where the spine is curved backward, which offsets the natural inclination in the modern world to slouch or bend the spine forward. As always, you should know your limits and make adjustments for physical limitations with a consultation with your doctor.
Namaskar Asan (Prayer Pose) - The sequence starts with a standing pose with both feet together. The hands move from the sides to join at the center of the chest in a prayer pose. At this point, visualize the Sun before you.
Hasta Utthanasan (Raised Arms Pose) - While inhaling, the arms are raised high (next to the ears) above the head. The trun reclines, while the arms and finger are fully extended. The spine should form a mild curve. This is one of the many backwards-curving postures in this sequence.
Pada Hastasan (Hand to Foot Pose) - Exhale, and bend forward to touch the knees with the forehead. Try to place the hands on the floor next to your feet, locking the knees.
Ashwa Sanchalanasan (Equestrian Pose) - Inhale, bend your left leg, and stretch the right leg back, while looking up. The palms should remain on the floor on either side of the left foot. Push the pelvis forward, and the head should fall back, forming a curve with the spine.
Parvatasan (Mountain Pose) - Exhale, move the left foot back, beside the right foot. Push the heels into the floor, and raise the buttocks. Push the palms into the floor and lower the head. Try to look at your feet.
Ashtang Namaskar (Salute with Eight Parts/Points) - Retain the breath, fold your arms, so that you touch the floor with eight points (chin, hands, chest, knees, feet. Look straight ahead, and raise the buttocks off the floor.
Bhujangasan (Cobra Pose) - Inhale, lower the buttock to the floor, arch the back, straighten the elbows, and raise the head, while tilting it backward
Parvatasan (Mountain Pose) - Exhale. This is the same posture as step 5
Ashwa Sanchalanasan (Equestrian Pose) - Inhale, and repeat step 4, but now with your right foot forward and left knee on the floor.
Pada Hastasan (Hand to Foot Pose) - Exhale, and repeat as in step 3.
Hasta Utthanasan (Raised Arms Pose) -
Namaskarasan (Prayer Pose) - Inhale, similar to step 1, and bring your hands back together to a prayer pose.
Surya is great as a warm-up and a full exercise. It can also be used as a cardio exercise by increasing the speed of the movements, and the number of repetitions. On International Yoga Day (the first day of summer), some practitioners do hundreds of repetitions. It is recommended that you start at a slow pace, make sure you understand the pace of breathing and the depth of each pose before adding too many repetitions or adding speed for cardio.
Examples of pranayams
Pranayams involve breathing exercises to activate and energize the pran (or life-energy) in the body. Every time we take in oxygen, we also take in this pranic energy that pervades the entire universe and gives living things their energy. A hectic and stressful lifestyle depletes this pranic energy and blocks new pran from entering the body. This can manifest in organ and muscle ailments. Pranayams aims to restore the balance and flow of pran.
Stress and ailments tend to speed up our breathing, as they may also initiate a flight-or-fight response. Pranayams are therefore intended to slow down the breathing process, which has a calming effect on the mind. They also encourage deep breathing, which most people do not naturally do anymore. During normal breathing, only 20 million of the 73 million pores in the lungs get fresh oxygen, while others may become more susceptible to respiratory diseases.
One example of pranayama is called Vaibhgiya, or sectional breathing. In this, the goal is to increase lung capacity by first filling up the diaphragm, then the chest, and finally, the clavicle.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
Inhale slowly, while chanting “Radhey” in the mind. Inflate your abdomen to its natural capacity. Do not move your chest or shoulder, but feel the expansion and contraction of the abdomen.
Exhale slowly and feel the diaphragm move up while the lungs contract. Repeat for 10 rounds.
Thoracic Breathing
Inhale slowly, inflating your chest. Feel the ribcage moving outward and upward as the lungs expand. Ensure that the diaphragm does not move during this stage.
Exhale while releasing the chest muscles, and feel the ribcage contracting. Repeat for 10 rounds.
Clavicular Breathing
Inhale slowly, using the upper lobes of your lungs while the shoulders and collarbones rise up and back.
Exhale and repeat 10 times.
This sequence will help you become familiar with the three different sections of breathing. Later pranayams focus on combining these to maximize lung capacity.
Examples of Roopdhyan Meditation
The scriptures say that God is fully present in His Name itself. He has put all His powers in His Name.
One of the most profound parting messages from Jagadguru Kripaluji was as follows:
God is so merciful that declares in the scriptures - I have made Myself omnipresent, but you do not believe in this. I reside in My divine abode Golok, but you cannot reach there. I reside within your heart, but you do not accept this. Therefore, for your convenience, I have seated Myself with all My powers in My divine names.
That same God, who created the universe with all of his unique potency, took avatars throughout time to annihilate evil and restore dharma, exists with the same level of potency in his own name. Saying the Name of God is the same as seeing God in his form, in his Divine Abode. Uttering “Krishna” is the same as witnessing Krishna and rejoicing with him.
To do this basic mediation, close your eyes, and keep them closed for the duration of this meditation. Take a deep breath in and out, concentrating on your breathing rhythm. Now imagine there are two tubes going from your nose to your stomach You are breathing in one and out the other. As you breathe, chant the name of God. Any name of God that means something to you will work. Feel the sound travel through the pipe from your mouth to the navel. Feel the sound of the name with every breath. Over time, you can do this without having to visualize the pipes, just feeling the reverberation of the name of God.
You can find much more on meditation on the JKYog blog here.
Where can I practice?
If you want to do more, where can you practice this form of yog? JKYog is offering free daily yoga sessions at 4:30 PM (Central time??) through the end of March 2020. You can go to https://jkyog.org/OnlineYoga and sign up. This includes yogasans, Surya Namaskar, pranayams and breathing techniques, and a question and answers session.
What other materials are available?
JKYog also offers life transformation programs around the world on a weekly basis. These are week-long programs that include a mix of yoga, pranayama, meditation, subtle body relaxation, and the science of a healthy diet.
JKYog is offering free Online Yoga classes and workshops every week.
- Online Yoga Classes - Monday to Friday, 6 AM CST
- Online Yoga Workshop - Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 4:30 PM CST
The session focuses on providing tools and methodologies to improve the physical health and well being of the mind. The session will provide insights into
- Yogasans and Warm-up - Classic sequence of asanas for mind, body, and soul
- Suryanamaskar - Set of very powerful 12 asanas
- Pranayam/Breathing Techniques - Proper breathing, Yogic breathing exercises, and benefits.
- Question and Answer Session - Exclusive Q&A Session at the end of every class to get your queries clarified.
The books that summarize this best are Yoga for the Mind, Body, and Soul, and the Science of Healthy Diet, both of which are available in the JKYog bookstore and on Amazon. This article has touched briefly upon all of these items, while these books go in-depth on every aspect of the JKYog system
JKYog also offers DVDs and downloadable MP3s that show guided classes in each
of several aspects of JKYog. This 5-disc set includes everything you need to practice these teachings. Onehttps://www.jkyog.org/store/product/yog-dvd-set-3-dvds-2-audio-cds
One disc focuses on each of Pranayam, Subtle Body Relaxation, Roopdhyan Meditation, Subtle Body Relaxation, and the Science of Healthy Diet.
For kids, there are books and audio files for meditation and yoga as well (https://www.jkyog.org/store/products?f[0]=product-category:50).
There are over a dozen beautiful, relaxing, guided meditations by Swami Mukundananda on his YouTube channel.
JKYog.org/YTT – yog teacher training
Once you are far along your journey, you will experience the bliss that comes with yog, and the unparalleled feeling of less stress, and more peacefulness, as you approach the goal of yuj, or unity with the Supreme. At this point, if you want to share this with others, you can take advantage of JKYog’s Yoga Teacher Training program. This (https://jkyog.org/ytt) is an immersive course that includes training, attendance at many of Swamiji’s events, bhakti retreats, and other functions, to help you advance on your journey so you can train others as well. More information is available at the link above.
The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. Thank you for taking the time to read about this form of yog, why who practice it consider it assspecial, and how you can find out more about it. Perhaps this can be the first step in your journey toward “yuj”.