The meditation practice describes a state of concentrated attention on an external object, thought, consciousness itself, or the actual state of concentration. The word “meditation” comes from the Latin meditatio, which originally indicated a type of intellectual exercise. Thus, in the Western religious sphere has distinguished between “meditation” and “contemplation”, reserving the second meaning religious or spiritual. This distinction becomes tenuous in Eastern culture, so that at the beginning of the influence of Eastern thought in Europe, the word would acquire a new popular use.

This new use refers to meditation itself of yoga, which originated in India. In the nineteenth century, Theosophists adopted the word “meditation” to refer to the various practices of meditation or contemplation interior typical of Hinduism, Buddhism and other Eastern religions. However, it should be noted that this practice is not foreign to Western history, as shown by discoveries of pots Celtic with figures in yogic posture. Meditation not only for religious purposes but can also be focused on the maintenance of physical or mental health, and even cosmic connection purposes to find answers to universal questions throughout history humans have had. There is a wide range of guides for meditation and teachings, ranging from those that appear in the religions to the therapeutic through their own ideologies of certain individuals. Research scientists have shown that some techniques of meditation can help improve concentration, the memory and improve the immune system and overall health.

The kriya yoga is a set of techniques for meditation, which include pranayama (yogic breathing). According to Mahavatar Babaji, his first diffuser, kriya yoga is similar to raja yoga. The Kriya Yoga is described by its practitioners as an ancient system of yoga revived in 1861 by Mahavatar Babaji through his disciple Lahiri Mahasaya. The system consists of a series of techniques of pranayama designed to rapidly accelerate spiritual development and create a deep state of peace and union with God. Yogananda says in his books that to achieve and experience the state of samadhi you need the absolute cessation of all movement and activity of the body, stopping the breathing, brain activity, and metabolism.

Only this may result in disconnection with the outside world and what binds us to it, the body. Merely says that the body and binds our consciousness and concentration, which seem to be inextricably linked in addition to continued close, with the first through the five senses and unconscious body processes. We can not control our blood pressure or heart rhythm at will but a part of our ‘unconscious consciousness’ controls everything and is partially “occupied” it. In this state of samadhi consciousness would be free of such ties.

The viniasa ashtanga yoga is a type of yoga popularized in the twentieth century by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (1915-2009), who learned from his Satguru Krishnamachari (1888-1989). KrishnaNama told his disciple Jois, who had learned this yoga for seven years with his master Rama Mohan Brahmachari in the Himalayas. Brahmachari taught to memorize the text of an ancient Sanskrit text, the Yoga Karunta, which would have been written by the ancient sage Vamana Rishi. Krishna Nama Acharia, when in 1924 he left to his own guru, began researching this mysterious Karunta Yoga. After extensive research, found a copy (written in grape leaves) in the library of the University of Calcutta. Unfortunately, shortly after being found, the manuscript was completely eaten by ants and Krishnamarcharia could not preserve it.

According to him, the term Karunta (pronounced Korunta in Bengali) would mean ‘groups’ because it presents the exact groupings asanas (yoga postures). The ashtanga yoga (lowercase) refers to the classic line Ioga, explained in the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali (III century BC). Literally, Ashta: ‘eight’, anga: ‘members’. Pattabhi Jois’s followers write “Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga” with a capital letter to distinguish the old ashtanga yoga. Are you interested to try the viniasa ashtanga yoga?