The text classifies meditation as being of two types, with and without attributes. It states that this gives the yogi the power of levitation, followed by a range of powers such as great strength and the ability to overcome the strongest animals, whether tigers, buffaloes, gayals, elephants, or lions. Its account of pranayama calls for the yogi to sit in lotus position (padmasana) and practice what it calls breath-retention ( kumbhaka), now called anuloma or nadi shodhana, alternate nostril breathing. It claims there are 8,400,000 asanas, though it only describes one or two non-seated postures including Shavasana, corpse pose (as a method of Laya yoga), and the inverted posture of viparītakaraṇī, sometimes considered an asana, sometimes a mudra. The work teaches an eightfold yoga identical with Patañjali's 8 limbs that it attributes to Yajnavalkya and others, and as an alternative, ten exercises, later called mudras, that it attributes to teachers including Kapila. Laya yoga dissolves the mind by methods such as raising Kundalini, though neither this nor the chakras are named in the text. Mantra yoga consists simply of repeating mantras until powers ( siddhis) are obtained. All three lead to samadhi, the goal of raja yoga. The Dattātreyayogaśāstra is the first text to describe and teach yoga as having three types, namely mantra yoga, laya yoga, and hatha yoga.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |