online yoga forum

I'd be interested in hearing from anyone what they see the difference is between a yoga 'style' and a 'tradition'?

I had a big discussion (read 'heated argument') with a yoga friend of mine last night. He felt that a style was something that was a newly created such as anusara or jivamukti, where as a tradition was something that had roots which go back to the dawn of time.

I think that hatha can be a style or ashtanga or whatever...can anyone set us straight?

You crack me up! LOL glad to see that heated 'discussions' go on about basic & seemingly un-important but important yoga things in your neck of the woods too TJ.

For me personally it's no biggie, yoga styles and traditions are the same thing aren't they?

Ummmmm

Perhaps the tradition could be seen as the practice of yoga as a whole.

The styles are merely the subclasses of the practice that is yoga.....



Maybe?????

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Oh Dear......You really think i can get myself into that pose.........and then back out of it?

Yeh this is interesting. I had a look online to see what a few sites say about this, and this one 'Yoga' sort of made sense to me...

In a nutshell: there are 3 main paths of yoga:

1. Bhakti - The path of pure spiritual devotion and love
2. Jnana - Also called Gyana, the path of knowledge
3. Karma - The path of selfless action

There are many yoga traditions and practices, which in essence all have the same goal : the union with the divine.

The overall tradition is:

Tantra Yoga (Maha Yoga)
Ashtanga Yoga

The four main traditions :

1. Mantra Yoga
2. Hatha Yoga
3. Laya Yoga (Kundalini Yoga)
4. Raja Yoga

...there are other traditions too like Kyra (selfless service), Naad (sounds), Yantra (meditating on a form), Swara (breathing/pranayama).

Hope this helps

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Yogatea,

Are you saying that Yoga as a whole is the tradition and the different practices are styles with some being MORE traditional or closer to the original tradition of Yoga than others?

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Oh Dear......You really think i can get myself into that pose.........and then back out of it?

Yup, I'd say that's pretty much how I see it

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Be the change you want to see in the world

I'm feeling like I'm becoming more enlightened...

So......Does this mean that I can become a member now as opposed to the Junior member that I currently am...........Please!!!!!!

I suppose I should enjoy being called junior at all given the fact I'm not....

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Oh Dear......You really think i can get myself into that pose.........and then back out of it?

Ha sorry about that! Actually you only have to do 30 posts and your status automatically changes from 'junior' to 'member'. You've done 21 so far (check out your status top right of your posts) so only 9 more to go .

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Be the change you want to see in the world

how many posts for 'bodhisattva' ?

Enlightenment? Well, when you become enlightened you probably won't need to make posts, we'll know what you think telepathically, your messages will come to us in pink bubble thoughts placed softly in our dreams .

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Be the change you want to see in the world