Chapter 2
The Different Paths of Yoga
As mentioned in Chapter 1, yoga is the act of reunifying with the Spirit – but there are
many ways to do this. At Chi Kri we believe that the number of different people there
are on this Earth, is the same as the number of paths to God. Although spiritually we
are the same, our environments and the way we learn and behave in our earthly
incarnations can vary a great deal.
Largely however, we will fall into groups where our characters may predominate: the
charitable, the devotional, the technical, the wise, the practical, the emotional, and so
on. Yoga caters for these groups of people by offering various core areas to achieve
oneness with the Spirit and with oneself.
Of course, we all have many areas to our personalities, but life being what it is, where
time, concentration, and energy are limited, we tend to follow one path more than the
other, with the aim of understanding it well and excelling in it.
At Chi Kri, we focus predominantly on the Ashtanga Yoga System of Patanjali, also
known as Raja (Royal) Yoga, explored below. You will notice how other aspects of
yoga will come into play from time to time, within yourselves and your lives.
Hatha Yoga
The ultimate aim of a human being is to unite themselves with their soul and, finally,
with the Spirit (or God). This would be considerably more difficult to achieve if the body
was weak or taken over by disease. Hatha Yoga is the yoga of the physical body,
designed to bring health and vitality through various postures (asanas).
The origins of Hatha Yoga postures are said to date back to the god of death, change
and transformation from the trimurti (holy trinity), Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva is said to have
given discourses to his wife, Parvati, and to locals in India on 84,000 different yoga
postures, most of which represent various aspects of nature, like birds, animals,
plants, etc.
These postures were handed down over the years to sages like Matsyendranath, until
the great sage, Patanjali, re-organised the whole yoga system in the 2nd century AD.
He created a system called the Ashtanga Yoga System, also known as the Raja Yoga
System; one of the eight limbs in that system is Hatha Yoga.
Other styles of yoga that incorporate Patanjali and Hatha Yoga include Sivananda,
Iyengar, Bikram, Jivamukti, Vinyasa and Classical Yoga.
Raja Yoga
As stated above, Patanjali created the Raja Yoga System around 200 AD in which he
summarised yoga into eight limbs (or subjects). The aim of the system is the
attainment of samadhi, the conclusion of meditation, oneness with Spirit.
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Chi Kri, along with most schools of yoga today, mainly uses the Raja Yoga System.
Raja means royal. It is a technical system, a methodical way of accessing the Spirit or
God, and is the one that most rishis use. The eight limbs of Raja Yoga are described
in more detail later in this chapter.
Karma Yoga
Karma Yoga is the yoga of positive, spiritual and serviceful action without necessarily
seeking anything in return. It can also be said that it is where one offers the benefits
of their labour, and the fruits of their actions, to the universe or God.
Examples of Karma Yoga practice include:
• Selfless service, volunteering, and charity work (“seva”)
• Giving or donating
• Listening
• Teaching
• Preaching
Karma Yoga is something that anyone can incorporate into their life. It doesn’t require
grand gestures. A person who humbly dedicates their life to looking after their family
in the right way can also unify with the Spirit and achieve liberation.
Karma Yogis have good relationships with people and treat them well.
Bhakti Yoga
Bhakti is about loving the Divine through devotion, prayer, faith, and belief. Bhakti is a
form of humble love, which is blind to reason and does not care about knowledge or
proof (i.e. that which is verifiable by the five senses). Where there is that blind faith,
that innocence of heart, the Great Spirit lets these people in: if you have a little faith,
you can move a mountain. Every practice of yoga requires some Bhakti.
Long ago in India, men used to go and practice Raja Yoga (meditation) and the women
used to be busy looking after the children: all they did was Karma Yoga (looking after
the home) and Bhakti Yoga. God was not excluding the women because they didn’t
do asana or meditation.
Bhakti Yoga is powerful. You cannot complete the Raja Yoga system without it. But
you have to let go of the fear: how do you love something you’ve never met? And that’s
the point. There is no doubt at all about the existence of God to a Bhakti Yogi, who
surrenders completely to the love of the Divine. If Bhakti were a person, they would
not have an ego, they would be blind to reason and would not need proof – they would
have unwavering faith! They would wake God up through their love for Him and would
be praying at the temple every day.
Examples of Bhakti Yoga practice in the Christian culture would be prayers, reading
the gospel, praise and worship.
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Examples of Bhakti Yoga practice in the Indian culture would be bhajans, aarti, fasting,
and festivals.
Fasting shows discipline and faith in the soul’s energy, as opposed to temptation,
desire and habit. Sometimes fasts are associated with particular deities to extract
particular aspects of the Divinity. If you carry on the process, you will eventually unite
with the Spirit’s power.
Other ways in which one can practice Bhakti Yoga include: expressing devotion
through artistry, creativity, dance, Sufism, rap, poetry, etc.
Gyana Yoga
This is the yoga of wisdom, intuition and inner truth - as opposed to knowledge.
Wisdom is positive discrimination: the ability to choose correctly and distinguish the
good actions from bad actions. It is the overseer of the mind, and it is the greatest
cleanser. Applying wisdom can help to tidy up a cluttered mind and to take away
excess pain and suffering.
Wisdom is a soul quality, one of the five aspects of the soul. People think wisdom is
knowledge/intelligence. It is not. Wisdom is a feeling, not a thought. True wisdom will
not feel like it’s come from the head, it will feel like it’s come from your heart and soul.
It is that part of you that is not using reason, intelligence, logic or emotion, but intuitively
knows what is right and what is wrong. Knowledge can come from the brain while the
mind is active, but we cannot hear wisdom until the mind is still. Wisdom will then come
up to the surface. It will give guidance and direction which is in tune with the soul –
and with the eternal rights and wrongs of the Universe.
Gyana Yoga is the path of introspection, wherein you start to look at your behaviour
and study yourself. It is good to examine your day every night before going to bed.
Gently focus on where you may have made mistakes and where you may need to
improve.
Take time out to follow teachers, gurus, and to read scriptures and meditate upon
them. When you read or hear something wise, digest it as knowledge. Find out what
it means, deconstruct it, and apply it.
You become wiser through experience. Until your beliefs, concepts, and thoughts
about yourself are tested, they are neither true nor false.
Until your mind has been thrashed against the harsh realities of day to day living, you
can believe anything, but it doesn’t mean it’s real. That is why experience counts for
so much. Without experience there is no chance of maturity. You are learning from
your mistakes, so that the next time you are presented with a similar situation, you act
in the better way.
By aligning to wisdom, you are aligning to truth. Through wisdom you can be closer to
union with God’s consciousness. With practice, this becomes your habit, and you build
a samskara (behavioural pattern) in your consciousness. You will take this with you
through lifetimes: Gyana accumulates with incarnations. As your soul evolves you
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have more soul qualities in your character than ego qualities, and more wisdom
develops.
The Gyana Yogi eventually knows and understands everything: scriptures,
metaphysics, and the workings of everything from the heavens down to humanity.
They possess all knowledge and wisdom and know how to behave in any situation.
Their response is always in tune with the soul.
If you function like this in life, you are attuned and aligned with Sat, the eternal Truth.
God is described as Sat (Truth) - Chit (Consciousness) - Ananda (Bliss). No matter
what the Universe puts you through on Earth, as a Gyana Yogi you have a high degree
of integrity and dignity, always sticking to Truth and principles.
It takes the practice of meditation to determine what your inner voice of wisdom is.
You cannot think or emote your way to that answer. You must fight your ego to reach
it. You need to be mentally still. Until the mind is still you cannot see the soul. Gyana
Yogis constantly stay in that place of inner stillness. The Gyana Yogi is “calmly active
and actively calm,” as Paramahansa Yogananda says.
Kriya Yoga
Paramahansa Yogananda brought Kriya Yoga to the world from Mahavatar Babaji.
Babaji is around 1800 years old and lives in the Himalayas; he retains the body of a
25-year-old.
"Kriya Yoga is an instrument through which human evolution can be quickened," Sri
Yukteswar explained to his students. "The ancient yogis discovered that the secret of
cosmic consciousness is intimately linked with breath mastery. This is India's unique
and deathless contribution to the world's treasury of knowledge. The life force, which
is ordinarily absorbed in maintaining the heart-pump, must be freed for higher activities
by a method of calming and stilling the ceaseless demands of the breath."
Kriya Yoga contains specific meditation, breathing, and energy transformation
techniques that are performed for the unification of the soul with the Spirit. They are
very powerful, and Kriya Yoga is considered to be the highest technique of meditation
and pranayama available to humanity. To master it, one first needs to master a form
of yoga like Chi Kri.
Mantra (Japa) Yoga
Mantra (or Japa) Yoga involves continuous repetition of God’s name and
concentration on that force e.g. chanting “Aum” or “Hare Krishna”. When one repeats
the “Hare Krishna” mantra with full attention and unbroken concentration, the mind will
be settled and completely focussed.
You can also take on the qualities of the focus of your concentration. This will change
you on a subtle level. For example, if you concentrate on repeating “Aum” to the
exclusion of all other things, you will take on the qualities of Aum. This will have a
harmonising, healing, and uplifting effect on the body and mind.
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Mantra is most effective when done with a spiritual feeling (“bhav”), love, and the right
attitude. Call out to God with love and He will respond positively out of love. You are
trying to tune into a higher frequency that resonates with your soul and Spirit.
Mantra Yoga can open your chakras too. Each chakra is associated with a specific
sound, and by chanting the relevant sound you can connect with the chi in that chakra.
The whole language of Sanskrit and yoga was designed around sound vibrations.
Every word in Sanskrit is composed of syllables which relate to a chakra and have a
specific effect on your being. For example, the word “Ram” comes from the Manipura
chakra.
The Eight Limbs of Patanjali’s Raja Yoga System
Modern yoga is structured in this way:
1. Asana (Hatha Yoga): Physical body work, disciplines, and observances
2. Yama: Public codes of conduct
3. Niyama: Private codes of conduct
4. Pranayama: Control of life force, energy/chi in the body
5. Pratyahara: Sense withdrawal
6. Dharana: The concentration of consciousness
7. Dhyana: Meditation – concentration on the soul, Spirit or direct derivatives of
the same
8. Samadhi: Liberation of the soul into Spirit: the aim of yoga.
Asana / Hatha Yoga
This limb focuses on the physical body and is the form of yoga that most people today
are familiar with. At Chi Kri, we define this as the first limb of yoga, as this is the most
common entry point into yoga for most people.
Yoga is a lot to do with personal, mental, and spiritual development; but without a
strong, healthy body, your development is certainly harder. Therefore, looking after
your physical body is essential, as it is the vehicle that carries you through the journey
of life. Your consciousness is the driver, making the decisions on where to go and
what route to take.
No matter how far you develop in virtually any area of life, if your vehicle is not well
maintained, it could surprise you with breaking down at any time and prevent you from
progressing any further. Or you could be driving along with a flat tyre and a broken
windscreen that considerably slows you down and hampers your progress. You will
still be able to go, but you are not going as far or as efficiently as you could.
In other words, being imperfect physically will not stop you growing, it just gives you
distractions and discomforts on your path. These are also lessons in themselves, but
it is wiser if we can avoid them! Therefore, keeping your “vehicle” in the best possible
condition that you can is going to get you further on this journey of life. The actual
© Chi Kri Ltd 2023. All rights reserved. Chapter 2: Yoga Philosophy
practice of Hatha Yoga develops strength, suppleness, and stamina. This limb also
works on all the major systems of the body: muscular, skeletal, nervous, digestive etc.
The literal translation of “asana” is “seat.” So, asanas are also known as the stool or
correct position for meditation. This includes standing and sitting postures too. Sitting
with the spine erect and tall is important as it allows the energy (prana) to flow.
Asana is not the goal of yoga. In its purest sense, the purpose of asana is to strengthen
the physical body so it can sit in meditation for hours without disturbances (such as
the back and spine aching, the digestive system suffering, the body being poisoned
by toxicity, headaches occurring, stomach rumbling, getting tired, or losing vitality).
Yamas and Niyamas
Yamas and niyamas are collectively known as the ten disciplines, controls, or
“commandments” of yoga.
Yamas: Five Public Codes of Conduct
1. Ahimsa: Non-violence
2. Asteya: Non-stealing
3. Aparigraha: Non-coveting or non-hoarding
4. Brahmacharya: Observance of God’s will
5. Satya: Truthfulness
Niyamas: Five Personal Codes of Conduct
1. Saucha: Purity
2. Santosha: Contentment
3. Swadhyaya: Study of the self
4. Ishwarapranidhana: Devotion, worship of Aum
5. Tapas: Fiery determination, control, transformation
As Chi Kri teachers, it is important to be strict but realistic with yamas and niyamas.
When you teach them to students, meet them where they are at, and then slowly help
and guide them towards a higher goal.
Pranayama
“Prana” = life force or chi “Yama” = to control
Therefore, “pranayama” is the control of your life force.
Prana is found everywhere in creation: in air, food, water, sunshine, and space. In
human beings prana exists in all aspects of the body, including the mind, which is a
composition of the five elements.
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Therefore, at Chi Kri we understand pranayama as being much more than just
“breathing exercises”. The practice of pranayama includes thought control, control of
intake of food and water, control of heat. Pranayama is total control of all things,
including the mind.
It is commonly practiced as breath control because this is the most easily accessible
form of prana. There are eight classical pranayama exercises that are practiced for
breath control. Chi Kri also has its own breathing exercises as well as other pranayama
controls, such as Mind Yoga.
The benefits of breath control are to slow the mind, help preserve energy and
temporarily withdraw the consciousness back to its source. Breath control also has a
cleansing effect on the body.
It is stated by yogic masters that the practice of pranayama breathing techniques are
so beneficial that the breath work alone can keep one extremely healthy, even without
doing much physical exercise. It is said that these techniques can change the body’s
temperature, increase the body’s digestive ability, improve the nervous, circulatory,
and respiratory systems, and do other far-ranging functions like remove asthma, lower
blood pressure, and cure other minor ailments.
Pratyahara
At Chi Kri, we define pratyahara as the bridge of conscious change.
On one side of the bridge we have ourselves living in the physical world, led by our
senses and our mind (which works with the data that we receive). On the other side,
we have the more intangible world of the soul.
Pratyahara is the bridge, the journey, and the path that takes us from one side
(external / physical) to the other (internal / spiritual). In a yoga class, this is often
materialised as the practise of relaxation and accompanying passive inner-journey.
Dharana
This limb deals with concentration. A “concentrate” is an undiluted collection of one
substance or thing. With respect to yoga, and in this limb of Dharana, “concentrate”
means the collected consciousness being amassed in one place, or pointed in one
direction. At this stage, we have closed off the senses and are now beginning to
concentrate our energy under the guidance of our consciousness and will power.
Laser-like concentration is essential for success – no one is successful without
concentration. When you learn to meditate, you must be able to concentrate. The
ability to concentrate is such a necessity in human beings that there is a whole limb of
yoga dedicated to it.
In the practice of asana, concentration is obtained by focusing the energy, willpower,
and consciousness on the movement that is taking place, and on the body parts and
senses associated with it. Concentration can also be applied to a focal point upon the
ground (especially when balancing).
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In pranayama, concentration is applied by focusing slightly more inwards on the
breath, respiratory system, movements of the internal organs, as well as on the
techniques themselves. This can be achieved with the eyes open or closed.
Meditation
Meditation is where all concentration is focussed squarely on the soul, the Spirit, or
pure derivatives of either of these, like the chakras. Meditation cannot be achieved
with any stimulation from the five senses. The only permissible exclusion to that is the
guiding voice of a teacher, guru or master for a short period of time, until the
practitioner can be left alone to go deeper by themselves. Remember, the senses were
left behind on the other side of the bridge of conscious change (Pratyahara). And they
cannot enter samadhi. That is why meditation is a strictly spiritual experience.
Samadhi
Samadhi is the liberation of the soul into Spirit: the ultimate aim of the Ashtanga Yoga
System. Samadhi is where you have dissolved your ego (lower self) into your soul
(higher Self) to begin with, and the soul finally back into the Universal Source / Spirit.
There are various states of samadhi like sabikalpa samadhi and nirbikalpa samadhi,
but experience teaches us that the rules for states of samadhi are rarely fixed. Some
states are far deeper than others, and states may change from day to day, and week
to week.
In this area, the rules of Chi Kri Yoga are simple: you attain samadhi (union with the
Divine) purely for the purposes of elevating your soul more permanently, consistently,
and deeply, towards God. You aim to merge with Him, for long or short periods of time,
to enjoy the fruits of that experience. You then return to your normal life enhanced,
enlightened, and ready to serve the Earth, and those who are here, with love and
Truth, wherever you are called upon to do so, and whenever you are capable of doing
so.
Samadhi for the sake of experiencing fanciful and otherworldly experiences or
attaining siddhis (powers), is not the goal we seek. At Chi Kri, the goal is always
kindness, love, forgiveness, patience and so on. If you are deserved of other powers
like time-travel, levitating, manifestation, intense self-healing, control over your atoms
etc. (which are all possible through yoga), they will be added unto you as gifts by God,
when your ego is sufficiently restrained enough not to take advantage of them.
At Chi Kri Yoga, you can certainly achieve a low or high state of samadhi (nirbikalpa
samadhi). It can come quickly or take decades, depending on your ego, progress and
practise. And you should always remain under the strict leadership of your Chi Kri
master or guru – or a Chi Kri graduate-teacher who has been nominated to take you
towards these high degrees of meditation. Note that no one should ever try and guide
you to a state they have not been to themselves.
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Also note that there are 26 involuntary characteristics of samadhi which you will
eventually need to be aware of through your journey into yoga. The below are not
techniques or goals necessarily, and should not be attempted without your teacher’s
direct and unambiguous guidance. They are just listed so you are aware of what your
being might do as it gets into much deeper states of meditation.
1. Total loss of breath
2. Vibration through whole body
3. Movement/shaking of the head left and right
4. Energy shooting up the spinal canal (sushumna)
5. Abdominal cavity sucked into a vacuum
6. Body posture shoots bolt upright
7. Light appears in the forehead
8. Head rolls up
9. White pentagonal star in the forehead
10. Eyes magnetically roll up, past the third eye, towards the crown chakra
11. Bursts of power including clapping, punching of air etc. denoting a vast electric
current moving through the body
12. Hands taken spontaneous mudras (hand positions) – mostly gyana mudra
13. Right hand taking spontaneous blessing pose, sometimes accompanied by
healing power
14. Spontaneous chanting of Aum
15. Spontaneous smiling
16. Spontaneous laughter
17. Smile through all the muscles of the skull - noticeably to the back of the head
near the medulla oblongata
18. Feeling in heart of being loved 1000 x greater than normal
19. Extreme joy, bliss, and happiness
20. Loss of ability to compose mundane thoughts or emotions
21. Total mental silence and trance-like state in God
22. God may begin to communicate to your consciousness
23. God may answer questions you have and present you with new information
24. One remains without breath for several minutes without strain
25. One loses the urge to speak for some time afterwards
26. One’s eyes and skin are purified, light and bright for several minutes after
finishing the samadhi state
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Yoga and the Sanatan Dharma
Yoga is part of the Sanatan Dharma. “Sanatan Dharma” means the Eternal Truth/Way.
The contents of the Sanatan Dharma are sometimes wrongly described as a religion:
“Hinduism.”
However, the Sanatan Dharma is not a religion; it is a metaphysical and spiritual path
leading towards the understanding, alignment, and liberation into Brahman (the Sole
Reality). Therefore, someone from a religion like Christianity or Islam is more than
welcome into the Sanatan Dharma, as it is a non-sectarian inner path. Its teachings
are for all people. Its teachings also contain scriptures on medicine, surgery,
transportation, and engineering, as well as more spiritual matters.
Followers of the Sanatan Dharma are called Sanatanis or Sanatan Dharmis.
Therefore, a yogi, or a yoga practitioner, is technically a Sanatan Dharmi (at very least
for the period of practice).
The Word “Teacher”
The word 'teacher' in Sanskrit is split into several other words. These words are
derived from the teacher’s particular ability.
1. Adhyapak/Upadhyaya: A teacher who gives you information/knowledge
2. Acharya: A teacher who imparts skills
3. Pandit: A teacher who is able to give a deep and specialist insight into a subject
4. Dhrishta: A teacher who has a visionary and inspiring view on a subject
5. Guru: A teacher who is able to awaken the wisdom in you, leading you from
darkness to light
A yoga teacher can be any of these, or several, depending on their particular skills
e.g., an Acharya and a Guru. Or if they are visionary, then a Dhrishta is also suitable.
The Two Types of Scripture
Broadly, there are two types of scripture found in the Sanatan Dharma tradition.
'Shruti': Divinely ordained (heard) literature. These are texts that are ascribed to God
as the author. They are the word of God for all humankind, in any era, and for all time.
Shruti text is non-debatable, non-changeable and eternal. These are commonly known
as the pillars of the Sanatan Dharma path.
'Smriti': Materially composed (memorised) literature. These are ascribed to humans.
These are contemporary spiritual commentaries, prescripts, ideas, and instructions for
a given time, space, and situation. Smriti is not necessarily eternal, although
sometimes they can last for a long time – if they remain relevant.
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An example of Shruti literature is the four Vedas, as they were not ascribed to any
one saint, rishi, or sage. Instead, they were dictated through them, as an offering to
the world. (Vedanta and Upanishads are also Shruti. Samhitas are also often
described as Shruti.)
The Shrutis
Each Veda has four parts to it:
Samhita – Fundamental part of a Veda, with hymns.
Brahmanas – Observations on a Veda, with attention to prayers and ceremonies.
Aranyakas – Containing words to be read by Rishis, (traditionally in forests), dealing
with metaphysical meanings of the Samhita.
Upanishads – The philosophical aspects of the Veda. These are then expounded by
teachers to worthy students.
The Four Vedas:
1. Rig Veda: Hymns and teachings about the gods, practises, and observances
2. Sama Veda: Hymns, songs, melodies, and chants for rituals
3. Yajur Veda: Rituals, recitations, worship formulas, mantras, and chants for
sacrifices
4. Artharva Veda: Mantras, spirit spells, rituals, prayers, ceremonial instructions,
stories and Upanishads
Upanishads (Upa-ni-ṣhad: “Sit down near”): These are the final summaries of each
of the Vedas. “Sit down near” metaphorically means to sit with the teacher, go over
what you know and clarify, discuss, and summarise the Veda in question.
Vedanta (Ved-anta: “End of the Vedas”): These draw ideas from the Upanishads, with
a particular focus on metaphysics, philosophy and the ideas behind God, Creation,
souls and beings.
Advaita Vedanta: By Adi Shankacharya. The main belief is that Brahman (God) is
everything and everything is a part of Brahman (this is the branch of Vedanta most
similar to Chi Kri ideas).
The Smritis
Examples of Smriti literature are the Vedangas, Upavedas etc. which form
supplementary sections of Vedic literature.
Vedanga: Sciences
1. Kalpa (ritual detail)
2. Siksha (pronunciation)
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3. Vyakarana (grammar)
4. Nirukti (etymology)
5. Chandas (meter)
6. Jyotisha (astronomy/astrology)
Upaveda: Arts and Sciences
1. Ayurveda (medicine)
2. Gandharvaveda (music and dance)
3. Dhanurveda (warfare)
4. Shilpaveda (architecture)
Manusmriti: This is an ancient scripture assigned to Svayambhuva Manu. He was the
first “manu” on Earth. (A “manu” is a post, created by Lord Brahma, to be the
embodiment of the “the perfect man.”). Svayambhuva Manu was a mind-son of Lord
Brahma, and wrote this smriti as a guidebook for, amongst other things, how to create
and maintain a civil sociological structure (it contained information about the varna, or
“caste”, system of India). However, much of this text is debated today, as it is claimed
to be a smriti and not a shruti.
Other Terms
Samkhya Philosophy: This is a dualistic school. It is a key metaphysical and scientific
part of the Sanatam Dharma. It explains the meeting of maya and the soul. This is
technical and does not necessarily take the view that everything is Brahman. It
sometimes finds itself at odds with the yogic Advaita Vedanta view.
A ‘Pradipika’ is something which casts light on a subject.
A ‘Sutra’ is essentially a rulebook.
An “Itihasa” is a timeless, ever present and eternally applicable event e.g. the
Mahabharata epic.
Hatha Yoga Pradipika: Manual of yoga
Gheranda Samhita: Manual of yoga
Vasistha Samhita: Manual of yoga
Mandukyakarika: Upanishads of the Atharva Veda
Yoga Sutras: Patanjali’s update on yoga
Bhagavad Gita: Lord Krishna’s exposition of Sanatan Dharma in the Mahabharata
Ramayana: Lord Rama’s exposition of Sanatan Dharma
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The Eight Limbs of Chi Kri
The systems of yoga that were available in the UK when Neil Patel first started
teaching (in 1990) were not really giving people everything that they needed. Hence
Neil created his own system, “Chi Kri”.
“Chi”, often known as “Prana”, "Lifetrons", or “Qi” is the word used to describe the most
potent force in a human being.
“Kri” is a root verb from Sanskrit that means action (and is used in other words like
Kriya and Karma).
Chi Kri: The sum of both these words together means to use your highest energy to
perform all actions.
Chi Kri also has eight limbs:
1. Physical Exercise
2. Diet and Health
3. Breathing Exercises
4. Inspiration
5. Science
6. Creativity
7. Service
8. Liberation
Physical Exercise
Even if we choose to lead a more spiritual life, certain parts of our bodies (like our
muscles and bones) are going to have a deeply interactive relationship with an
uncompromising physical world. Therefore, it is fundamentally important to ensure our
mobility, suppleness, strength, speed, and stamina are optimized for as long as
possible in our lives.
At Chi Kri, we cover these variations on this theme:
- Traditional yoga (asana)
- Chi Kri yoga variations
- Chi Kri Hip Hop Yoga
- Other exercise systems (Ab/core work, weight-training, boxing etc.)
Diet and Health
What we think, feel, eat and drink could all be considered a diet of sorts. They can
contribute greatly to our health, vitality, and healing power.
© Chi Kri Ltd 2023. All rights reserved. Chapter 2: Yoga Philosophy
At Chi Kri, we cover these variations on this theme:
- Food psychology
- Quantum biology
- Food and drink nutritional advice
- Food and drink protocols e.g. juicing
- EBP (evidence-based health theories)
- Help with other general minor ailments and psychological cancer disease
management
- Medicinal natural products e.g. wheatgrass and holistic health protocols e.g.
Ayurveda and Chinese medicine
Breathing Exercises
Every cell in our body requires oxygen. But getting oxygen into the body is not the only
thing the lungs do. Every time we exhale properly, we are throwing out hundreds of
toxins too. The manipulation of the entire breathing system also has many other
benefits. These can range from adjusting the internal thermostat of the body, all the
way to lifting one towards deep states of meditation.
These are included in the areas of breath-work Chi Kri works with:
- Chi Kri breathing exercises
- Classical yogic breathing (pranayama)
Inspiration
The importance of the written language in the awakening of the soul can never be
overstated. Throughout history, human beings have leant into the realisations,
wisdoms, teachings, and observations of others via this medium. Without language,
it’s safe to say that humanity would never have been inspired to grow beyond
mundanity.
At Chi Kri, we cover these inspirational areas:
- Mind Yoga
- Philosophy
- Spiritual Poetry
- Scriptural study (including the Mahabharata and yamas and niyamas)
Science
In years gone by, faith, tradition, and culture were enough to convince social groups
about spirituality and God. But nowadays, there is, quite rightly, more of a demand for
scientific explanations for mystical or esoteric matters.
© Chi Kri Ltd 2023. All rights reserved. Chapter 2: Yoga Philosophy
With a wide variety of hard and soft sciences to choose from, Chi Kri focuses on these
subjects:
- Metaphysics
- Vedic science
- Quantum physics
- Western and Vedic Astrology
Creativity
Creativity serves four important purposes to humankind. Firstly, it gives us a means of
accessing other peoples’ ideas in new and stimulating ways - like music. Secondly, it
gives us a medium to express ourselves in abstract or symbolic ways – like art. Thirdly,
it helps us detoxify our emotions, like dance or poetry. And finally – it’s just fun!
Chi Kri works with written creativity, and in these ways:
- Rap
- Poetry
- Creative writing
Service
A Chi Kri Mind Yoga quote states: “Happiness is the only thing which doubles when
it’s divided.” Yoga guru Paramahansa Yogananda says, “Life should be chiefly
service”. Whilst we naturally serve our family and friends, the aim of a Chi Kri student
is to attempt to serve the community and our world in some way - large or small.
The current projects we work with involve:
- Orphanages
- Anti-knife crime
Liberation
The aim of Chi Kri, and yoga in general, is to control excessive fluctuations of the mind,
emotions, and nervous system, in order to access the silent, still, and eternal soul and
Spirit within us all.
This is achieved through four specific states, which Chi Kri expounds upon:
- Relaxation (pratyahara)
- Concentration (dharana)
- Meditation (dhyana)
- Samadhi (the God state)
The Different Paths of Yoga
As mentioned in Chapter 1, yoga is the act of reunifying with the Spirit – but there are
many ways to do this. At Chi Kri we believe that the number of different people there
are on this Earth, is the same as the number of paths to God. Although spiritually we
are the same, our environments and the way we learn and behave in our earthly
incarnations can vary a great deal.
Largely however, we will fall into groups where our characters may predominate: the
charitable, the devotional, the technical, the wise, the practical, the emotional, and so
on. Yoga caters for these groups of people by offering various core areas to achieve
oneness with the Spirit and with oneself.
Of course, we all have many areas to our personalities, but life being what it is, where
time, concentration, and energy are limited, we tend to follow one path more than the
other, with the aim of understanding it well and excelling in it.
At Chi Kri, we focus predominantly on the Ashtanga Yoga System of Patanjali, also
known as Raja (Royal) Yoga, explored below. You will notice how other aspects of
yoga will come into play from time to time, within yourselves and your lives.
Hatha Yoga
The ultimate aim of a human being is to unite themselves with their soul and, finally,
with the Spirit (or God). This would be considerably more difficult to achieve if the body
was weak or taken over by disease. Hatha Yoga is the yoga of the physical body,
designed to bring health and vitality through various postures (asanas).
The origins of Hatha Yoga postures are said to date back to the god of death, change
and transformation from the trimurti (holy trinity), Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva is said to have
given discourses to his wife, Parvati, and to locals in India on 84,000 different yoga
postures, most of which represent various aspects of nature, like birds, animals,
plants, etc.
These postures were handed down over the years to sages like Matsyendranath, until
the great sage, Patanjali, re-organised the whole yoga system in the 2nd century AD.
He created a system called the Ashtanga Yoga System, also known as the Raja Yoga
System; one of the eight limbs in that system is Hatha Yoga.
Other styles of yoga that incorporate Patanjali and Hatha Yoga include Sivananda,
Iyengar, Bikram, Jivamukti, Vinyasa and Classical Yoga.
Raja Yoga
As stated above, Patanjali created the Raja Yoga System around 200 AD in which he
summarised yoga into eight limbs (or subjects). The aim of the system is the
attainment of samadhi, the conclusion of meditation, oneness with Spirit.
© Chi Kri Ltd 2023. All rights reserved. Chapter 2: Yoga Philosophy
Chi Kri, along with most schools of yoga today, mainly uses the Raja Yoga System.
Raja means royal. It is a technical system, a methodical way of accessing the Spirit or
God, and is the one that most rishis use. The eight limbs of Raja Yoga are described
in more detail later in this chapter.
Karma Yoga
Karma Yoga is the yoga of positive, spiritual and serviceful action without necessarily
seeking anything in return. It can also be said that it is where one offers the benefits
of their labour, and the fruits of their actions, to the universe or God.
Examples of Karma Yoga practice include:
• Selfless service, volunteering, and charity work (“seva”)
• Giving or donating
• Listening
• Teaching
• Preaching
Karma Yoga is something that anyone can incorporate into their life. It doesn’t require
grand gestures. A person who humbly dedicates their life to looking after their family
in the right way can also unify with the Spirit and achieve liberation.
Karma Yogis have good relationships with people and treat them well.
Bhakti Yoga
Bhakti is about loving the Divine through devotion, prayer, faith, and belief. Bhakti is a
form of humble love, which is blind to reason and does not care about knowledge or
proof (i.e. that which is verifiable by the five senses). Where there is that blind faith,
that innocence of heart, the Great Spirit lets these people in: if you have a little faith,
you can move a mountain. Every practice of yoga requires some Bhakti.
Long ago in India, men used to go and practice Raja Yoga (meditation) and the women
used to be busy looking after the children: all they did was Karma Yoga (looking after
the home) and Bhakti Yoga. God was not excluding the women because they didn’t
do asana or meditation.
Bhakti Yoga is powerful. You cannot complete the Raja Yoga system without it. But
you have to let go of the fear: how do you love something you’ve never met? And that’s
the point. There is no doubt at all about the existence of God to a Bhakti Yogi, who
surrenders completely to the love of the Divine. If Bhakti were a person, they would
not have an ego, they would be blind to reason and would not need proof – they would
have unwavering faith! They would wake God up through their love for Him and would
be praying at the temple every day.
Examples of Bhakti Yoga practice in the Christian culture would be prayers, reading
the gospel, praise and worship.
© Chi Kri Ltd 2023. All rights reserved. Chapter 2: Yoga Philosophy
Examples of Bhakti Yoga practice in the Indian culture would be bhajans, aarti, fasting,
and festivals.
Fasting shows discipline and faith in the soul’s energy, as opposed to temptation,
desire and habit. Sometimes fasts are associated with particular deities to extract
particular aspects of the Divinity. If you carry on the process, you will eventually unite
with the Spirit’s power.
Other ways in which one can practice Bhakti Yoga include: expressing devotion
through artistry, creativity, dance, Sufism, rap, poetry, etc.
Gyana Yoga
This is the yoga of wisdom, intuition and inner truth - as opposed to knowledge.
Wisdom is positive discrimination: the ability to choose correctly and distinguish the
good actions from bad actions. It is the overseer of the mind, and it is the greatest
cleanser. Applying wisdom can help to tidy up a cluttered mind and to take away
excess pain and suffering.
Wisdom is a soul quality, one of the five aspects of the soul. People think wisdom is
knowledge/intelligence. It is not. Wisdom is a feeling, not a thought. True wisdom will
not feel like it’s come from the head, it will feel like it’s come from your heart and soul.
It is that part of you that is not using reason, intelligence, logic or emotion, but intuitively
knows what is right and what is wrong. Knowledge can come from the brain while the
mind is active, but we cannot hear wisdom until the mind is still. Wisdom will then come
up to the surface. It will give guidance and direction which is in tune with the soul –
and with the eternal rights and wrongs of the Universe.
Gyana Yoga is the path of introspection, wherein you start to look at your behaviour
and study yourself. It is good to examine your day every night before going to bed.
Gently focus on where you may have made mistakes and where you may need to
improve.
Take time out to follow teachers, gurus, and to read scriptures and meditate upon
them. When you read or hear something wise, digest it as knowledge. Find out what
it means, deconstruct it, and apply it.
You become wiser through experience. Until your beliefs, concepts, and thoughts
about yourself are tested, they are neither true nor false.
Until your mind has been thrashed against the harsh realities of day to day living, you
can believe anything, but it doesn’t mean it’s real. That is why experience counts for
so much. Without experience there is no chance of maturity. You are learning from
your mistakes, so that the next time you are presented with a similar situation, you act
in the better way.
By aligning to wisdom, you are aligning to truth. Through wisdom you can be closer to
union with God’s consciousness. With practice, this becomes your habit, and you build
a samskara (behavioural pattern) in your consciousness. You will take this with you
through lifetimes: Gyana accumulates with incarnations. As your soul evolves you
© Chi Kri Ltd 2023. All rights reserved. Chapter 2: Yoga Philosophy
have more soul qualities in your character than ego qualities, and more wisdom
develops.
The Gyana Yogi eventually knows and understands everything: scriptures,
metaphysics, and the workings of everything from the heavens down to humanity.
They possess all knowledge and wisdom and know how to behave in any situation.
Their response is always in tune with the soul.
If you function like this in life, you are attuned and aligned with Sat, the eternal Truth.
God is described as Sat (Truth) - Chit (Consciousness) - Ananda (Bliss). No matter
what the Universe puts you through on Earth, as a Gyana Yogi you have a high degree
of integrity and dignity, always sticking to Truth and principles.
It takes the practice of meditation to determine what your inner voice of wisdom is.
You cannot think or emote your way to that answer. You must fight your ego to reach
it. You need to be mentally still. Until the mind is still you cannot see the soul. Gyana
Yogis constantly stay in that place of inner stillness. The Gyana Yogi is “calmly active
and actively calm,” as Paramahansa Yogananda says.
Kriya Yoga
Paramahansa Yogananda brought Kriya Yoga to the world from Mahavatar Babaji.
Babaji is around 1800 years old and lives in the Himalayas; he retains the body of a
25-year-old.
"Kriya Yoga is an instrument through which human evolution can be quickened," Sri
Yukteswar explained to his students. "The ancient yogis discovered that the secret of
cosmic consciousness is intimately linked with breath mastery. This is India's unique
and deathless contribution to the world's treasury of knowledge. The life force, which
is ordinarily absorbed in maintaining the heart-pump, must be freed for higher activities
by a method of calming and stilling the ceaseless demands of the breath."
Kriya Yoga contains specific meditation, breathing, and energy transformation
techniques that are performed for the unification of the soul with the Spirit. They are
very powerful, and Kriya Yoga is considered to be the highest technique of meditation
and pranayama available to humanity. To master it, one first needs to master a form
of yoga like Chi Kri.
Mantra (Japa) Yoga
Mantra (or Japa) Yoga involves continuous repetition of God’s name and
concentration on that force e.g. chanting “Aum” or “Hare Krishna”. When one repeats
the “Hare Krishna” mantra with full attention and unbroken concentration, the mind will
be settled and completely focussed.
You can also take on the qualities of the focus of your concentration. This will change
you on a subtle level. For example, if you concentrate on repeating “Aum” to the
exclusion of all other things, you will take on the qualities of Aum. This will have a
harmonising, healing, and uplifting effect on the body and mind.
© Chi Kri Ltd 2023. All rights reserved. Chapter 2: Yoga Philosophy
Mantra is most effective when done with a spiritual feeling (“bhav”), love, and the right
attitude. Call out to God with love and He will respond positively out of love. You are
trying to tune into a higher frequency that resonates with your soul and Spirit.
Mantra Yoga can open your chakras too. Each chakra is associated with a specific
sound, and by chanting the relevant sound you can connect with the chi in that chakra.
The whole language of Sanskrit and yoga was designed around sound vibrations.
Every word in Sanskrit is composed of syllables which relate to a chakra and have a
specific effect on your being. For example, the word “Ram” comes from the Manipura
chakra.
The Eight Limbs of Patanjali’s Raja Yoga System
Modern yoga is structured in this way:
1. Asana (Hatha Yoga): Physical body work, disciplines, and observances
2. Yama: Public codes of conduct
3. Niyama: Private codes of conduct
4. Pranayama: Control of life force, energy/chi in the body
5. Pratyahara: Sense withdrawal
6. Dharana: The concentration of consciousness
7. Dhyana: Meditation – concentration on the soul, Spirit or direct derivatives of
the same
8. Samadhi: Liberation of the soul into Spirit: the aim of yoga.
Asana / Hatha Yoga
This limb focuses on the physical body and is the form of yoga that most people today
are familiar with. At Chi Kri, we define this as the first limb of yoga, as this is the most
common entry point into yoga for most people.
Yoga is a lot to do with personal, mental, and spiritual development; but without a
strong, healthy body, your development is certainly harder. Therefore, looking after
your physical body is essential, as it is the vehicle that carries you through the journey
of life. Your consciousness is the driver, making the decisions on where to go and
what route to take.
No matter how far you develop in virtually any area of life, if your vehicle is not well
maintained, it could surprise you with breaking down at any time and prevent you from
progressing any further. Or you could be driving along with a flat tyre and a broken
windscreen that considerably slows you down and hampers your progress. You will
still be able to go, but you are not going as far or as efficiently as you could.
In other words, being imperfect physically will not stop you growing, it just gives you
distractions and discomforts on your path. These are also lessons in themselves, but
it is wiser if we can avoid them! Therefore, keeping your “vehicle” in the best possible
condition that you can is going to get you further on this journey of life. The actual
© Chi Kri Ltd 2023. All rights reserved. Chapter 2: Yoga Philosophy
practice of Hatha Yoga develops strength, suppleness, and stamina. This limb also
works on all the major systems of the body: muscular, skeletal, nervous, digestive etc.
The literal translation of “asana” is “seat.” So, asanas are also known as the stool or
correct position for meditation. This includes standing and sitting postures too. Sitting
with the spine erect and tall is important as it allows the energy (prana) to flow.
Asana is not the goal of yoga. In its purest sense, the purpose of asana is to strengthen
the physical body so it can sit in meditation for hours without disturbances (such as
the back and spine aching, the digestive system suffering, the body being poisoned
by toxicity, headaches occurring, stomach rumbling, getting tired, or losing vitality).
Yamas and Niyamas
Yamas and niyamas are collectively known as the ten disciplines, controls, or
“commandments” of yoga.
Yamas: Five Public Codes of Conduct
1. Ahimsa: Non-violence
2. Asteya: Non-stealing
3. Aparigraha: Non-coveting or non-hoarding
4. Brahmacharya: Observance of God’s will
5. Satya: Truthfulness
Niyamas: Five Personal Codes of Conduct
1. Saucha: Purity
2. Santosha: Contentment
3. Swadhyaya: Study of the self
4. Ishwarapranidhana: Devotion, worship of Aum
5. Tapas: Fiery determination, control, transformation
As Chi Kri teachers, it is important to be strict but realistic with yamas and niyamas.
When you teach them to students, meet them where they are at, and then slowly help
and guide them towards a higher goal.
Pranayama
“Prana” = life force or chi “Yama” = to control
Therefore, “pranayama” is the control of your life force.
Prana is found everywhere in creation: in air, food, water, sunshine, and space. In
human beings prana exists in all aspects of the body, including the mind, which is a
composition of the five elements.
© Chi Kri Ltd 2023. All rights reserved. Chapter 2: Yoga Philosophy
Therefore, at Chi Kri we understand pranayama as being much more than just
“breathing exercises”. The practice of pranayama includes thought control, control of
intake of food and water, control of heat. Pranayama is total control of all things,
including the mind.
It is commonly practiced as breath control because this is the most easily accessible
form of prana. There are eight classical pranayama exercises that are practiced for
breath control. Chi Kri also has its own breathing exercises as well as other pranayama
controls, such as Mind Yoga.
The benefits of breath control are to slow the mind, help preserve energy and
temporarily withdraw the consciousness back to its source. Breath control also has a
cleansing effect on the body.
It is stated by yogic masters that the practice of pranayama breathing techniques are
so beneficial that the breath work alone can keep one extremely healthy, even without
doing much physical exercise. It is said that these techniques can change the body’s
temperature, increase the body’s digestive ability, improve the nervous, circulatory,
and respiratory systems, and do other far-ranging functions like remove asthma, lower
blood pressure, and cure other minor ailments.
Pratyahara
At Chi Kri, we define pratyahara as the bridge of conscious change.
On one side of the bridge we have ourselves living in the physical world, led by our
senses and our mind (which works with the data that we receive). On the other side,
we have the more intangible world of the soul.
Pratyahara is the bridge, the journey, and the path that takes us from one side
(external / physical) to the other (internal / spiritual). In a yoga class, this is often
materialised as the practise of relaxation and accompanying passive inner-journey.
Dharana
This limb deals with concentration. A “concentrate” is an undiluted collection of one
substance or thing. With respect to yoga, and in this limb of Dharana, “concentrate”
means the collected consciousness being amassed in one place, or pointed in one
direction. At this stage, we have closed off the senses and are now beginning to
concentrate our energy under the guidance of our consciousness and will power.
Laser-like concentration is essential for success – no one is successful without
concentration. When you learn to meditate, you must be able to concentrate. The
ability to concentrate is such a necessity in human beings that there is a whole limb of
yoga dedicated to it.
In the practice of asana, concentration is obtained by focusing the energy, willpower,
and consciousness on the movement that is taking place, and on the body parts and
senses associated with it. Concentration can also be applied to a focal point upon the
ground (especially when balancing).
© Chi Kri Ltd 2023. All rights reserved. Chapter 2: Yoga Philosophy
In pranayama, concentration is applied by focusing slightly more inwards on the
breath, respiratory system, movements of the internal organs, as well as on the
techniques themselves. This can be achieved with the eyes open or closed.
Meditation
Meditation is where all concentration is focussed squarely on the soul, the Spirit, or
pure derivatives of either of these, like the chakras. Meditation cannot be achieved
with any stimulation from the five senses. The only permissible exclusion to that is the
guiding voice of a teacher, guru or master for a short period of time, until the
practitioner can be left alone to go deeper by themselves. Remember, the senses were
left behind on the other side of the bridge of conscious change (Pratyahara). And they
cannot enter samadhi. That is why meditation is a strictly spiritual experience.
Samadhi
Samadhi is the liberation of the soul into Spirit: the ultimate aim of the Ashtanga Yoga
System. Samadhi is where you have dissolved your ego (lower self) into your soul
(higher Self) to begin with, and the soul finally back into the Universal Source / Spirit.
There are various states of samadhi like sabikalpa samadhi and nirbikalpa samadhi,
but experience teaches us that the rules for states of samadhi are rarely fixed. Some
states are far deeper than others, and states may change from day to day, and week
to week.
In this area, the rules of Chi Kri Yoga are simple: you attain samadhi (union with the
Divine) purely for the purposes of elevating your soul more permanently, consistently,
and deeply, towards God. You aim to merge with Him, for long or short periods of time,
to enjoy the fruits of that experience. You then return to your normal life enhanced,
enlightened, and ready to serve the Earth, and those who are here, with love and
Truth, wherever you are called upon to do so, and whenever you are capable of doing
so.
Samadhi for the sake of experiencing fanciful and otherworldly experiences or
attaining siddhis (powers), is not the goal we seek. At Chi Kri, the goal is always
kindness, love, forgiveness, patience and so on. If you are deserved of other powers
like time-travel, levitating, manifestation, intense self-healing, control over your atoms
etc. (which are all possible through yoga), they will be added unto you as gifts by God,
when your ego is sufficiently restrained enough not to take advantage of them.
At Chi Kri Yoga, you can certainly achieve a low or high state of samadhi (nirbikalpa
samadhi). It can come quickly or take decades, depending on your ego, progress and
practise. And you should always remain under the strict leadership of your Chi Kri
master or guru – or a Chi Kri graduate-teacher who has been nominated to take you
towards these high degrees of meditation. Note that no one should ever try and guide
you to a state they have not been to themselves.
© Chi Kri Ltd 2023. All rights reserved. Chapter 2: Yoga Philosophy
Also note that there are 26 involuntary characteristics of samadhi which you will
eventually need to be aware of through your journey into yoga. The below are not
techniques or goals necessarily, and should not be attempted without your teacher’s
direct and unambiguous guidance. They are just listed so you are aware of what your
being might do as it gets into much deeper states of meditation.
1. Total loss of breath
2. Vibration through whole body
3. Movement/shaking of the head left and right
4. Energy shooting up the spinal canal (sushumna)
5. Abdominal cavity sucked into a vacuum
6. Body posture shoots bolt upright
7. Light appears in the forehead
8. Head rolls up
9. White pentagonal star in the forehead
10. Eyes magnetically roll up, past the third eye, towards the crown chakra
11. Bursts of power including clapping, punching of air etc. denoting a vast electric
current moving through the body
12. Hands taken spontaneous mudras (hand positions) – mostly gyana mudra
13. Right hand taking spontaneous blessing pose, sometimes accompanied by
healing power
14. Spontaneous chanting of Aum
15. Spontaneous smiling
16. Spontaneous laughter
17. Smile through all the muscles of the skull - noticeably to the back of the head
near the medulla oblongata
18. Feeling in heart of being loved 1000 x greater than normal
19. Extreme joy, bliss, and happiness
20. Loss of ability to compose mundane thoughts or emotions
21. Total mental silence and trance-like state in God
22. God may begin to communicate to your consciousness
23. God may answer questions you have and present you with new information
24. One remains without breath for several minutes without strain
25. One loses the urge to speak for some time afterwards
26. One’s eyes and skin are purified, light and bright for several minutes after
finishing the samadhi state
© Chi Kri Ltd 2023. All rights reserved. Chapter 2: Yoga Philosophy
Yoga and the Sanatan Dharma
Yoga is part of the Sanatan Dharma. “Sanatan Dharma” means the Eternal Truth/Way.
The contents of the Sanatan Dharma are sometimes wrongly described as a religion:
“Hinduism.”
However, the Sanatan Dharma is not a religion; it is a metaphysical and spiritual path
leading towards the understanding, alignment, and liberation into Brahman (the Sole
Reality). Therefore, someone from a religion like Christianity or Islam is more than
welcome into the Sanatan Dharma, as it is a non-sectarian inner path. Its teachings
are for all people. Its teachings also contain scriptures on medicine, surgery,
transportation, and engineering, as well as more spiritual matters.
Followers of the Sanatan Dharma are called Sanatanis or Sanatan Dharmis.
Therefore, a yogi, or a yoga practitioner, is technically a Sanatan Dharmi (at very least
for the period of practice).
The Word “Teacher”
The word 'teacher' in Sanskrit is split into several other words. These words are
derived from the teacher’s particular ability.
1. Adhyapak/Upadhyaya: A teacher who gives you information/knowledge
2. Acharya: A teacher who imparts skills
3. Pandit: A teacher who is able to give a deep and specialist insight into a subject
4. Dhrishta: A teacher who has a visionary and inspiring view on a subject
5. Guru: A teacher who is able to awaken the wisdom in you, leading you from
darkness to light
A yoga teacher can be any of these, or several, depending on their particular skills
e.g., an Acharya and a Guru. Or if they are visionary, then a Dhrishta is also suitable.
The Two Types of Scripture
Broadly, there are two types of scripture found in the Sanatan Dharma tradition.
'Shruti': Divinely ordained (heard) literature. These are texts that are ascribed to God
as the author. They are the word of God for all humankind, in any era, and for all time.
Shruti text is non-debatable, non-changeable and eternal. These are commonly known
as the pillars of the Sanatan Dharma path.
'Smriti': Materially composed (memorised) literature. These are ascribed to humans.
These are contemporary spiritual commentaries, prescripts, ideas, and instructions for
a given time, space, and situation. Smriti is not necessarily eternal, although
sometimes they can last for a long time – if they remain relevant.
© Chi Kri Ltd 2023. All rights reserved. Chapter 2: Yoga Philosophy
An example of Shruti literature is the four Vedas, as they were not ascribed to any
one saint, rishi, or sage. Instead, they were dictated through them, as an offering to
the world. (Vedanta and Upanishads are also Shruti. Samhitas are also often
described as Shruti.)
The Shrutis
Each Veda has four parts to it:
Samhita – Fundamental part of a Veda, with hymns.
Brahmanas – Observations on a Veda, with attention to prayers and ceremonies.
Aranyakas – Containing words to be read by Rishis, (traditionally in forests), dealing
with metaphysical meanings of the Samhita.
Upanishads – The philosophical aspects of the Veda. These are then expounded by
teachers to worthy students.
The Four Vedas:
1. Rig Veda: Hymns and teachings about the gods, practises, and observances
2. Sama Veda: Hymns, songs, melodies, and chants for rituals
3. Yajur Veda: Rituals, recitations, worship formulas, mantras, and chants for
sacrifices
4. Artharva Veda: Mantras, spirit spells, rituals, prayers, ceremonial instructions,
stories and Upanishads
Upanishads (Upa-ni-ṣhad: “Sit down near”): These are the final summaries of each
of the Vedas. “Sit down near” metaphorically means to sit with the teacher, go over
what you know and clarify, discuss, and summarise the Veda in question.
Vedanta (Ved-anta: “End of the Vedas”): These draw ideas from the Upanishads, with
a particular focus on metaphysics, philosophy and the ideas behind God, Creation,
souls and beings.
Advaita Vedanta: By Adi Shankacharya. The main belief is that Brahman (God) is
everything and everything is a part of Brahman (this is the branch of Vedanta most
similar to Chi Kri ideas).
The Smritis
Examples of Smriti literature are the Vedangas, Upavedas etc. which form
supplementary sections of Vedic literature.
Vedanga: Sciences
1. Kalpa (ritual detail)
2. Siksha (pronunciation)
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3. Vyakarana (grammar)
4. Nirukti (etymology)
5. Chandas (meter)
6. Jyotisha (astronomy/astrology)
Upaveda: Arts and Sciences
1. Ayurveda (medicine)
2. Gandharvaveda (music and dance)
3. Dhanurveda (warfare)
4. Shilpaveda (architecture)
Manusmriti: This is an ancient scripture assigned to Svayambhuva Manu. He was the
first “manu” on Earth. (A “manu” is a post, created by Lord Brahma, to be the
embodiment of the “the perfect man.”). Svayambhuva Manu was a mind-son of Lord
Brahma, and wrote this smriti as a guidebook for, amongst other things, how to create
and maintain a civil sociological structure (it contained information about the varna, or
“caste”, system of India). However, much of this text is debated today, as it is claimed
to be a smriti and not a shruti.
Other Terms
Samkhya Philosophy: This is a dualistic school. It is a key metaphysical and scientific
part of the Sanatam Dharma. It explains the meeting of maya and the soul. This is
technical and does not necessarily take the view that everything is Brahman. It
sometimes finds itself at odds with the yogic Advaita Vedanta view.
A ‘Pradipika’ is something which casts light on a subject.
A ‘Sutra’ is essentially a rulebook.
An “Itihasa” is a timeless, ever present and eternally applicable event e.g. the
Mahabharata epic.
Hatha Yoga Pradipika: Manual of yoga
Gheranda Samhita: Manual of yoga
Vasistha Samhita: Manual of yoga
Mandukyakarika: Upanishads of the Atharva Veda
Yoga Sutras: Patanjali’s update on yoga
Bhagavad Gita: Lord Krishna’s exposition of Sanatan Dharma in the Mahabharata
Ramayana: Lord Rama’s exposition of Sanatan Dharma
© Chi Kri Ltd 2023. All rights reserved. Chapter 2: Yoga Philosophy
The Eight Limbs of Chi Kri
The systems of yoga that were available in the UK when Neil Patel first started
teaching (in 1990) were not really giving people everything that they needed. Hence
Neil created his own system, “Chi Kri”.
“Chi”, often known as “Prana”, "Lifetrons", or “Qi” is the word used to describe the most
potent force in a human being.
“Kri” is a root verb from Sanskrit that means action (and is used in other words like
Kriya and Karma).
Chi Kri: The sum of both these words together means to use your highest energy to
perform all actions.
Chi Kri also has eight limbs:
1. Physical Exercise
2. Diet and Health
3. Breathing Exercises
4. Inspiration
5. Science
6. Creativity
7. Service
8. Liberation
Physical Exercise
Even if we choose to lead a more spiritual life, certain parts of our bodies (like our
muscles and bones) are going to have a deeply interactive relationship with an
uncompromising physical world. Therefore, it is fundamentally important to ensure our
mobility, suppleness, strength, speed, and stamina are optimized for as long as
possible in our lives.
At Chi Kri, we cover these variations on this theme:
- Traditional yoga (asana)
- Chi Kri yoga variations
- Chi Kri Hip Hop Yoga
- Other exercise systems (Ab/core work, weight-training, boxing etc.)
Diet and Health
What we think, feel, eat and drink could all be considered a diet of sorts. They can
contribute greatly to our health, vitality, and healing power.
© Chi Kri Ltd 2023. All rights reserved. Chapter 2: Yoga Philosophy
At Chi Kri, we cover these variations on this theme:
- Food psychology
- Quantum biology
- Food and drink nutritional advice
- Food and drink protocols e.g. juicing
- EBP (evidence-based health theories)
- Help with other general minor ailments and psychological cancer disease
management
- Medicinal natural products e.g. wheatgrass and holistic health protocols e.g.
Ayurveda and Chinese medicine
Breathing Exercises
Every cell in our body requires oxygen. But getting oxygen into the body is not the only
thing the lungs do. Every time we exhale properly, we are throwing out hundreds of
toxins too. The manipulation of the entire breathing system also has many other
benefits. These can range from adjusting the internal thermostat of the body, all the
way to lifting one towards deep states of meditation.
These are included in the areas of breath-work Chi Kri works with:
- Chi Kri breathing exercises
- Classical yogic breathing (pranayama)
Inspiration
The importance of the written language in the awakening of the soul can never be
overstated. Throughout history, human beings have leant into the realisations,
wisdoms, teachings, and observations of others via this medium. Without language,
it’s safe to say that humanity would never have been inspired to grow beyond
mundanity.
At Chi Kri, we cover these inspirational areas:
- Mind Yoga
- Philosophy
- Spiritual Poetry
- Scriptural study (including the Mahabharata and yamas and niyamas)
Science
In years gone by, faith, tradition, and culture were enough to convince social groups
about spirituality and God. But nowadays, there is, quite rightly, more of a demand for
scientific explanations for mystical or esoteric matters.
© Chi Kri Ltd 2023. All rights reserved. Chapter 2: Yoga Philosophy
With a wide variety of hard and soft sciences to choose from, Chi Kri focuses on these
subjects:
- Metaphysics
- Vedic science
- Quantum physics
- Western and Vedic Astrology
Creativity
Creativity serves four important purposes to humankind. Firstly, it gives us a means of
accessing other peoples’ ideas in new and stimulating ways - like music. Secondly, it
gives us a medium to express ourselves in abstract or symbolic ways – like art. Thirdly,
it helps us detoxify our emotions, like dance or poetry. And finally – it’s just fun!
Chi Kri works with written creativity, and in these ways:
- Rap
- Poetry
- Creative writing
Service
A Chi Kri Mind Yoga quote states: “Happiness is the only thing which doubles when
it’s divided.” Yoga guru Paramahansa Yogananda says, “Life should be chiefly
service”. Whilst we naturally serve our family and friends, the aim of a Chi Kri student
is to attempt to serve the community and our world in some way - large or small.
The current projects we work with involve:
- Orphanages
- Anti-knife crime
Liberation
The aim of Chi Kri, and yoga in general, is to control excessive fluctuations of the mind,
emotions, and nervous system, in order to access the silent, still, and eternal soul and
Spirit within us all.
This is achieved through four specific states, which Chi Kri expounds upon:
- Relaxation (pratyahara)
- Concentration (dharana)
- Meditation (dhyana)
- Samadhi (the God state)