Essay questions for RLST 2612 Exam

Essay questions for RLST 2612 Exam

It can be developed that the eight limbs that belong to the Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra include the combinations of more than 196 Indian Sutras that are portrayed to practice Yoga. It can be denoted that the eight limbs of the Yoga Sutra consist of the individuals that adhered to the classical Yoga philosophy that is indicated to have been the foundational texts of this Yoga philosophy. Therefore, the eight limbs include the Dhyana, Dharana, Pranayama, Niyama, Yamas, Samadhi, Pratyahara, and Asana (Module week 12-13, slide 12). It is worth indicating that Jainism attributes to the religion among Indians that reveals on the spiritual purity of individuals and further attempts to suggest on the actions of discipline and lack of violence across nature of living things to facilitate the enlightenment era.

For instance, it is correct to note that specific characteristics that are portrayed in the Yoga Sutra include the Bhakti, which is all about devotion (Module week 14, slide 2). In this type of practice, the individuals of the culture are revealed to have a love for God which they later develop in the form of meditation to have visual prospects of the God they have loved. In this practice, Indians are revealed to meditate about God. Therefore, the practice can be compared to Jainism’s meditation practice. It is considered to be a necessary act among believers of the religion. The contrast that exists among the two is the objectives of the meditation (Module week 14, slide 6). Among the Yoga Sutra, meditation is meant to develop a love for God. However, in Jainism, meditation focuses on eliminating and stopping karmic attachments or actions among believers. In Yoga Sutras, it might be portrayed as a means of self-realization.

The Tantric of Yoga practices can be portrayed to have similarities and differences with the practices of Yoga Sutra. The similarity exists in terms of the application of mindfulness. They engage in meditation to facilitate the process of thinking. The two are similar in the practices that are conducted by the individuals to engage mind control and avert from making the mind fluctuate rather than initiating it to stop thinking. It can be further developed that Tantric of Yoga differs with Yoga Sutra through its form of divine tapestry. The belief enables the individual to have positivity that everything that exists is sacred; hence, there they are portrayed in full awareness. The tantric yoga practices are further based on the belief that everything that occurs in the universe brings beauty and ecstasy. The Yoga Sutra of the Patanjali has a belief that the divine nature associated with religious thoughts is differentiated from the experiences in the world. Tantric practices further differ from the Yoga Sutra through the viewpoints on the body of an individual. The Tantra of Yoga thinks that the body is a manifestation of spirit while the Yoga Sutra practices portray the body as an inferior spirit.

Tantra and the classical Yoga differ in the Hatha yogic practices. In this case, Tantra yoga makes use of practices to promote awareness of the divine body connection, unlike those of the Yoga Sutra. Moreover, in modern practices, the two differ in terms of the postures, precision, and alignment of the Yoga (Module 12-13, slide 9). It varies with that of Tantra in that it initiates in body alignment process in every asana.  In the Yogananda, how meditation is conducted and the objectives associated with the two brings out the difference (module 15, slide 4). The Yoga Sutra is portrayed to use it as a form of self-actualization and developing love for God, unlike in Tantra yoga (Module week 14, slide 9).

It can be developed that modern yogis have numerous ways in which they engage in the study and understanding of Yoga. For instance, it can be established that they participate in reading the teachings that were developed from past Yogis. Moreover, they can engage in studying the postures, alignment, and patterns that were followed by ancient yogis. The books that have been authored work to enable modern yogis to have a better understanding of yoga. Moreover, through the popular yoga culture in recent times, it can be denoted that modern yogis learn yoga through the concepts that are developed in the culture (Module 15, slide 15).

Modern yogis always have the opportunity to draw understanding in terms of the philosophical ideas that were developed from ancient times. The central structures through the contemplations, practices, and other forms of accomplishments help in engaging in learning. The natural progression further aids them to have a better understanding of the training techniques used. Concerning the Hatha yoga, modern yogis have made use of the postures that are in recent times portrayed through the Instagram posts. Moreover, the advanced yogis are making use of physical exercises from Hatha yoga have brought about happiness and healthy nature among them (Module week 14, slide 10). The texts of Shiva Samhita Hatha yoga Pradipika and Gheranda Samhita also enable modern yogis to understand yoga.

The Yogananda compares to the Ana forest based on the practices that are conducted to eliminate evil thoughts and emotions that might develop in the minds of individuals. However, it contrasts with the Ana forests as the forest one indicates more on the native ceremonies and healings that are not expounded on the other. The tantra yoga plays the role of defining the physical postures, visualization, and making the mind of an individual to contemplate in describing the modern forms of yoga. Moreover, it can be indicated that Tantra play helps in the preservation and expansion of the practices that are portrayed in ancient yoga. It helps in improving the postures and alignments that are practised. Tantra changes direction of yoga through the divine nature it associates with the world and promoting the practices and postures postulated in it.

Yoga has been represented in the contemporary world today through the practices and postures that are made in the gymnasiums. Moreover, it can be indicated that yoga practitioners who seek to develop a further understanding of it could represent yoga in the form of the studies they have conducted. Yoga has been described in the modern world through the present forms of yoga in the articles written. Moreover, postures on Instagram and other social media platforms help to develop the concept of yoga and further represent it. Yoga studios and temples have also expressed it through the practices conducted. Yoga has been faced with the disputes of random changes in modern society to achieving desired health status. Moreover, the extreme risks associated with yoga have raised disputes. Marketing yoga results in the development of the diverse number of postures and explanations on the alignments. It is right to indicate that the yoga postures used in the marketing help in the transformation of the yoga teachings. Moreover, the yoga teacher’s capacity to market themselves helps in the borrowing of the practices that are advocated in marketing in diverse societies.