Vijnana Yoga

Practicing, feeling, understanding - from inside

Vijnana, – the act of distinguishing or discerning, understanding, recognizing, intelligence, knowledge, skill, art, science
(Monier Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary, p. 961)

Vijnana Yoga aspires to refine and integrate the body, mind, heart and consciousness in a balanced way. This is done through the practice of sitting, pranayama (breathing exercises), asana (postures) and the study of texts. The guiding Principles of relaxing the body, quieting the mind, focusing through intent, rooting, connecting, awareness of breath and expanding allow us to go deep within and from there to see, to feel, to understand and to act skillfully.

"Verily, different from and within the sheath consisting of mind (manas) is the atma consisting of Vijnana (understanding). This has the form of a person…

Faith (sraddha) is its head,
Order (rta) is its right side.
Truth (satya) is its left side.
Yoga is its body.
The Great Intelligence (mahat) is its lower part, the foundation."
(Taittriya Upanishad II.41)

"At the stage of mind (manas), we accept authority which is external.
At the stage of Vijnana, internal growth is affected. We develop faith, order, truthfulness and union with the supreme."
(from S. Radhakrishnan’s commentary on the Taittriya Upanishad)