Jnana yoga: learn to channel energy with the simplest postures and breaths


Tamara Villa

The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’, which means to unite. And the
jnana yoga It is an ancient practice that seeks to unite the mind and body in harmony through deep breathing and physical asanas. Ultimately, it is intended to help a person achieve
release from suffering channeling the flow of energy in your body.

According to yogic principles, the true nature and individuality of each person is based on four things:
body, mind, emotions and energy. Every person, regardless of his nature, must follow the four paths of yoga to achieve moksha or final liberation.

These include: Karma yoga or the path of action, which can be mental or physical; Bhakti yoga or the path of devotion towards all humans and animals; Raja yoga or the path of discipline, which focuses the mind of the seeker; and the
fourth path is Jnana yogaalso known as jnana marga or Gyan yoga, where ‘jnana’ means
knowledge or wisdom.

The basic concept of Jnana yoga is
take the path of awareness through absolute awareness through the practice of Svadhyaya (self-study). Since this path of yoga emphasizes introspection, it is considered one of the most challenging means of personal development.

The goals of practicing jnana yoga

To do Jnana yoga is to perform a
introspection exercise in the being of oneself asking questions like ‘who and what am I’, and what is my self (soul). The attainment of supreme knowledge helps you realize your egoistic desires, limitations, ego, illusions, and ignorance. It focuses on helping a person achieve liberation from suffering through experiential knowledge of absolute divine truth and universal consciousness.

Woman doing yoga/UNSPLASH

The basics of Jnana yoga involve
get rid of everything superficial and achieve self-realization. Since this requires a lot of will and determination, Jnana yoga is considered one of the most difficult yogic practices, but the results are incredibly unique.

How is Jnana Yoga practiced?

The practice of Jnana yoga requires
sit in a comfortable position. You can assume poses like Padmasana, Ardha Padmasana, Sukhasana, or Vajrasana. Since these asanas keep the spine straight, they are very helpful in reaping the benefits of the practice. Open the palms of the hands and touch the tips of the thumb and index finger. Straighten the rest of the fingers of both hands. Rest your palm on your knees facing up.

Begin to
calm your mind and free it from all emotions, feelings and mundane thoughts. You can do this by taking a few deep breaths and collecting your thoughts. Even if your mind wanders, you don’t need to be hard on yourself. Instead, gently guide your mind toward mindfulness.

Once your head is devoid of thoughts, follow a series of steps that will help you
stabilize your emotions and will help to differentiate the real ‘you’ from all that is transitory. You can even ask yourself existential questions about your inner self. Shama or calm implies not reacting to any external stimulus or action. Lady or strength begs any sensory stimulus. Uparati means to discharge all your worldly duties wholeheartedly. Titiksha is enduring all pain and suffering in silence. And the last step is Samadhana, a single focus on ultimate liberation and nothing else.

Woman doing yoga/PEXELS

After following the steps mentioned above,
meditate for as long as you need. He ends this session by vigorously rubbing your palms together. Once they are warm, place them over your closed eyes for a few seconds. Remove the palms of your hands and open your eyes gently.

What are the benefits of Jnana Yoga?

One of the most important benefits of Jnana yoga is that by
channel the flow of energy in your body and couple it with conscious breathing, it will improve your blood circulation. When this happens, organs like the kidneys, liver, and heart work better. This, in the long run, helps prevent serious diseases.

As you may have guessed by now, one of the most important components of the Jnana yoga practice is to calm the mind and
keep away all negative thoughts. This is an excellent mindfulness technique that reduces stress and anxiety. Stress reduction not only keeps you happier, but it will also have several benefits for your body. These include a lower risk of hypertension, headaches, heart disease, high blood sugar, etc.

When you practice Jnana yoga, which among other things consists of
touch the tips of the thumb and index fingerIt works like an acupressure technique. It will help keep your pituitary and pineal glands healthy and reduce the risk of thyroid and hormonal imbalance. That’s why it’s perfect from the age of 50!