All the religions have their yoga, even Christianity.

In sanscrit, the word Yoga results from the root "youj", word which means: connection, link, union.

On the other hand, the word Religion comes from the Latin "religare", word which means: to connect, to join, to unite.
 
Now, yoga, as religion, have both this same purpose to unite the individual spirit of the man with the great Spirit: God.

In our materialist civilization, people tend to remove in the yoga its spiritual dimension. So, by throwing back the main thing, by rejecting the essential, it remains there often only the bark, such an empty bowl.

Yoga declares that it is possible to unite with the original Cause of the existence, which we call God. Yoga does not claim to be a religion. It does not offer either to be a better one instrument than religion.

Correctly understood, religion itself is a shape of yoga. Because it has also for purpose the union, the fusion of the creature with his Creator: God.

Yoga is the practical side of the religion. For example, Christianity is called Bakhti-yoga; it is the yoga of the divine love, the yoga of the worship.

Some yogas are not adapted any more to our current way of life, or to our mentality. What was valid in India, there were millenniums ago, does not give any more the same results in our current civilization. Certain exercises must be adapted to our psychic mentality and adapted according to the region, to the environment, with the climate. They require also the advices of a spiritual guide.

Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov


« God is love; and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. »

(1 John 4:16)

« Jesus said: "I and the Father are one!" To be able to pronounce a similar sentence, Jesus had had to make a gigantic work. And it is this work that we have to make, we also, after him, by following his example. The one for that this identification becomes really a reality lives in the plenitude. God is in us, as his Realm is in us. If you become aware that you are inseparable of the Creator, you will feel that you see there more and more clear to resolve your problems and especially to do good around you. Whereas if you are far, you will be abandoned to your only resources which are very limited. Then, poor Christians who do not want to accept this way that Jesus drew for them! They must know that certain Indians exceeded them in the understanding. When they have a practice, they learn to meditate on the formula: "I am He" and they pronounce it so that it becomes in them flesh and bone. At this moment their small and limited I does not exist any more, it is only He, the Lord, which exists in them, and from this moment, they can make miracles. »

« Be aware that if you identify yourself with your physical body, the notion of death will take the upper hand. The physical body is vulnerable, it weakens, it becomes ill and dies, and if you identify yourself with it, if you seek nothing beyond that, you will stay weak, lightless and sickly all your life, until in the end you disappear. Identify yourself with your spirit, because the spirit is powerful, luminous, indestructible and immortal. You will then become like your spirit, invulnerable. This is the benefit a spiritual philosophy brings. It is all a question of looking at things in the right way. Unfortunately, for centuries human beings have been brought up on ideas that weaken them and destroy them. This is what they call education! But who forces us to continue to accept them? We must replace these old ideas with other, new ideas, ideas that give life, power, strength and elevation, so that we can come ever closer to the Deity. »

« There are rules established by the Cosmic Intelligence which we all have to know and respect. Many of you will think: "But if we have to conform to the same standards, we shall become every fellow men, as objects of series." - No, do not worry, you will stay any various; because not having the same temperaments, the same faculties, the same qualities, you cannot all be attracted or enticed by the same methods. Look for example at the various yogas which the Masters of India propose to their followers:

* Radja yoga, the self-control;
* Karma yoga, the selfless activity, unselfishness, altruism;
* Hatha yoga, the mastery of the physical body;
* Kriya yoga, the work with the light;
* Laya yoga, the development of the force Kundalini;
* Bakhti yoga, the way of love and fire; (the Christian religion)
* Jnani-yoga, the yoga of knowledge;
* etc...


So, as followers, we can follow various yogas, but all these yogas have the same purpose: to learn us to rise to get closer to this universal principle of the truth. »

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov

« In order to understand what true religion is, human beings must draw closer to the light, warmth and life of the sun. That is to say, they must seek the wisdom which enlightens them and resolves all problems, the disinterested love which beautifies, encourages and consoles them, and the subtle, spiritual life which renders them active, dynamic and daring, so that they may realize the Kingdom of God and His Justice on earth. And no one can contest this religion: anyone who tries to destroy it destroys himself, because he restricts himself. When this understanding of a universal religion penetrates every mind, the whole organisation of life will become universal: all separation between human beings will cease to exist, including borders and wars. As they come to know the sun in its sublime expression of light, warmth and life, human beings will draw closer and closer to the Divinity, and they will transform the earth into a garden of Eden where all will live as brothers and sisters. Everyone must accept this universal religion, this brotherhood which the sun teaches us. »

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov

Some examples of yoga:

- Any unselfish, desinterested work made for our neighbour belongs to the karma yoga.

- Discipline or religious attitude which consists in loving God and in praying can be called the bakhti yoga, or yoga of the worship. So, Christians practise without knowing it, one of the forms of the bakhti yoga.

- Study and deep understanding of the Sacred Texts, knowledge of oneself, identification with our me superior, our divine me, is called the jnana yoga or jnani yoga, the yoga of knowledge.

- The application of commands, the discipline leading to the self-control corresponds to the raja yoga.

- The sacred attitude in front of different forms of food is called the hrani yoga or the yoga of nutrition.

- Link with the source of the life, the spiritual work with the sun is the surya yoga or surya of the sun.

- etc...


« The road of the follower is the road of the dawn. It is the road of eternal light, which carries love in itself. »

Peter Deunov

Darn. I went into this thread hoping to improve my "half-moon".