Types of Yoga

What is Laya Yoga?

Laya yoga is an ancient form of meditation, with concentration on energy centers or chakras. Sage Gorakshnatha, an ancient sage of Nepal, and a disciple of Matsyendranath is the founder of Laya yoga. There are five main energy centers in the spine and two in the head. Laya yoga attempts to locate these energy centers and channelize them through meditation.

Laya essentially means to dissolve all Karmic patterns or conditioning and merge into the transcendental reality. It also means deep concentration and making an effort to obliterate the ego, thereby rising to a higher state of consciousness, called Turiya.

Essence of Laya Yoga

Laya yoga involves techniques of meditation that cause the energy or Prana to move in certain ways, to awaken the Kundalini, the coiled up energy at the base of the spine. Laya yoga channelizes the energy forces in the Kundalini instead of merely controlling the mind. It is important that the Kundalini is activated through performance of asanas, practice of pranayama and making a conscious effort to guide this awakened energy in the spine and allowing it to immerse in the crown chakra.

The ultimate goal of laya yoga is to attain supreme consciousness through pranayama and breath control; it is a method to prevent fluctuations of the mind.

Therapeutic Aspect of Laya Yoga

The practice of laya yoga cleanses the mind and body. It uplifts the consciousness of the seeker. As most people live only on three levels of consciousness- material, egoistic and sensual- laya yoga opens us to higher levels of consciousness. It teaches the seeker to locate the different centers of the spine and meditate on them, thereby transforming the consciousness.

References:

www.layayoga.com
www.himavanti.org
www.yogaworld.org
www.123himachal.com
www.chakrayoga.com
www.real-yoga.com
www.yoga.com
www.yogausa.com