Overview of Yoga
Through meditation, one calms the mind, enters a mystical realm of stillness, and aims for union with the Absolute (Brahman/Atman). This is the orthodox Brahmin ascetic practice. It involves performing special postures that impose austerities on the body. In recent years, it has also been used for health and beauty purposes.
Yoga and Zen
Both yoga and Zen involve sitting in zazen posture and the act of meditation. Historically, Zen is said to have derived from yoga. Broadly summarized: Yoga uses meditation to sense the natural energies around oneself through the seven chakras, thereby strengthening and enhancing the mind and body. Zen’s zazen is an act aimed at self-reflection, training the mind, and achieving enlightenment. Depending on the instructor, zazen may refer to the flow of energy through the chakras as “ki,” and the third chakra, the “Tanden,” is often emphasized.
Description of this work
Hiragana is written in the upper left, large kanji characters are in the center, and script-style English is written in the lower right. Only the kanji are written vertically; the other characters are written horizontally.
