v Loknath Yoga -  लोकनाथ योगv    

Namaste,
Welcome to the Loknath Yoga Web Home......    
Thanks for visiting our Web Home. This site is dedicated with love to all the visitors, Yoga lovers, Yoga Teachers & Students around the globe. We wish the year 2014 brings Happiness, Success & Good Hope for all of you & Togetherness with your family & friends all over the world through yoga....
Love & Blessings

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WHAT IS “LOKNATH YOGA?"

Loknath Yoga is a traditional way of Yoga practices to achieve the maximum benefit of this Indian ancient system. It is based on "Aṣṭāṅga Yoga " (eight limbs) according to the first written description that was found in ‘yoga sutra,’ attributed to the great Rishi (saint) Patangali and together with the concept of "Vedāntic Sādhanā " (four limbs).

It was practiced & developed by the Great Yogi Shri Shri Loknath Brahmachari (1730 to 1890). He spent about 100 years in learning and practicing all the stages of Yoga Sadhana and achieved the highest level, a human body can achieve.
¬ Mahayogi Shri Shri Loknath Brahmachari (1730 - 1890)

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     In 1972, this valuable Traditional Yogic system (Loknath Yoga) was developed under spiritual guidance of Mahayogi Thakur Shri Shri Janakinnath Brahmachari (when HE was only 7 years old), following the spiritual ideology of Shri Shri Loknath Brahmachari at Loknath Institute of Yoga India, which is under Janakinath Seva Trust, Shri Shri Baba Loknath Brahmachari Mahamondal Ashram, Muragacha, PO-Jugberia, 24 Pgs. North, West Bengal, India.

     Loknath Yoga is a safe and natural way to heal the body, calm the mind and enhance overall well-being. This is the way to discover the presence of the same God within every individual soul in this earth. Whether you are a beginner in Yoga, a senior Yoga practitioner or a Yoga Teacher, practice of Loknath Yoga can be a great experience for you to follow the right path of living.

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     Loknath Yoga is the combination practice of five main streams of Yoga: Haṭha, Karma, Bhakti, Jñāna and Rāja Yoga.            
     Practice of Loknath Yoga integrates all of this in each person, only through proper guidance and understanding. 

    
       Mahayogi Shri Loknath and Shri Benimadhab started their Haṭha Yoga Sadhana with complete dedication and devotion (Bhakti) under guidance of their Gurudev at the age of 11yrs. Whatever their Gurudev told them they followed without any argument, as they had complete trust, complete surrender (purna saranagati) towards their master. They took part in Selfless Action (karma yoga) without expecting any result in this journey for 40 years. We see, how the true knowledge has been disclosing to the young Yoga Sadhakas gradually through the path of dedication and complete surrender towards practice, when we read about them. 
       Therefore, without Bhakti, Karma cannot be successful and without rigorous and selfless Karma, Jñāna cannot be received. At the end of this journey, 50 years of Rāja Yoga practice in a snow-covered area of Himalaya, brought the true (Self) knowledge, the knowledge of Brahman (Brahman Jñāna  or Ātma Jñāna). Our Guruji Mahayogi Shri Shri Thakur Janakinath Brahmachari says, “These five streams of Yoga are not separated from each other. They are not different path of Yoga at all. They are all together related with each other.” 
    Adi Sri Sankaracharya says, “A disease does not leave off if one only utters the name of medicine, without taking it; similarly without direct realization one cannot be liberated only by the utterance of the word Brahman.”    
      Therefore, these five are the combined medicine to remove diseases like ignorance, ego and thus leads a Sadhaka towards the direct realization of Brahman. 
     Our Guruji says, “Medicine should be taken with the guidance of a qualified and experience doctor and from not the person, who is selling medicines. A doctor has only ability to select the dose of medicine for a patient.”

Guruji Mahayogi Shri Shri Thakur Janakinath Brahmachari 

   

 “Loknath Yogic System” emphasizes proper Yogic breathing (Pranayama), a gentle approach of Yoga posture (Asana), Mudras (Hsatha,Kaya, Mana, Adhara etc.), Bandhas (Lock), Kriyas (Shat Karma) with concentration techniques and Yogic diet to follow in practical life. In this system, rest has to be taken after performing each posture through the proper way of relaxation to achieve the maximum benefit from Yoga practice. At the beginning stage it starts with the steady practice of postures holding of each at least for 20 to 30 seconds (step one), then holding the postures longer, - 1 minute and more and developing concentration and inner awareness through the practice of self-realization method (step two), and finally surrendering to God through Meditation(step three). The therapeutic approach of this system on various diseases is wonderful, which has been applying for preventing and curing many disorders with a great success. Balancing of the five basic Elements (through various Hasta Mudra) and Chakras (through Chakra Meditation) are the main keys to remove disorders through various Yogic ways.

Mahāṛṣi Patañjali states,
 
योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः 
Yogaś-citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ |
It means Yoga is a process of gaining control over the mind. It is Mastery over the mind. Therefore, if we can follow the Yogic path then there will be no stress and tension in any tough situation. Moreover, if there is no stress or tension then there will be no psychosomatic problems as such.

Wefollow different ways to get control over the restless mind. Out of which, 4 are very common in our regular Yoga practice.
1)   Through breathe control; - The ancient Yogis stated that Control of the Breath is a prerequisite to control over the mind and body, which is the only essential requirement to set up a United and Peaceful World. In our regular Yoga classes, we give more importance to all our students to follow abdominal breathing all the way, as Abdominal breathing increases energy and reduces all kinds of stress and anxiety involved in our daily life.
2)    Through Trataka or various Yogic gazing techniques
3)    Through chanting of various mantras and
4)    Through regular practice of "Samyam".

May be it is not so easy to control over the restless mind. However, this is the main key of “Loknath Yoga." Mahayogi Sri Loknath Brahmachari said, “give your mind to me and it will be my responsibility to solve all your problems.” Our Guruji guides us how to concentrate our mind easily through the recitation of following Mantras, which is very effective and beneficial in all situations:

“Om Jay Baba Mangalkari Loknath Brahmachari”
Anybody can chant this Mantra gradually to achieve the benefit by the following way of Japa (Chanting):

- VAACHAK OR VAIKHARI JAPA (Verbal Chanting) = 10 times,
- UPAANSHU JAPA (Whisper Chanting) = 10 times and
- MANASIKA JAPA (Mental Chanting) =10 times initially.

Besides this, chanting of Mahamrityunjaya Mantra and Shanti Mantra are compulsory in our regular Yoga practice. 

SELF REALIZATION:
This is what included in second limbs of Yoga, known as “Svādhyāyā” in Sanskrit. It means self-study. Loknath Yoga put more emphasize on it to practice it every day for five to ten minutes, before you go to bed or after getting up early in the morning. Guruji Sri Janakinath Brhmachari says, “Self realization or Self Study or “Ātmā -Darśan” is one of the vital stage of Aṣṭānga  Yoga and should be included in the schedule of our daily life because this bridges the relationship between the small I and the big I”. “Self Realization is the only duty of all human being to perform every day”, he added.

Loknath Yoga gives more importance on “Nididhyasana” on the way of Yoga-Sadhana. This is a state of profound and deep meditation and third step in Vedāntic Sādhanā, after Śravana (hearing) and Manana (reflection). There are the four steps in Vedāntic Sādhanā. These are Śravana, Manana, Nididhyāsana, and Samādhi.

Nididhyasana includes three methods of learning, along with the first two steps of Vedāntic Sādhanā:

- Śravana that is to listen,
- Manana that is to think over again and
- Nididhyāsana that is to assimilate.

This is true that what we have listened to cannot be well acquired and assimilated only by just listening. We have to listen carefully and think it over and this is known as Manana. Then, we have to absorb what you have listened to and this is Nididhyasana. If we can do all three - listen, think over and absorb, then only we can enjoy the fruits of what you have listened. Baba Loknath also followed this theory from the beginning of his Yoga-Sādhanā. This is all about how to chant (Japa) Guru Mantra (the Mantra that one receives from the Guru during initiation or the universal Bija Mantra - 'Oṁ') everyday. However, not only chanting, one should feel the effect of Mantra in the body and mind day to day. One must try to measure this effect as one does in geometry, and understood it properly, then should direct the heart or mind (chitta) towards this. This is known as “Nididhyāsana”. One can meet or realize the seat of soul or Brahman within oneself through this way.

  This ultimately helps to develop "Ajapā  Japa" actually. Ajapā  Japa is very powerful Sādhanā  (practice) and it can take a Yogi from elementary stage to the most advanced stage of Yoga-Sādhanā. And this Sādhanā of Ajapā  Japa is as old as the Upanishads. The constant repetition of Mantra that utters from the mouth only is called Japa. This Japa becomes Ajapā  (spontaneous) Japa when the repetition occurs automatically without effort and it should be uttered from the heart (Nididhyāsana). It is also said that this Sādhanā should not be disclosed in the book. That means one must learn this Sādhanā from a Guru directly.

This entire procedure is a combined practice of - Dhāranā, Dhyāna and Samādhi (Sabīja) in a comfortable sitting pose, which Mahāṛṣi Patañjali  describes as "Samyam". 
In Loknath Yoga, we practice this wonderful Yogic kriya  as "Oṁ" Meditation. We have a very scientific technique for this "Oṁ" Meditation and it is compulsory for all the practitioners in our tradition. In Loknath Traditional Yoga Teacher Training Courses, we guide this amazing Yogic discipline with complete theory and practice.  

Namaste
Jay Gurudev
Yogacharya Tonmoy Shome

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