By Kimaya Singh
Outside of India, Hatha Yoga is well known. Hatha is one of the original fitness oriented styles from India. Yet, the most common form of Yoga inside India is Bhakti. Bhakti is clearly different from Hatha for many reasons. Hatha Yoga schools in the west tend to charge for lessons, materials, and other services, while Bhakti schools run on donations and volunteers. Some members of Bhakti ashrams give everything they have (work and money) for their Guru and ashram. On the other hand, Hatha schools in the west would be extinct if they depended on donations and seva (Volunteer work; selfless service or work offered to one’s Guru).
The giving of Dakshina or financial support to one’s Guru and the activities he or she supports is a very powerful practice on the Bhakti Yoga path. Bhakti is translated in Narada’s Bhakti Sutras as intense love for one’s teacher or Guru. This divine love and longing to merge with the teacher propels the Bhakta through all sorts of difficult obstacles on the spiritual path. Inherent on the Bhakti Yoga path is the element of active participation in the practices and community of that particular path. This participation can come in many forms such as worship, meditation, selfless service and mantra repetition. Active participation on the Bhakti Yoga path may also come in the form of financial support of one’s Guru and the retreat centers that disseminate his or her teachings.
The practice of Dakshina is a bit uncanny. At first, this practice may feel like an obligatory donation during the holiday season to your local charity organization. However, truly offering Dakshina to a living saint, the teaching facilities of that saint, as well as the spiritual community at large, immediately connects you with the divine grace of that lineage. The feeling is palpable and the effect is instantaneous. A feeling of deep protection and abundance are often experienced by a Bhakta who offers Dakshina to his or her Yoga teacher. As you circulate money into your Guru’s activities, more abundance will most likely flow into your life. However, both the path you have chosen and the Guru or teacher you have chosen to learn from must be “true,” or the practice of Dakshina will not bear the same fruit in your life.
The practice of Dakshina is common throughout the world. In Christian circles, it is called tithing. Generally, a church member is expected to tithe or give 10% or his or her income to the church. In Eastern spiritual traditions, there is a similar expectation. Just think of the roaming Buddhist monk who must beg for one meal a day from the “householders” in the area. The Buddhist monk traditionally offers teachings to the local people, and they in turn offer physical sustenance to the monk. It is believed that supporting the spiritual path that you are on, if it is a true lineage and resonates deeply with you, will bring a feeling of fullness, peace and abundance into your life. A word to the wise, only give what you are able to give while respecting your own needs. In this way, you will maintain balance, respect for yourself and a deep connection to your Guru and the profound blessings of divine grace within your own life.
Conclusion
Yoga teachers and practitioners sometimes have a misconception about money. Energy comes in many forms. Money is a form of energy, which can be used for good things or bad things. It is the way we use it that defines our true motives. To expect a local Yoga studio to run without supporting it is wishful thinking at best. To sacrifice everything for a Guru, who does not deserve it, is foolish thinking. Choose the moderate path and be aware of your Yoga teacher’s actions. Sheep are led by a shepherd or a wolf. If you allow yourself to blindly “follow the leader,” you might hope your Yoga teacher has the best of intentions. It is best to develop a relationship with a teacher who encourages you to think for yourself.
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By Faye Martins
By Sangeetha Saran
By Amruta Kulkarni, CYT 250
By Amruta Kulkarni, CYT 250
By Sarah Labdar
By Clyde Granger
By Jason Rickard 
Yoga is actually a traditional therapy, which is developed purely based on the observations and principles regarding the constitution of human beings. Yoga is not only an exercise instruction but also a complete package for the total well being. The science of yoga includes yoga postures called as asanas, meditation and breathing techniques called pranayama. The benefits vary with type of yoga as it is advocated in different combinations such as Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Hatha Yoga, and Laya Yoga. However, irrespective of its type, the benefits of yoga in the stress management have been substantiated by modern medicine. The multifaceted benefits of yoga promote it more than a simple exercise.
The physiological benefits of yoga include the enhancement of all major functional systems of the body such as nervous system, cardiovascular system, endocrine system, respiratory system, musculoskeletal system and excretory system. It will help to improve the co-ordination and balance the body. The biochemical benefits of yoga such as decrease of LDL cholesterol, glucose and catecholamine will help to prevent all the major fatal diseases and triggers the resilience of the body. Moreover yoga balances the weight of the person without losing its strength through the different stretching asanas.
Yoga is a therapy which provides benefits of a balanced body through the practice of effortless dynamic movements or normalized static movement. The opportunity for the attainment of well being without any strenuous exercise or consumption of any supplements can be considered as the most important benefit of yoga.