Yog Sadhan Ashram of Chicago » moksha http://yogsadhanashram-usa.org Established in 1916, the mission of Yog Sadhan Ashram is to provide all individuals, regardless of income or religious background, the traditional and complete teachings of Yoga philosophy and practice free of charge. Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:45:39 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Yoga & Hinduism: Origins, Similarities & Differences http://yogsadhanashram-usa.org/2010/06/yoga-hinduism-origins-similarities-differences/ http://yogsadhanashram-usa.org/2010/06/yoga-hinduism-origins-similarities-differences/#comments Sat, 12 Jun 2010 17:13:46 +0000 YSA http://yogsadhanashram-usa.org/?p=541 On May 30, 2010, Acharya Hersh Khetarpal gave a much-anticipated speech at the Hare Om Templte outlining the similarities and the differences between Hinduism and Yoga. Below is a brief synopsis of the talk.

It is the Vedas that are the common link between Hinduism and Yoga which form their very foundations. Yoga is in fact one of the 6 main branches of Hindu philosophy. As a result, there is a common belief in reincarnation as well as in karmic philosophy; both believe in the ultimate goal of moksha; both meditate upon the Gayatri mantra; and both have a reverence for the Bhagavad Gita.


Yoga is generally perceived to be the practice of asanas, meditation, and pranayam; however, Yoga is so much more. Yoga actually is a systematized philosophy and practice that aids us in achieving liberation from multiple cycles of birth/rebirth and death by removing our ignorance regarding who we really are.

The word Yoga means Union – union with God. We are all one; there is no separation anywhere. This union can be perceived through a variety of methods including, but not limited to, control of the mind and senses, meditation, caring for the body through asanas, pranayam, and cleansings, and detachment from worldly objects. Yoga directs us towards a righteous path of living; it is the remover of our identification with our physical body; and the aid to achieving moksha (liberation) in this lifetime.

Although Hinduism and Yoga are intertwined in their beliefs – bhatkti (devotion), reincarnation, karma, moksha (to name a few), the key differentiation between the two is how Yoga incorporates techniques of the body (asanas), mind (meditation), and prana (pranayama) in its practices.

]]> http://yogsadhanashram-usa.org/2010/06/yoga-hinduism-origins-similarities-differences/feed/ 0 Self-Realization in This Lifetime http://yogsadhanashram-usa.org/2009/12/self-realization-in-this-lifetime/ http://yogsadhanashram-usa.org/2009/12/self-realization-in-this-lifetime/#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:36:36 +0000 YSA http://yogsadhanashram-usa.org/?p=378 Breaking through the material layers of our existence to discover the ultimate reality at our core being is the goal Yoga. The culmination of that great effort is called moksha, liberation, or self-realization. While the Upanishads give many indications of a realized person, the references lie scattered in the pages of those sacred texts. The signs of a self-realized person were first compiled in the Bhagavad Gita by Ved Vyas in the concluding 18 verses of chapter 2. In those verses, we see the portrait of an individual who is liberated even while living, also known as jivanmukta.

The self-realized person is a dynamic person of action. In order to understand him, and we must understand him as he lives in the world, not as he sits under a tree lost in contemplation. How does he see the world, react to problems and relate himself to others?

Our Guruji established Yog Sadhan Ashram with the purpose of teaching everyday people how to achieve liberation without running away from the world. In this lecture, Acharyaji describes what this looks like and the characteristics we must develop to achieve this goal.

Click play to listen to this 17 minute podcast.

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