The Four Stages of Yoga

Nischala Cryer

Description

In the higher civilizations of ancient, Vedic India, the great spiritual teachers known as "rishis" created the Four Ashrams (or stages of life) as a way for people to instill their lives with deeper meaning. These four stages were designed to bring people more inner peace, happiness, and greater health and longevity. In this book, a Western yogini brings the Four Ashrams to life for the modern day.

The Four Stages of Yoga highlights stories and conversations that encompass the journey yogis take from birth to the last moments of life. Though yoga philosophy has been around far longer than most realize, the deeper nuances of its effects on our own lives is revealed in this modern day expose. Here, we see how Vedic India's classic Four Ashrams of Life are experienced in the context of a yoga community in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Just as Vedic myths have been carried down through eons to entertain and enlighten us, the true stories and visions encompassed herein speak to the very heart of living yoga in an everyday world. The first stage includes stories of childbirth and how yogis can draw a spiritual soul into their family, to rites of passage for children, and how yogic schools for young adults help instill and deepen compassion. During the creation of a unique yoga college come stories of visits with the Dalai Lama at his home in McLeod Ganj, as well as experiences with yogis, rishis, and mystics throughout India.

In the second stage of life we explore how householder relationships evolve; conscious work for those with monastic tendencies; how Vedic astrology can assist our lives as well as how yogis approach love, romance, and celibacy; and the mysticism that surrounds a yogic marriage ritual.

In the third stage we are introduced to how yogic couples, singles, and monastics are living their lives in creative new ways. We read stories of how yogis develop devotion, personal experiences with great souls like Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and how married couples and singles can live more fulfilling lives.

The fourth stage offers reports of those embracing the Vedic sannyas vows, and how they live their lives during this remarkable and powerful stage of surrender and transcendence. Conversations with rishis, yogic psychics, and those experiencing this cycle provide a lens that offers hope and satisfaction for the last stages of life, and the final preparation for death and the afterlife.

Sujets

• Santé et bien-être
• Bien-être émotionnel
• Bien-être émotionnel
• Santé du quotidien
• Sport
• Sports fitness
• Vie de famille
• Parentalité et Éducation des Enfants
• Santé au quotidien
• Santé au quotidien
• Romance
• Ananda
• Fitness
• Health
• Yoga
• Hindu philosophy
• Autobiography of a Yogi
• Swami Kriyananda
• Personal Growth
• Parentalité
• Parentalité
• Parentalité

Informations

• Publié par: Crystal Clarity Publishers
• Date de parution: 15 avril 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781565895690
• Langue: English

Extrait

What Others Are Saying About The Four Stages of Yoga
“In the tradition of all great storytellers, Nischala Cryer weaves thought-provoking tales, beautifully illustrating the intricacies, blessings, and challenges experienced in the four stages of life. Deeply inspiring.”
—Jamey and Darlene Potter, New Renaissance Bookshop, Portland, Oregon
“In a most engaging way, Nischala Cryer explains the traditional stages of a yoga practitioner’s life by weaving into that paradigm the story of her own spiritual journey. She shares this journey, and deftly draws in the reader, by sharing fascinating stories and observations of her private interactions with some of today’s spiritual leaders. She excites us with her tale, while simultaneously reminding us that, in truth, the highest journey is always to be found in our own heart.
“Highly recommended for both students and teachers of yoga. You will be entertained and educated with a soft and lyrical touch. Inspiring!”
—Judith Hanson Lasater, PhD, PT, C-IAYT, E-RYT, yoga teacher since 1971, founding member of Yoga Journal , author of nine books including Restore and Rebalance: Yoga for Deep Relaxation
“You buy this book to figure out what to do with your kids. You keep reading, because suddenly it is about yourself. Then you want to give it to your parents, or your grandparents, but you can’t, because soon you will become them and will need it yourself to guide your progress into, and through, the inevitable stages of life. This is a classic subject, but usually people write about it intellectually. I don’t think it has ever been done in this how-to-live way. Entirely practical, with life-changing implications.”
—Asha Nayaswami, yogi in the fourth stage of life, author of Swami Kriyananda: As We Have Known Him
“Understanding the ancient wisdom of The Four Stages of Yoga is an essential asset to those treading the path of yoga. Thank you, Nischala, for your heartfelt clarity, which, when enhanced through stories, encourages us to celebrate each stage. Through the telling we are inspired to adapt the yogic practices to each stage, embracing spiritual enlightenment.”
—Nischala Joy Devi, teacher, author of The Healing Path of Yoga and The Secret Power of Yoga
“The four ashrams, or stages of life, of Indian tradition have been virtually ignored by even the most ardent devotees of yoga and Hindu philosophy in the West, on the assumption that they are from a vastly different culture and a distant era. By presenting them as stages of yoga, or of spiritual development, Nischala Cryer has made a valuable contribution. Spiritual practitioners of all paths will find her framework practical, useful, and illuminating.”
—Philip Goldberg, author of American Veda and The Life of Yogananda
“Ancient knowledge from the higher civilizations, when applied to everyday life, is reflected throughout this educational and entertaining book. An inspiring new contribution to the field of yoga, ideal for all ages!”
—Walter Cruttenden, Founder of The Conference on Precession and Ancient Knowledge (CPAK), author of The Lost Star of Myth and Time
“I love this book! The author’s many life experiences and interviews with other yoga practitioners make for fascinating reading, marrying the most high-minded spiritual principles with a grounded life as a mother, wife, teacher, yogi, and nature-lover. Read this book! You will be inspired by her loyalty to her teachers as well as her expansiveness to truth-seekers of all traditions.
—Susan Usha Dermond, education consultant, former school principal, author of Calm and Compassionate Children
“This very readable narrative provides a firsthand account of life within a uniquely American spiritual community, seen through the developmental stages: learning, family, deep inquiry, and wisdom.”
—Christopher Key Chapple, Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology, Director/Master of Arts in Yoga Studies, Loyola Marymount University
“Everyone loves a good story and The Four Stages of Yoga delightfully flows from one fascinating story to another. Nischala Cryer’s fresh and fluid writing style brings each story to life, while she artfully weaves a gentle spiritual message into the narratives—a message rich in beauty and power because of the personal experience behind it. As an educator, I especially appreciated her insights into the first two stages of life. But no matter what stage of life you’re in, whether you’re new to yoga or a longtime devotee, you’ll find inspiration here.”
—Carol Malnor, MS in Education, co-Publisher and editor of Dawn Publications. author of eight children’s books and the card deck Nature’s Portals: Inspiration through the Peace and Beauty of Nature
“One of the first books that explains in detail what it means to live the four stages of yoga. The author gives an insightful description of lifelong education that this way of living entails. The author herself has been involved with such an education. This book is inspirational, scientific, and useful. You can use it as a guidebook if you are interested in integrating science and spirituality. An inspiring guide for life.”
—Dr. Amit Goswami, quantum theoretical physicist, author of The Self-Aware Universe
“I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did!”
—Savitri Simpson, author of The Meaning of Dreaming and Chakras for Starters
“This book offers the collected wisdom of a lifetime, and important insights to help anyone consciously use the natural rhythms of a lifetime for their own and others’ spiritual benefit. You will find insights, practical suggestions, wise counsel, large-hearted humor, and accessible inspiration no matter where you are on your spiritual journey. Read it slowly and savor.”
—Joseph Selbie, author of The Physics of God
“Through imaginative stories, true-life interviews, personal experiences, and ancient yogic wisdom, Nischala Cryer offers a vision of the purpose behind each stage of life. This book is a guide to living with fulfillment and enlightenment.”
—Nayaswami Devi Novak, co-Spiritual Director of Ananda Sangha Worldwide, co-author of Touch of Joy
“This book is moving, entertaining, and full of wise insights for those engaged with yoga, nature, and the journey of life!”
—Joseph Bharat Cornell, Founder of Sharing Nature Worldwide, author of Deep Nature Play and AUM: The Melody of Love
The Four Stages of Yoga
The Four Stages of Yoga
How to Lead a Fulfilling Life
Nischala Cryer

Nevada City, CA
Crystal Clarity Publishers , Nevada City, CA 95959
Copyright © 2018 by Nischala Cryer
All rights reserved. Published 2018.
Printed in the United States of America
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
ISBN-13: 978-1-56589-310-8
ePub ISBN-13: 978-1-56589-569-0
Cover designed with love by Amala Cathleen Elliott
Interior designed by David Jensen
“The Land Between Two Rivers” illustration by Rose Ayala
“Astral Planes and Heavenly Abodes” illustration by David Jensen
______________________________________________________
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available

www.crystalclarity.com
[e-mail]
800.424.1055
To my guru, Paramhansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi , and to Swami Kriyananda, my teacher.
C ONTENTS
Foreword , by Vanamali Devi
Introduction
“The Student” Birth to Age 24
1. The Student
2. Calling the Child
3. How Toddlers Teach Us
4. Yogic Schools for Youth
5. Girls’ Rites
6. Boys’ Rites
7. Ingrid’s Message
8. When the Buddha Plays
9. When the Buddha Speaks
“The Householder” Age: 24–48
Illustration: The Land Between Two Rivers
10. The Householder
11. Gita’s Way
12. How Couples Become
13. Family Yoga
14. Bhramachari Aditya
15. Nefretete
16. The Veil
17. Premabhava
“The Forest Dweller” Age: 48–72
18. The Forest Dweller
19. Wands of the Devas
20. Wild Things Are
21. Finding God in Nature
22. Brother Craig
23. Yogic Healing
“The Sannyasi” Age: 72–120
24. The Sannyasi
25. Mother Teresa
26. Yogis in Transition
27. Con Te Partiró
28. The Rishi
Illustration: Heavenly Abodes & Astral Planes
29. Death and the Astral Planes
30. Samadhi
Epilogue: Two Bears Crossing
Resources
About the Author
F OREWORD
By Mataji Vanamali Devi
Vanamali Ashram, Rishikesh, India
N ISCHALA C RYER’S T HE F OUR Stages of Yoga, How to Lead a Fulfilling Life is a unique book. It describes the four “ashrams” of Sanaatan * Dharma—Brahmacharya (the Student); Grihastashrama (the Householder); Vanaprastha (the Forest Dweller); and Sannyasa (the Sannyasi)—states or stages of yoga designed by the ancient rishis of India for a full and contented life.
Nischala has used a unique method of presenting these ashrams; she really comes at it from a novel angle. Instead of writing about these stages in an arid and uninteresting fashion, she has given us a vivid and graphic perspective of the topic by introducing some of the most unexpected and charming people who were living examples of these stages. She was fortunate to have met these people, studied with them, lived with them, and gleaned from their rich and varied experiences. Thus, she had a firsthand experience of what it means to be a modern yogi living in each particular ashram. She allows us a glimpse into the lives of these people, and places before us the essence of each particular phase of life through which all of us have to pass.
Whatever race, creed, or country we are born in, most of us pass through the first two stages—those of the Student (Brahmacharya) and the Householder (Grihasthashrama). The next two stages of the Forest Dweller (Vanaprastha, or life of retirement from an active world), and the Sannyasi (complete detachment from the world), are rarely heard of in the West—or even in India, the birthplace of this concept. Very few people take advantage of or go through these latter stages today. Happily, this book illustrates the potential for experiencing these advanced states of yoga. The autho