Inextricably tied together are these two words: dharma and yoga. Dharma is one of the highest core beliefs of Hinduism that no single English word can fully capture the meaning of. It is often described as virtue, moral law, or duty, but it encompasses all.
It is central to who we are as beings, the expression of our real selves. Dharma is our universal purpose or challenge in life and the path that we must all aim for while living a life that upholds righteousness.
Knowing what our dharma is and striving to fulfill this duty through physical and spiritual discipline (yoga) will lead us closer to our full potential, to thrive as we are meant to.
When we practice dharma consistently, we train our minds on the spiritual path, which will lead us to full awakening. True fulfillment, prosperity, joy, and inner peace will then follow.
The discipline of yoga, meanwhile, stems from Vedic philosophical beliefs and practices that offer a spiritually conscious approach to living. These serve as a guiding light to realizing our purpose for this lifetime.
While there are many disciplines of yoga such as Dharma Yoga and Kriya Yoga, most point to the path of union with the divine power within us.
Sri Dharma Mittra
The Dharma Yoga discipline is our primary focus in this article. You may ask, “What is Dharma Yoga?” It is a graceful form of yoga developed by Sri Dharma Mittra, who is best known for creating the Master Yoga Chart depicting 908 asanas (body posture).
Sri Dharma Mittra dedicated more than a decade of his life to the intense study and practice of Karma and the Eight Limbs of Yoga, receiving knowledge directly from his guru, Yogi Gupta.
After three years of training, he was accepted as a Sannyasi (one who has renounced attachment to materialistic things) and has served his guru humbly as a renunciate and personal assistant.
Sri Dharma Mittra left the Ashram with his guru’s blessings in 1974 to realize his destiny—the founding of the Dharma Yoga New York Center (formerly known as Yoga Asana Center).
He has since helped spread knowledge and truth to hundreds of thousands of practitioners and has guided many of them to the path of enlightenment.
The Dharma Yoga Discipline
Dharma Yoga is rooted in nine yoga disciplines: Kriya, Hatha, Bhakti, Laya, Raja, Jnana, Japa, Karma, and Ashtanga (eight limbs). The devotional practice gently weaves together these different teachings to lead the devotee to rouse from worldly slumber into his divine fate.
Just as dharma speaks of universality, Dharma Yoga is a complete and holistic practice of self-realization that includes dynamic and restorative asanas, chanting, meditation, and purification.
It integrates the mobilization of the physical body with the spirit of yoga for a complete awakening of the true inner self.
The Vinyasa Series
Dharma Yoga is comprised of several beginners to advanced levels (vinyasa series) that are designed to allow the uninterrupted flow of prana (cosmic life energy) through the spinal column to help its course through all areas of the whole – the intuitive, physical, bliss, and metabolic bodies.
The levels gradually introduce progressively challenging asanas.
From the first level’s gentle postures and meditations to introduce healing and balance to the body, the devotee is slowly taught flexibility and purification through breathing practices and meditation in further courses.
Students are taught how to ignite their bodies through constant practice so that the prana within will be unleashed, bringing increased stamina, good health, invigoration, and a deep sense of peace to the student.
Continual practice will also make diseases a thing of the past as the prana will now be in constant flow. A chance to reach Self-Realization becomes possible in the intermediate to advanced levels.