What is a yoga lineage?

Just as everyone comes from a family, yogis get their teachings and initiations from somebody. That Guru (teacher) had a Guru, who had a Guru, etc. When you track back through the generations, you find that it all originated from the first Guru, Adinatha.

Yogic cosmology says Shiva manifested the entire universe out of his own being, but saw that the human beings didn't understand they had a unique destiny. Shiva took on human form in order to guide a few to discover what makes the human being different. His teachings clarify the difference between the human condition and the human capacity. He customized his teachings to the needs and interests of each of his disciples, who carried them to the next generation.

Each of Adinatha's disciples taught what he had learned, which had been customized according to his own personal style, giving a unique flavor to each teacher and the teachings. The main yoga paths reflect these differences, with hatha yoga (physical practices) attracting those who like to work with the body and breath. Those with more interest in knowledge, analysis and understanding develop a yogic mind through jñana yoga (study); others are naturally inclined toward relationship, so they cultivate bhakti yoga (love for God). Those interested in mystical experiences cultivate the quieting of the mind through intense meditative disciplines (raja yoga), while those interested in having it all specialize in tantra (the interweaving of the divine in the mundane).

Through many thousands of years, uncountable generations of yogis have added to the written texts and oral tradition for the purpose of guiding their disciples to experience what they found within - fulfilling Adinatha's promise. Yet each lineage does it slightly differently, and they describe the ultimate state differently: enlightenment, liberation, no-self, or Self-Realization, etc. It is very important that you carefully choose the lineage in which you study, as the practices will take you to the experience promised within their teachings.

Svaroopa^® yoga is based in Kashmiri Shaivism , and comes from Swami Nirmalananda (Rama)'s experiences and training with her Guru, Baba Muktananda. Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, a successor to Baba, authorized Swami Nirmalananda (Rama) to train teachers and to establish Master Yoga Foundation, which places Svaroopa^® yoga within the Siddha yoga tradition that was brought to the west by Baba.

Every lineage offers great gifts, but you must choose one in order to unwrap the gifts. All the Masters are worth exploring, yet you must commit to one Guru, within one lineage, in order to fully realize your own human capacity. Your Guru must be appointed by a Guru, which makes it a living teaching. This insures the teachings are correct and protects the disciples from one who is not fully prepared to lead and teach. This is why Swami Nirmalananda (Rama) is taking initiation with Swami Shankarananda, who is within the Siddha lineage, to provide that protection and support to all who practice Svaroopa^® yoga.

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