1. Practice at Home
To follow Jnana yoga, there are many steps. The first step is to create a meditation space in your home. This room should be clean with room to complete the padma, siddha and sukha asanas. The room must have proper air circulation and light to provide the optimal space for meditation work. The second step is to purify the chitta by completing the Nishkama Karma every day for 12 years. Through this practice, the student attains Viveka and Vairagya, both of which are necessary to continue your studies. Work diligently to gain the remaining qualifications of Jnana yoga; Shad Sampat and Mumukshuttva. At this point, a guru is required before further study can begin.
2. Follow the Seven Stages of Jnana
In order to follow the Jnana yoga path, one must complete seven stages. The first stage is to study the Atma Jnana Sastras, perform selfless deeds for others without looking for a reward and to spent time in the company of wise people who have studied Jnana Yoga. The next stages are the development of Vicharana and Tanumanasi. Vicharana is all about focusing the mind and tanumanasi is the development is a detachment from objects that surround us. By the time you have completed the third stage, the student is free from all attraction to physical pleasures and desires. Sattvapatti is the fourth stage, destroying all vasanas. This change allows the student to be free of bias. The fifth stage is Asamsakti, where there is perfection of non attachment. The sixth stage is Padartha Bhavana or knowledge of truth. The seventh and final stage is Turiya or super-consiousness. This level of enlightenment allows the student to be free of the barriers of mind and spirit. The person is now free from desires, confidant of the existence of Atma and able to see the world through clear eyes.
3. Go to an Ashram
Understanding Jnana yoga requires a skilled guide or teacher. The best way to find such a guide is to go to a Jnana ashram in India and take a Jnana yoga course. Review the different ashrams with care and select one based on the reputation and recommendation from other Jnana yoga students. Following the Jnana path takes many years of study and attendance in Jnana yoga class. Inquire what credentials or skills are required for acceptance into a Jnana ashram. Once you have found a place that accepts you as a student, prepare to travel to India. A student visa is required and sponsorship from the ashram is mandatory. Inform family and friends exactly where you are going and how long you expect to remain there. Following Jnana yoga does not required isolation from family and friends. Maintain regular contact to reassure others on your wellbeing.
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