Jansenism is a Christian heresy (a teaching that is against the truth, according to church authorities). In Jansenism, the human body is considered completely sinful or corrupt, and that some people cannot become pure and centered on inner states of meditation or being because true being is limited only to those who are chosen for it by God. This heresy was a branch of Christian thinking; however, echoes of it exist in many religions and cultures.

Examples include the religious devotees over thousands of years in both West and East who have whipped and starved themselves, subjected themselves to extreme fasting, and rejected all pleasure of any kind. In milder forms, teachers and believers in a given religion train others to fear God or any states of inner reality, to distrust the world and its pleasures–or indeed, any pleasure, inner or outer–and to live lives very circumscribed, rigid, and externally motivated by rigid rules and lifestyles.

Meditation and the parts of religions that celebrate the inner life are, on the contrary, available to anyone, anytime, and immediately. Meditation also not only allows for external pleasures but accepts and encourages whatever inner experiences meditation might bring of inner joy, peace, love, and strength. And meditation encourages a close, warm, intimate relationship with states of higher or more intense being (see, for example, "Abba").

For more detail about Jansenism and other negative tendencies in externally-only religious movements, see "The Western Model of Spirituality" and "Scripture."

JEHOVAH – A name of God in Christianity (a translation of the Hebrew "JHVH," originally from "YHWH"). See "God," "Yahweh," and the separate, short "Guide to God in Meditation."

JNANA YOGA – (See also “Mantra,” “Mind,” “’Third-eye’ Energy Center,” and “Throat Energy Center.”)

Jnana yoga is knowledge yoga or mind yoga. It involves the meditative study of ideas, thoughts, images, words, and even songs in the pursuit of learning greater awareness.

It is not just abstract intellectual study, but rather meditation upon specific parts of the contents of such studies. It also is not solely a focus method, but also a way of developing energies in this center and then letting them descend or ascend (see) to other centers. You also may meditate using more than one type of yoga at a time.

Jnana yoga is one of the four classic yoga systems of ancient India. The other three are raja yoga (see), which has to do with concentrating above the head; bhakti yoga (see), which has to do with the heart energy center (see); and karma yoga (see), which has to do with work as a form of meditation and devotion.

Some systems also mention two or three other traditional yogas. They are hatha yoga (see), which has to do with breathing, health, exercise, and posture, technically a part of karma yoga; tantra yoga (see), which has to do with concentration on the energy centers (see) or chakras (see); and mantra yoga (see), which uses repetitions of words, songs, or visual devices, technically a part of jnana yoga.

For more information, see especially the “Third-eye” and the “Throat” energy centers.
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JOB MEDITATION – See “Work Meditation.” Also see “Group Meditation” and “Leading Groups.”

KARMA YOGA – (See also “Base-of-the-trunk Energy Center” “Energy Centers,” “Hatha Yoga,” and “Work Meditation.”)

Karma yoga is work-centered yoga. It involves a meditative and/or devotional approach to work. It also can include other physical activities such as hatha yoga (see), posture (see), breathing (see), and exercise (see). Karma yoga is not just working devotionally, alone, but rather learning a meditative attitude and approach during work.

Sufficient meditation in or through work (see “Work Meditation”) eventually may lead to openings in other energy centers. As a result, such work also can lead you to a gradual, slow, awakening to additional meditation methods. Long-term karma yoga (and hatha yoga) thus may lead you to learn one or more of the other yoga systems. Certainly, you can meditate using more than one yoga system at a time.

Karma yoga is one of the four classic forms of ancient Hindu yoga. The other three are raja yoga (see), which has to do with concentrating above the head; jnana yoga (see), which has to do with knowledge, ideas, imagination, words, and singing (see “’Third-eye’ Energy Center” and “Throat Energy Center); and bhakti yoga (see), which has to do with the heart energy center (see).

KATAPHATIC (CATAPHATIC) THEOLOGY – See "Apophatic and Cataphatic Theology."

Kundalini yoga is a dangerous yoga practice for those practicing meditation alone, and for beginning meditators, as well. Kundalini is an energy force, according to ancient Hindu practice and Vedic health systems,that is like a snake of power shooting up from the very bottom or base of the human trunk, from the lowest chakra energy center (see).

Practicing kundalini yoga without help is like delving into the deepest, lowest, and darkest parts of one’s psychological and physical self with no help or guidance: very dark and powerful memories, feelings, illusions, and impulses can arise. And once arisen, they cannot easily be put back in their Pandora’s Box.

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