Grade 7 hindu religious education YOG – Concepts of Yog Notes
YOG — Concepts of Yog
Subject: Hindu Religious Education | Subtopic: Concepts of Yog | Age: 12 (Kenyan context)
- Explore three selected concepts of Yog for personal development.
- Distinguish the three Yog concepts for better understanding.
- Illustrate when Yog is applicable in daily life.
- Acknowledge the role of Yog for spiritual growth.
- Demonstrate knowledge of devotion (bhakti), knowledge (jnana) and action (karma).
What is Yog?
Yog (or Yoga) is a set of ideas and practices that help a person bring the body, mind and spirit closer together. It means training attention, behaving with care, and living in a way that helps you grow personally and spiritually. Yog can be practiced in different ways — through love and devotion, through studying and thinking, or through selfless action.
Three important concepts (types) of Yog
Bhakti Yoga (Devotion)
Bhakti means love and devotion to God or to what you feel sacred. It is shown by prayer, singing bhajans, and remembering God with love.
Simple examples (Kenyan child):- Joining in a bhajan or prayer at the temple or at home.
- Showing respect to elders and offering help with love.
Jnana Yoga (Knowledge)
Jnana is about learning, thinking and understanding the truth. It uses study, questions and reflection to grow wise.
Simple examples (Kenyan child):- Reading a story from the Bhagavad Gita or a teacher’s explanation and thinking about it.
- Asking honest questions and using knowledge to make good choices.
Karma Yoga (Action / Selfless Service)
Karma yoga is doing work or service without wanting a reward. It is acting with care, fairness and helping others.
Simple examples (Kenyan child):- Helping with chores at home or helping a classmate study without expecting thanks.
- Joining a school or community clean-up (harambee) to serve the community.
Quick visual: How the three Yogs relate
(Devotion)
(Knowledge)
(Action)
How to tell them apart (simple)
- Bhakti = feeling and showing devotion (heart).
- Jnana = learning and thinking (mind).
- Karma = doing right actions without selfish reward (hands).
When can you use Yog in daily life?
Yog is not only for the temple or a quiet room — you can use it at school, at home, and in the community:
- Before exams: use calm breathing (simple Yog) to manage stress — a Jnana and Raja-like practice of focus.
- When someone is upset: show Bhakti by listening kindly and offering help.
- During community harambee or clean-up: practise Karma by helping without wanting reward.
- When making choices: use Jnana — think about what is honest, fair and helpful.
Role of Yog for spiritual growth
Practicing Yog helps you:
- Grow kind and caring (compassion).
- Become calm, focused and disciplined.
- Make wise choices and understand right from wrong.
- Serve others without selfishness and feel connected to community and God.
Demonstrate and practice — Suggested Learning Experiences
- Group discussion: In small groups, list examples from your home or school that show Bhakti, Jnana and Karma.
- Role play: Act out short scenes — e.g., helping a friend (Karma), praying with family (Bhakti), choosing to tell the truth (Jnana).
- Harambee service activity: Organise a class clean-up or help at a local community place. Reflect: Were actions selfless? Which Yog did you practise?
- Reflection journal (weekly): Write two sentences each for Bhakti, Jnana and Karma — what you did and how it made you feel.
- Quiet practice (2–3 minutes): Simple breathing: breathe in for 3 counts, hold 1, breathe out for 4 counts — repeat 4 times. Use before tests or class presentations.
- Art activity: Draw a triangle, put Bhakti, Jnana, Karma on the points and fill the centre with things you want to grow (kindness, wisdom, service).
- Class quiz/worksheet: Match scenarios to the correct Yog (teacher gives short scenes; learners choose Bhakti, Jnana or Karma).
Teacher’s assessment ideas
- Observe and record one example of a learner showing Bhakti, Jnana or Karma in class activities.
- Use the journal entry or a short oral report to assess understanding (can the child explain each Yog in their own words?).
- Use a short role-play rubric: did the learner show clear behaviour for the chosen Yog?
Recap & simple homework
Recap: Bhakti = devotion (heart), Jnana = knowledge (mind), Karma = selfless action (hands).
Homework (one week):- Write a short journal: one day you used Bhakti, one day you used Jnana, and one day you used Karma. Tell what happened and how you felt.
- Try the 2–3 minute breathing exercise each morning for three days and note any change in calmness.