5 Types of Yoga by Valerie Kiser
Yoga has many forms and traditions. Although they vary in emphasis, they all have the ultimate goal of uniting with the higher Self / God / Divine. The traditions also overlap in their philosophies and a practitioner of one type of yoga is naturally a practitioner of other traditions. People may be drawn to one form more than another based on their nature. The ancient Sanskrit texts that teach us about the types of yoga include The Bhagavad Gita, The Upanishads, and the Yoga Sutras.
Bhakti yoga is the yoga of devotion and adoration. People who practice Bhakti yoga believe in the power of love and see God as love. Rituals such as singing, dancing, chanting, making offerings, repeating mantras, praying, and worshiping are all a part of this type of yoga. Hindus who practice bhakti yoga will devote themselves to a deity such as Krishna. Bhakti comes from the Sanskrit root of bhaj which means "to serve. The growing love for the Lord tears down the walls between the human per-son and the Divine. [An emotional person may be drawn to the bhakti path since it teaches acceptance and tolerance.]
Jnana yoga is the yoga of knowledge or wisdom. The word jnana means "knowledge", insight, or wisdom. It is the most difficult path because it requires great strength of will and intellect. Jnana tells us that at the current consciousness level, everything is real. But as the consciousness level rises, a person knows that things are not real as separate entities. Activities of a jnana yoga include listening to a teacher who explains old texts, reflecting, discussing the texts with others, asking for clarification, recognizing the truth, and ultimately merging with that truth. [Analytical and scholarly people are often drawn to this yoga since enlightenment is obtained through willpower, study, and inspired reason.]
Karma yoga is the yoga of action. The root kri means "to make or "to do. It may be chosen by those with outgoing personalities. This yoga teaches you to act selflessly without thought of gain or reward so that you may purify your heart. Karma yoga allows a person to act without consideration of reward for such actions. It also teaches us how to act in the world so that we are not affected by karma and influence des-tiny in a positive way: to prevent bad karma, we hope to go beyond good karma to no karma. Karma yoga removes egoism, attachment, and selfishness from the mind. All actions have future consequences in this life and/or future ones, therefore a practitioner of karma yoga becomes more giving of him/herself. Mahatma Gandhi is an example of a karma yogi as his actions were selfless.
Raja yoga is the science of physical and mental control. It is sometimes referred to as royal or classical yoga. This practice is considered royal or kingly as it allows a follower to become a ruler/master over his/her mind and the Self and to be enlightened. The pieces (or limbs) that make up raja yoga are both physical and mental in nature and offer us a way to observe the internal mind.
It includes the eight limbs of yoga that are listed in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. These limbs are sometimes collectively referred to as Ashtanga yoga. They are: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi. Bernard Bouanchaud translates these as respect toward others, self-restraint, posture, breath control, detaching at will from the senses, concentration, meditation, and contemplation. The listing does not imply that we should perform these limbs in order; this is not a step-by-step process, but the limbs are related. The yamas include "non-violence, truth, non-stealing, moderation, and non covetousness. " The nirvanas include cleanliness, contentment, discipline, study of the ancient texts, and surrender to God. Asana consists of postures of the body. Pranayama is mastery of the prana (or breath). Pratyahara is withdrawing from the external senses. Dharana is concentration which may lead to dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (contemplation or a conscious experience).
Hatha
yoga is considered different things to different people. One explanation
of it is hatha yoga is one of the limbs of Patanjali's eight limbs of
raja-yoga or a compliment to raja yoga. Some scholars consider it to
include only asanas, where other scholars include asana, purification
methods, and pranayama as part of hatha yoga. Swami Vivekananda says
that the purpose of hatha yoga is to make the physical body strong, to
not get sick, and to live a long life. He says it is a physical, not
a spiritual path. Others disagree saying that hatha yoga prepares and
purifies the body allowing for easier meditation, concentration, and
ultimate enlightenment through increased energy, strength, and balance.
Svatmarama, a sage, stated that asanas are a way to create a contemplative
state of mind and that only one posture is necessary: one for sitting
meditation. Authoritative texts on hatha yoga include the Hatha Yoga
Pradipika, Gheranda Samhita, and Shiva Samhita.
Hatha yoga is the most widely practiced type of yoga in the West and has been studied in recent years to understand its health benefits. Many styles of hatha yoga exist with each having its own focus. For example, some emphasize alignment while others emphasize movement. Each style varies the amount it centers on asana, pranayama, meditation, and relaxation.
Hatha yoga allows us to open the chakras of the body and awaken the kundalini. It also offers a way to balance of the male (solar) and female (lunar) energies of the body. Many Westerners come to hatha yoga in the quest of better health: increased flexibility, more strength, better sleep habits, reduced pain, relaxation, stress release, etc. After being introduced to this branch of yoga, the other types of yoga (bhakti, jnana, mantra, etc.) may become of interest to students as well.
Valerie is a teacher in Charlotte, North Carolina and is in Sun & Moon's advanced teacher training program.