When you think of yoga, likely the image of a man or woman with their body in some impossible position and a look of bliss on their face comes to mind. Although flexibility, discipline and bliss are part of yoga, the image of a person practicing physical yoga is only a small part of what it means to be a yogi. Yoga has several paths; physical accomplishments are only one of them.
Yoga in Sanskrit
Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root 'yuj', meaning to join, unity or yolk. The literal meaning barely conveys what yoga is about. Yoga is more broadly defined as a state of union with the Divine. Purity, honesty, controlling your desires and following a moral path are part of a yogic way to live. Yoga is not a religion or even truly a lifestyle. It is a science that leads practitioners to developing their consciousness, reaching their highest potential and becoming aware of their true nature. Whichever path you take, the ultimate goal is a union with Divine Reality, the uniting of your soul with the Supreme Soul.
Hatha Yoga
Hatha yoga means physical yoga that combines body movements, or asanas, with breathing exercises called pranayama. Hatha yoga is what most people think of as yoga. The word comes the Sanskrit tha, meaning sun and tha meaning moon, so hatha yoga means to join the masculine sun energy with the feminine moon energy.
Karma Yoga
Karma yoga is the yoga of action. This means to accept responsibility for our actions and to live with an awareness of the repercussions of our actions. Practicing Karma yoga means to live without selfishness.
Bhakti Yoga
Bhakti means devotion. Bhakti yogis seek enlightenment through love, adoration and surrendering of self. Meditation is key in Bhakti yoga.
Jnana yoga
Jnana means knowledge, but practicing Jnana yoga does not mean memorizing facts and date. Jnana yoga is about wisdom and attaining mental discipline.
Raja Yoga
Raja means royal, so following raja yoga means to follow the royal path. Raja yoga allows you to discover and refine your thoughts on the path to samadhi. Samadhi is a higher state of consciousness.
Kundalini Yoga
With the right teacher, a student of Kundalini yoga may wake up and raise the Kundalini spiritual energy in the body to bring it up through the chakras. Often the Kundalini energy is depicted as a serpent coiled in the base of the spine. Meditation and physical postures are part of Kundalini yoga.
Mantra Yoga
Mantras are sounds or chants and likely something you have heard in a yoga class. Mantras aid in concentration and meditation. Mantra means literally sacred utterance or sound.
