Indian Yoga Types

Yoga is one of the oldest philosophies in the world. The word "yoga," and the ideas behind it, were exacted from the Vedas, an ancient Hindu text of sacred scriptures. It was organized into a complete philosophical system in a later text called "The Yoga Sutras of Pantajali," which acts as a guide for reducing suffering and gaining happiness. Since then, yoga has branched into a number of related philosophies and practices, all which work to increase happiness through self-realization.

Raja Yoga

Meaning "Royal Yoga," Raja yoga refers to the Hindu sage Patanjali's eightfold path of transformative action. Patanjali called this form of yoga "Kriya yoga," the discipline of ritual described in "The Yoga Sutras of Panjali." It includes focus on moral discipline, self-restraint, posture, breath control, sensory control, concentration and sustained concentration through meditation, and finally, merging with the object of meditation. This system of transformative action guides practitioners to a state of clarity and self-realization.

Hatha Yoga

Hatha Yoga is the "yoga of force," where the practitioner uses his physical body to approach self realization. Hatha-yoga practitioners strengthen their bodies through posture and breath control as a way to free the body from impurities and channel subtle life-force energies in an attempt to master control of the mind to increase happiness. Yoga such as Ashtanga , Iyengar , Anusara, Kundalini, Bikram, Ananda and any physical practice closely associate with posture fall under the realm of Hatha Yoga.

Jnana Yoga

Jnana Yoga is the exercise of learning how to discern what is "real" from what is "unreal." It is a constant practice of seeing the world as an enjoyable realm with finite limits that must never be confused with transcendental bliss.

Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti yoga is the yoga of devotion, meant to attain liberation from suffering through merging with God, Lord, or a divine entity, rather than attaching energy to the ego of the self. Devotees channel their energy toward the divine in the form of loving actions of self-offering and worship.

Karma Yoga

Karma yoga is the yoga of transcendent action. The idea of Karma yoga comes from the scripture of the Bhagavad-Gita, told to teach Karma yoga. It says: "Not by abstention from actions does a person enjoy action-transcendence." Karma yoga students work to transcend any act that is motivated by ego. Practitioners practice performing duties in the spirit of self-surrender to a higher plan in order to contribute to the wholeness of the world.

Mantra Yoga

Mantra yoga is the practice of chanting to achieve self realization through the repetition of sacred principles and vibrations. A mantra is a single sound or a string of sounds that has been passed down from teacher to student for generations. Yogis who practice mantra yoga believe that their mantra holds the power to alter the direction of the mind by letting negative thoughts give way to positive thoughts, so that their perceived outlook will be transformed.

Laya Yoga

Laya yoga described by yogi author Georg Feuerstein as "A frontal attack on the illusion of individuality." It is the base for Tantra and Kundalini yoga, and seeks to dissolve all worldly attachments through intense self-contemplation by confronting the patterns of the mind through practices that expose our unconscious tendencies to cling to them. Feuerstein decribes Laya Yoga as the "higher, meditative phase of Hatha Yoga."