Types of Yoga

March 23rd, 2007 | admin

Yoga, the ancient practice that deals with mind and body kind for the sake of salvation actually comes in different flavors. The most important and widely accepted of all forms of yoga is Raja Yoga or the yoga that is based on breath control and meditation.

The main yoga types are:

Bhakti Yoga – yoga based on faith
Karma Yoga – based on actions (karma)
Jnana Yoga – based on knowledge
Raja Yoga – Meditation and breath control
Mantra Yoga – yoga that concentrates on enchantments (mantras)
Laya Yoga – based on meditation
Tantra Yoga – meditation
Hatha Yoga – a set of exercises
Kundalini Yoga – this form really has elements from Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Tantra Yoga, Laya Yoga and Mantra Yoga. It aims at releasing the cosmic energy sleeping at the base of spine called kundalini.

And there may be probably many more. Among them the ones that are practiced by people of different cultures in different forms are Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Raja Yoga. However the elements of a type of yoga can be found in all the three others and vice versa. For example the widely acclaimed form of yoga, Raja Yoga has postures which are part of Hatha Yoga. This gives yoga the feel of an exercise.

In fact, yoga was and is practiced as part of religious tradition by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. The ultimate goal of all the yoga practices is Moksha or salvation. It is the ultimate union of human soul with the soul of God.

The name of yoga, which roughly transforms into a union, actually comes from its aim of helping oneÂ’s soul unite with god or divinity.