Different Kinds of Yoga
It’s funny to look at it this way, but one of the things that has promoted the spread of yoga in the west, is the same thing that can sometimes prevent someone from truly exploring it and therefore experiencing its health benefits. This thing is variety.
Sometimes when there is only one of something – such as one idea, or one language, or one anything – it’s hard for that thing to spread outside of those who abide by it, agree with it, or simply want it to continue existing.
Yet when there are multiple ideas and concepts, the chances of it spreading increase; there are just more people out there who will be able to access it, talk about it, and indeed, make it a part of their lives.
What does this have to do with yoga? Well, there are many different types of yoga; and the reason for this, as we initially discussed, is that yoga isn’t a religion; it’s an approach to being alive. As such, it’s very agile and flexible (no pun intended!) and carries well across cultural, country, and religious boundaries.
Thanks to its diversity and different facets and types, yoga has spread very swiftly through the western world over last 110 years or so; and is spreading faster now than ever before (many western companies will now pay for yoga classes as part of an enhanced health benefits program).
Yet this very diversity has led to some confusion; and people who have been exposed to one kind of yoga might accidentally think that they’ve seen it all. This is more worrisome, of course, when one has been exposed to a kind of yoga that – for whatever reason – they did not like, or perhaps, weren’t quite ready for (just as how some people might turn away from a fitness program if they aren’t in the right frame of mind to see it through).
So if you’ve experienced yoga, or seen it on television, read about it in a newspaper, or overheard a friend or colleague talk about it, then please be aware that there’s a very good chance that you haven’t been exposed to all that there is (which is wonderful, because it means that this next section will be very interesting and informative for you!).
Six Major Types
Yogic scholars Feuerstein and Bodian note seven major types of yoga. In no particular order, they are:
Hatha Yoga
Graham Ledgerwood, who has been teaching yoga and mysticism for over 30 years, says that hatha yoga is practiced in the west mostly for health and vitality, and is the most popular in western society.
Ha is a Sanskrit term meaning sun, so hatha yoga according to Ledgerwood is a “marvelous means of exercising, stretching, and freeing the body so it can be a healthy, long-lived, and vital instrument of the mind and soul”.
Perfecting the postures in hatha yoga has two objectives:
Similar to classical yoga, Raja Yoga is considered the “royal path” to unifying the mind and body. Raja yoga is considered by some to be a rather difficult form of yoga, because it seeks enlightenment through direct control and mastery of the mind.
People who can concentrate well and enjoy meditation are best suited for Raja yoga. This type – or branch – of yoga has 8 limbs:
Karma yoga involves selfless action. The word karma itself means action – all actions that come from the individual beginning from his birth until his death. Most importantly, karma is the path to doing the right thing. Hence the practice of karma yoga means giving up the ego to serve God and humanity.
Karma yoga comes from the teachings of the Bhagavad Vita, which is sometimes respectfully referred to as “the New Testament of Hinduism”. Service to God through serving others is the foundation of Karma Yoga.
Bhakti Yoga
Sri Swami Sivananda says:
Mark how love develops. First arises faith. Then follows attraction and after that adoration. Adoration leads to suppression of mundane desires. The result is single-mindedness and satisfaction. Then grow attachment and supreme love towards God.
In this type of highest Bhakti all attraction and attachment which one has for objects of enjoyment are transferred to the only dearest object, God. This leads the devotee to an eternal union with his Beloved and culminates in oneness.
Bhakti yoga is thus seen as divine love. As a force of attraction, Swami Nikhilananda and Sri Ramakrishna Math say that love operates on three levels:
Love based upon intellectual attraction is more impersonal and enduring… It is a matter of common observation that the more intellectually developed the life of a person is, the less he takes pleasure in the objects of the senses.
Jnana Yoga
Jnana yoga is the path to wisdom. Graham Ledgerwood defines jnana as “emptying out” the mind and soul of delusions so that individuals can be attuned to reality, releasing all thoughts and emotions until the individual is transformed and enlightened.
Jnana yoga is one of the four main paths that lead directly to self-realization (philosophy of advaita vedanda). By crushing the obstacles of ignorance, the student of jnana yoga experiences God.
Concepts such as discernment and discrimination are highly regarded in Jnana yoga, where the student or devotee identifies himself as separate from the components of his environment. “Neti-neti” is also a principle inherent in Jnana Yoga. Literally, it means “not this, not this” and by removing objects around, what’s left is just YOU and only you.
Tantra Yoga
A seventh type of yoga that many people have heard about, and indeed, are quite curious about, is tantra yoga.
Tantra yoga is considered by some to be most oriental of all yoga branches. It is often misunderstood as consisting exclusively of sexual rituals. It involves more than sex: it is the path of self-transcendence through ritual means, one of which is just consecrated sexuality. Some tantric schools actually recommend a celibate lifestyle after a certain point.
Tantra literally means “expansion.” A Tantra devotee expands all his levels of consciousness so he/she can reach out to the Supreme Reality. Tantra yoga aims to awaken the male and female aspects within a person to trigger a spiritual awakening.
Advice for Beginners
As you now know (if you didn’t know it when you started reading, that is!), yoga is a very interesting and ancient approach of uniting the body and the mind. It has proven health benefits, including emotional and physical improvements.
The chances therefore are, if you’re on the verge of starting a yoga program (perhaps at a local center or you’ve purchased a video or DVD and want to try it at home), you’re excited, optimistic, and anxious to get going!
Yet it’s wise to note that, before going into yoga practice, you should ask yourself some important questions. These questions don’t have a right or wrong answer.
They are merely meant to stimulate your own thoughts and give you the mindset that you need in order to succeed as a student of yoga for the long term.
Here are the basic questions that you should ask before starting any yoga program:
And remember, please: there are many different kinds of yoga, and many different kinds of yoga instructors. Most of them are great; a handful of them may be well-intentioned, but may lack some of the foundation that they need in order to teach.
Remember always: no yoga instructor that you work with should ever humiliate you, degrade you, insult you, or make you feel inferior.
If you encounter the 1 in a 1000 who has not yet achieved the personal development that he/she needs in order to effectively teach, then remember: there are always other teachers!
The goal here is to make you happy, healthy, and confident. These criteria should be a part of all of your yoga experiences from day one.
Final Note on Consistency
For you to enjoy every benefit of your commitment to practicing yoga, please note that consistency and regularity are keys. You can’t go into one session and skip three or four just because you’re sore, had an unexpected engagement, or were too stressed out.
For the body and mind to change, you need to practice yoga consistently. Remove all obstacles, real or imagined and stay committed. Your rewards will be better health, better emotional balance, and a happier, more fulfilled life!
Sometimes when there is only one of something – such as one idea, or one language, or one anything – it’s hard for that thing to spread outside of those who abide by it, agree with it, or simply want it to continue existing.
Yet when there are multiple ideas and concepts, the chances of it spreading increase; there are just more people out there who will be able to access it, talk about it, and indeed, make it a part of their lives.
What does this have to do with yoga? Well, there are many different types of yoga; and the reason for this, as we initially discussed, is that yoga isn’t a religion; it’s an approach to being alive. As such, it’s very agile and flexible (no pun intended!) and carries well across cultural, country, and religious boundaries.
Thanks to its diversity and different facets and types, yoga has spread very swiftly through the western world over last 110 years or so; and is spreading faster now than ever before (many western companies will now pay for yoga classes as part of an enhanced health benefits program).
Yet this very diversity has led to some confusion; and people who have been exposed to one kind of yoga might accidentally think that they’ve seen it all. This is more worrisome, of course, when one has been exposed to a kind of yoga that – for whatever reason – they did not like, or perhaps, weren’t quite ready for (just as how some people might turn away from a fitness program if they aren’t in the right frame of mind to see it through).
So if you’ve experienced yoga, or seen it on television, read about it in a newspaper, or overheard a friend or colleague talk about it, then please be aware that there’s a very good chance that you haven’t been exposed to all that there is (which is wonderful, because it means that this next section will be very interesting and informative for you!).
Six Major Types
Yogic scholars Feuerstein and Bodian note seven major types of yoga. In no particular order, they are:
- hatha yoga
- raja yoga
- karma yoga
- bhakti yoga
- jnana yoga
- tantra yoga
Hatha Yoga
Graham Ledgerwood, who has been teaching yoga and mysticism for over 30 years, says that hatha yoga is practiced in the west mostly for health and vitality, and is the most popular in western society.
Ha is a Sanskrit term meaning sun, so hatha yoga according to Ledgerwood is a “marvelous means of exercising, stretching, and freeing the body so it can be a healthy, long-lived, and vital instrument of the mind and soul”.
Perfecting the postures in hatha yoga has two objectives:
- Meditating.
People need at least one posture that they can be totally comfortable with, for a long period of time. The more postures you can master, the better you are able to cultivate deeper meditation techniques. - Renewing body’s energies for optimum health.
Similar to classical yoga, Raja Yoga is considered the “royal path” to unifying the mind and body. Raja yoga is considered by some to be a rather difficult form of yoga, because it seeks enlightenment through direct control and mastery of the mind.
People who can concentrate well and enjoy meditation are best suited for Raja yoga. This type – or branch – of yoga has 8 limbs:
- moral discipline
- self-restraint
- posture
- breath control
- sensory inhibition
- concentration
- meditation
- ecstasy
Karma yoga involves selfless action. The word karma itself means action – all actions that come from the individual beginning from his birth until his death. Most importantly, karma is the path to doing the right thing. Hence the practice of karma yoga means giving up the ego to serve God and humanity.
Karma yoga comes from the teachings of the Bhagavad Vita, which is sometimes respectfully referred to as “the New Testament of Hinduism”. Service to God through serving others is the foundation of Karma Yoga.
Bhakti Yoga
Sri Swami Sivananda says:
Mark how love develops. First arises faith. Then follows attraction and after that adoration. Adoration leads to suppression of mundane desires. The result is single-mindedness and satisfaction. Then grow attachment and supreme love towards God.
In this type of highest Bhakti all attraction and attachment which one has for objects of enjoyment are transferred to the only dearest object, God. This leads the devotee to an eternal union with his Beloved and culminates in oneness.
Bhakti yoga is thus seen as divine love. As a force of attraction, Swami Nikhilananda and Sri Ramakrishna Math say that love operates on three levels:
- material
- human
- spiritual
Love based upon intellectual attraction is more impersonal and enduring… It is a matter of common observation that the more intellectually developed the life of a person is, the less he takes pleasure in the objects of the senses.
Jnana Yoga
Jnana yoga is the path to wisdom. Graham Ledgerwood defines jnana as “emptying out” the mind and soul of delusions so that individuals can be attuned to reality, releasing all thoughts and emotions until the individual is transformed and enlightened.
Jnana yoga is one of the four main paths that lead directly to self-realization (philosophy of advaita vedanda). By crushing the obstacles of ignorance, the student of jnana yoga experiences God.
Concepts such as discernment and discrimination are highly regarded in Jnana yoga, where the student or devotee identifies himself as separate from the components of his environment. “Neti-neti” is also a principle inherent in Jnana Yoga. Literally, it means “not this, not this” and by removing objects around, what’s left is just YOU and only you.
Tantra Yoga
A seventh type of yoga that many people have heard about, and indeed, are quite curious about, is tantra yoga.
Tantra yoga is considered by some to be most oriental of all yoga branches. It is often misunderstood as consisting exclusively of sexual rituals. It involves more than sex: it is the path of self-transcendence through ritual means, one of which is just consecrated sexuality. Some tantric schools actually recommend a celibate lifestyle after a certain point.
Tantra literally means “expansion.” A Tantra devotee expands all his levels of consciousness so he/she can reach out to the Supreme Reality. Tantra yoga aims to awaken the male and female aspects within a person to trigger a spiritual awakening.
Advice for Beginners
As you now know (if you didn’t know it when you started reading, that is!), yoga is a very interesting and ancient approach of uniting the body and the mind. It has proven health benefits, including emotional and physical improvements.
The chances therefore are, if you’re on the verge of starting a yoga program (perhaps at a local center or you’ve purchased a video or DVD and want to try it at home), you’re excited, optimistic, and anxious to get going!
Yet it’s wise to note that, before going into yoga practice, you should ask yourself some important questions. These questions don’t have a right or wrong answer.
They are merely meant to stimulate your own thoughts and give you the mindset that you need in order to succeed as a student of yoga for the long term.
Here are the basic questions that you should ask before starting any yoga program:
- what are my reasons for starting a yoga program? Are they realistic?
- If my yoga program involves some degree of physical strain, such as certain postures in hatha yoga, have I received medical clearance from a qualified and certified health professional to ensure that I don’t injure myself?
- Are my goals for pursuing a yoga program (or programs) clear and positive? Do I know what I want to achieve?
- Am I prepared to commit the time necessary to really get the most of out of my yoga experience?
- Are there people around me who might negatively try and talk me out (or mock me out) of pursuing this path of personal development? Should I either avoid such people, or ask them to respect what I’m choosing to do?
And remember, please: there are many different kinds of yoga, and many different kinds of yoga instructors. Most of them are great; a handful of them may be well-intentioned, but may lack some of the foundation that they need in order to teach.
Remember always: no yoga instructor that you work with should ever humiliate you, degrade you, insult you, or make you feel inferior.
If you encounter the 1 in a 1000 who has not yet achieved the personal development that he/she needs in order to effectively teach, then remember: there are always other teachers!
The goal here is to make you happy, healthy, and confident. These criteria should be a part of all of your yoga experiences from day one.
Final Note on Consistency
For you to enjoy every benefit of your commitment to practicing yoga, please note that consistency and regularity are keys. You can’t go into one session and skip three or four just because you’re sore, had an unexpected engagement, or were too stressed out.
For the body and mind to change, you need to practice yoga consistently. Remove all obstacles, real or imagined and stay committed. Your rewards will be better health, better emotional balance, and a happier, more fulfilled life!