Yoga and its different styles
What is yoga and the different types
The word yoga means mainly "union" and refers to the methods to reach this union. But what is it that you want to unite? On the one hand, it is about joining the mind, body, and spirit, to achieve a harmonious integration of all strata of the human being. A deeper goal leads to the union of the individual with the cosmos or universal consciousness. The goal of yoga, then, goes beyond achieving an athletic body, reliable and flexible. Its purpose is not to reduce stress or calm the mind, but without a doubt, all these are effects that are achieved with their practice.
Yoga brings people with different expectations. For some, it is an ideal method to achieve relaxation, rest, balance, calm, or dedicate a moment for them. For others, it is a way to develop your mind and improve your concentration. Many approach yoga seeking the way to know themselves better and improve their potential. In other cases, the practice of yoga becomes a spiritual path, a search for knowledge that transcends the intellectual understanding of the world, and dual experience to reach an intuitive agreement of the world. The beautiful thing about yoga is that the practitioner himself sets the goal, and yoga is the tool that helps us achieve it, be it more earthly or deeper.
types of yoga
The doubt arises when choosing a type of yoga. Although the goal of any style of yoga is always the union with the universal consciousness, the paths to come to experience that union is diverse. I think there is a yoga for each person, depending on whether you are more athletic, if you like aerobic exercise, or if you prefer a more meditative practice since what you are interested in has more mental control. Although the paths of yoga can reach almost a hundred, they can be summarized in five important ones:
Karma yoga: the path of action. It is characterized by the spirit of service, dedication, and detachment. In this way, everyday work is a vehicle to reach the state of the union. This is intensified attention in the present (also known as mindfulness) and the level of consciousness is raised through action.
Bhakti yoga: the path of devotion and love. The dedication poured on the divinity, the guru or teacher, nature, the Absolute, or any reason. The bhakti yogi transcends his feeling of individuality and reaches the experience that "We are all one." Some yogas that are integrated into bhakti are Anusara yoga, Siddha yoga, or kundalini yoga. The essence of bhakti yoga is expounded in the "Bhagavad Gita."
Gñana yoga: the path of inquiry and discernment. The state of yoga is achieved by awakening the intuition with a self-question that is formulated continuously. The mind of the yogi ghana becomes identical with the Absolute (Brahman). This type of yoga has few followers and is said to be the most difficult, but for people of an intellectual-intuitive kind, it may be the most affordable. In India, this yoga is associated with the Vedanta philosophy.
Raja yoga: the path of introspection. It is also called mental yoga. It is a meditative yoga. The yogi investigates his mind by exploring consciousness in its manifestation levels: conscious, unconscious, and superconscious. It is usually identified with the system formulated by the wise Patanjali in his "Yoga Sutras." Raja yoga covers these other systems: Kundalini yoga, Kriya yoga, Mantra yoga, Dhyana yoga.
Hatha yoga: the path of the balance of internal energies. It is a physical yoga. It is the best known and practiced in the West, although sometimes it is misunderstood and becomes a mere gymnastics or stretching. Hatha yoga includes asanas or postures, energetic keys or bandhas, mudras or psychic gestures, breathing exercises or pranayama and internal purification. His practice acts on the body and the mind, purifying them and endowing them with harmony and strength. Within this system, there are many varieties of yoga: Anusara, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Power yoga, Vinyasa yoga, Bikram yoga, etc ...
The practice of all types of yoga is known as Integral Yoga. Yogis and advanced yoginis practice a mixture of all these yogas since with the maturation of the method, they are adding and integrating their different aspects. I do not understand a yoga practice that does not include breathing exercises (pranayama), or that excludes a space of meditation and introspection. The chanting of mantras I think dramatically enriches the experience of yoga, and the use of mudras in specific exercises certainly helps the practice. Performing the asanas in a holy way, totally changes the method, giving it a sense of
The word yoga means mainly "union" and refers to the methods to reach this union. But what is it that you want to unite? On the one hand, it is about joining the mind, body, and spirit, to achieve a harmonious integration of all strata of the human being. A deeper goal leads to the union of the individual with the cosmos or universal consciousness. The goal of yoga, then, goes beyond achieving an athletic body, reliable and flexible. Its purpose is not to reduce stress or calm the mind, but without a doubt, all these are effects that are achieved with their practice.
Yoga brings people with different expectations. For some, it is an ideal method to achieve relaxation, rest, balance, calm, or dedicate a moment for them. For others, it is a way to develop your mind and improve your concentration. Many approach yoga seeking the way to know themselves better and improve their potential. In other cases, the practice of yoga becomes a spiritual path, a search for knowledge that transcends the intellectual understanding of the world, and dual experience to reach an intuitive agreement of the world. The beautiful thing about yoga is that the practitioner himself sets the goal, and yoga is the tool that helps us achieve it, be it more earthly or deeper.
types of yoga
The doubt arises when choosing a type of yoga. Although the goal of any style of yoga is always the union with the universal consciousness, the paths to come to experience that union is diverse. I think there is a yoga for each person, depending on whether you are more athletic, if you like aerobic exercise, or if you prefer a more meditative practice since what you are interested in has more mental control. Although the paths of yoga can reach almost a hundred, they can be summarized in five important ones:
Karma yoga: the path of action. It is characterized by the spirit of service, dedication, and detachment. In this way, everyday work is a vehicle to reach the state of the union. This is intensified attention in the present (also known as mindfulness) and the level of consciousness is raised through action.
Bhakti yoga: the path of devotion and love. The dedication poured on the divinity, the guru or teacher, nature, the Absolute, or any reason. The bhakti yogi transcends his feeling of individuality and reaches the experience that "We are all one." Some yogas that are integrated into bhakti are Anusara yoga, Siddha yoga, or kundalini yoga. The essence of bhakti yoga is expounded in the "Bhagavad Gita."
Gñana yoga: the path of inquiry and discernment. The state of yoga is achieved by awakening the intuition with a self-question that is formulated continuously. The mind of the yogi ghana becomes identical with the Absolute (Brahman). This type of yoga has few followers and is said to be the most difficult, but for people of an intellectual-intuitive kind, it may be the most affordable. In India, this yoga is associated with the Vedanta philosophy.
Raja yoga: the path of introspection. It is also called mental yoga. It is a meditative yoga. The yogi investigates his mind by exploring consciousness in its manifestation levels: conscious, unconscious, and superconscious. It is usually identified with the system formulated by the wise Patanjali in his "Yoga Sutras." Raja yoga covers these other systems: Kundalini yoga, Kriya yoga, Mantra yoga, Dhyana yoga.
Hatha yoga: the path of the balance of internal energies. It is a physical yoga. It is the best known and practiced in the West, although sometimes it is misunderstood and becomes a mere gymnastics or stretching. Hatha yoga includes asanas or postures, energetic keys or bandhas, mudras or psychic gestures, breathing exercises or pranayama and internal purification. His practice acts on the body and the mind, purifying them and endowing them with harmony and strength. Within this system, there are many varieties of yoga: Anusara, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Power yoga, Vinyasa yoga, Bikram yoga, etc ...
The practice of all types of yoga is known as Integral Yoga. Yogis and advanced yoginis practice a mixture of all these yogas since with the maturation of the method, they are adding and integrating their different aspects. I do not understand a yoga practice that does not include breathing exercises (pranayama), or that excludes a space of meditation and introspection. The chanting of mantras I think dramatically enriches the experience of yoga, and the use of mudras in specific exercises certainly helps the practice. Performing the asanas in a holy way, totally changes the method, giving it a sense of
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