4 Main Types of Yoga Explained
Yoga is for everyone. Incorporating it into your daily routine will keep you young and healthy, and will help you maintain a positive mindset and outlook on life. Whether you are a beginner or whether you have been practicing yoga for years, whether you are young or old, yoga does wonders to strengthen your mind and body and to keep you healthy both on the inside and on the outside.
4 Types of Yoga
There are 4 types, or “paths”, of yoga: Bhakti, Karma, Gyana and Raja.
1. Bhakti
It is the yoga of devotion and the easiest of the 4 paths. Anyone can practice it because it does not require extensive yogic practices. You can practice bhakti to remove negative feelings such as hatred, jealousy, and anger, and replace them with positive feelings such as joy, peace and wisdom.
2. Karma
Karma yoga refers to action without attachment to the outcome. In other words, we focus on selfless service. Our hearts are purified and there is no place for negative feelings such as jealousy and selfishness. In place are feelings of humility, compassion, and pure love. With karma yoga, nobody feels that he is above or beneath anyone.
3. Gyana
This path leads to wisdom. You go through a process of discriminating between real and unreal and true and untrue through self-inquiry. It is the most difficult path out of the 4 types of Yoga because it requires our will power and intellect to realize that we are One with the Divine. We use the power of reason to fight against our ego.
4. Raja
Lastly, Raja yoga means the “royal path.” It involves maintaining control over your mind. This type of yoga involves the use of meditation, mantras and techniques. Since Raja yoga requires no particular belief or faith, it is favored by a lot of people in the West.
In essence, the 4 types of yoga are about devotion, action, wisdom, and meditation. Yoga will help strengthen our minds in order not to give in to negative or unhealthy thoughts.
