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YOGA is an ancient science. Yoga means to ‘yug’ or to join the individual should with the Universal Soul. But most of us don’t even know what soul is and perhaps the thought of a Universal Soul is beyond our imaginations. That is why today there are many different texts all trying to explain the inexplicable. The Universal Soul is referred to as Brahman, Paramatma, Consciousness, Universe, Life, God, The Absolute, THAT or Tat and many other names in different languages.
 Yoga could be considered as the science of religion. It most certainly is not a new religion; for one thing, dogmatic practices are not supported within Yoga philosophy. Yoga encourages religious practice but without blind faith, rather with continual inquiry and practice. In one of the great texts on Hatha Yoga, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, it strongly advises against rules, which it states, press on the mind, enslaving it!
The purpose of all Yogic practices is the elimination of ego and thus the quietening of the mind so as we may experience Truth.
We are all ultimately aiming for the same thing, joy and peace, which is the experience of Truth. As we all have different degrees of intelligence and experiences, different faculties, strengths and weaknesses one path alone would not suit all.
Each person has their own particular likes and dislikes and the broad range of belief systems in the world is of great benefit, allowing individuals to find their own path which suits them best. Though we may appear to be individuals we still do have a lot in common. To focus on this unity is more important than focusing our differences. For one thing, we are all made of the very same five elements. We all have Consciousness and Energy and we all have the desire to be happy and free from suffering.
All Yoga’s (methods) or systems (sadhanas) are aimed at going beyond the mind, dissolving it, and thus developing our own self-awareness.
Yoga has been classified into four main categories, suiting four different types of people. This is not to say that all the four Yogas can’t be practiced along side each other. Generally, we will tend to favor and lean more towards one type which we should then focus more of our energies in practicing.
The four Yogas are Jnana Yoga, Raja Yoga (Hatha Yoga), Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. Yoga is not limited to these four Yogas alone but generally most practices can fit under one of these types.
JNANA YOGA 
Jnana means wisdom. Wisdom is experiential based knowledge. Two types of knowledge exist, worldly knowledge and self-knowledge.
One might consider what would the point be in knowing all the knowledge in the world if one does not have self-knowledge.
Thus, Jnana Yoga is knowledge of the Self. Many of us spend our lives asking, who are you, where did you come from, rather than asking the paramount questions of who am I, where did I come from and where am I going?
Jnana Yoga begins by believing and accepting nothing in the way of abstract ideas and beliefs. To commence Jnana Yoga one can sit in a peaceful environment, close the eyes and then ask the flowing questions: What do I know for sure? One must be very honest and think on a much deeper level than all the previous conditioned beliefs that we have accumulated over the years. You could then ask yourself the question, who am I? and again be very honest whilst answering this question. Are you sure that you are the name given to the body that you use?
Jnana Yoga is the path of inquiry and it is said that inquiry is greatest of all spiritual practices.
Some of the great Jnani Yogis were, Gautama Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, Ramana Maharishi, Nishagahata Maharaj, Socrates.
The key for modern day Jnana Yoga practitioners is just to continue to ask who! Who is successful, who failed, who gained, who lost, who is happy, who is sad, who is kind, who is mean, who is selfless, who is selfish, etc.
 BHAKTI YOGA
Bhakti Yoga is the path of devotion, of unconditional selfless love for one and for all. It is the path of delight for the mind as one becomes immersed in God and all His/Her glory.
Bhakti Yoga is said to be the path and the goal. Bhakti is true love and involves no wanting, rather it involves sacrifice and selfless service. Bhakti Yogis practice non-discrimination towards race, color, sex, religion and loving all as equals.
There are three stages in Bhakti Yoga, first we are servants of God, later children of God, and later, God and His devotee are one. These stages correlate to the three main philosophies that exist, namely, Dwaita (duality – God and us), Vishistadwaita (non-qualified duality – we are all parts of One), and Adwaita (non-dualism – all is one without a second, no separation).
The first thing to do in Bhakti Yoga is to determine what our level of experience is and thus live accordingly. There is no point living by a belief system that we have not experienced or any solid reason to have faith in.
If our experience is that we are separate from God, then the practice of Bhakti Yoga would involve dedicating all of one’s actions to God. Working for God alone, without the need for personal reward or praise and with a selfless attitude. This helps the aspirant to eliminate their ego and thus ultimately merge with God.
In the Bhagavad-Gita , Lord Krishna says that God has a higher and lower nature. God’s higher nature (Purusha – or Consciousness) is like the reflection of sunlight on the water, it is neither water, nor sunlight. It remains unattached and is unaffected by the world. Neither good nor evil!
God’s lower nature is the five elements, the mind, the intellect and the ego, which are referred to as Prakriti or nature.
It is nature, comprised of three qualities (gunas) - inertia, activity, harmony (tamas, ragas and sattva), which is responsible for all the manifestations that occur in the universe. Ultimately, there is only One without the second and thus anything that involves duality is not Truth.
Vedanta philosophy says that there is neither truth nor untruth (mithya). Like the picture on a cinema screen, there is not truth nor untruth in the picture, rather the screen is the one unchanging truth that is Consciousness. This truth is unaffected and unattached by the pictures (energy/nature) on the screen but responsible for their existence when combined with light.
Thus when Energy (light) and Consciousness dance, we have the Universe. Though they are often referred to as two (Consciousness and Energy, Ying and Yang, Shiva and Shakti, Purusha and Prakriti), they are in fact only one. The effort to separate the two to realise they are one is a part of Raja Yoga.
RAJA YOGA 
Raja Yoga is the method which aims at mastery over the mind. Raja means king, and as such this method of Yoga is considered to be the king of methods.
However, most practioners of various methods will be somewhat biased in their beliefs as to which is most useful. For example, Bhakti Yogis will happily tell you that Bhakti Yoga is the supreme path, the path and the goal and is the path that offers most delight for the mind.
Raja Yoga is a path that involves the mastery over the mind. It is a disciplined path, one that involves many hours of practice in asana, pranayama and meditation.
Hatha Yoga is said to be a preliminary within Raja Yoga. Astanga (eight limbs) Yoga is for more advanced practioners. In Patanaji’s Yoga Sutras he starts by saying “Atta Yoganushasanam”, meaning ‘now, the practice of Yoga begins’, alluding to the point that much preparation is needed before one starts the practices of Astanga Yoga.
In Hatha Yoga, Swat Marinma expresses that there are to be no rules, whereas in Astanga Yoga, universal and individual codes of conduct are given as the prelude to more advanced practices.
Without a pure mind, the practices of asana, pranayama, and mediation are fruitless with regards to spiritual growth, or mastering of the mind.
 KARMA YOGA
Karma means actions and karma Yoga is the path of action. This style of Yoga is said to suit 99% of people, as in this modern day the ability to sit with a still mind is quite difficult for most. For the devotional type, Karma Yoga is the constant act of offering or dedicating one’s actions to the Divine. For those that are not devotional (and for those who are), Karma Yoga is performing each action with meditative like awareness.
Karma Yoga is being present in all that one does. Listening, feeling, smelling, tasting, seeing; actively involving the senses in all that one does. Observing any mental reactions that follow any actions is also part of Karma Yoga.
The key to Karma Yoga is to:
Eat when you eat,
Work when you work,
Play when you play,
Sleep when you sleep.
The important aspect of Karma Yoga is that the action be performed selflessly, without ego, without concern for the results and without desire for the fruits of one's actions.
The purpose of Yoga is to still the mind and thus achieve equanimity. If we desire the fruits of our actions we may get what we want and then want more - greed! If we don’t get what we want - anger! Both greed and anger disturb the mind.
“Motivated action (i.e, action performed with an eye on the fruits thereof), is far inferior to desireless action; seek thou refuge in equanimity; wretched are the result seekers”. Bhagavad Gita
SUMMARY
Within these four main Yogas many other branches of Yoga fall. It is clear however, that there are different Yoga methods to suit all personality types. |
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