Yogic Philosophy

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Patanjali's Yoga Sutras are the most revered yogic text. The Sutras contain a great deal of information about the philosophy, practice, methods and ideology of yoga, and a great many texts and treatises have been written analyzing this information. My goal here is to provide you with a brief overview of some of the key concepts of the yogic path.

The Yamas and Niyamas are "the ten commandments" of Yoga - 10 basic principles by which every yogi and yogini tries to live their life, improving one's connection to oneself and others.

The Eight-Fold or Eight-Limbed Path is a map for the journey of the soul to its Self, the SOURCE. It describes the 8 basic limbs of a yoga practice - five limbs of external practice, and the final three limbs of internal practice.

There are many types of Yoga. Some of the most well-known are the following:

	*Hatha Yoga* - the physical yoga practice that comes to mind when most of us think of yoga. The Sanskrit word "Ha" means "sun" and "tha" means "moon." Hatha yoga uses the body as a doorway to connect with the Source (your own inborn divinity). Hatha yoga increases health for ALL practitioners, and can unite body, mind, and spirit. Hatha Yoga purifies and prepares the body for meditation and enlightenment.
	*Karma Yoga* - The Yoga of Service. The practice of Karma Yoga is selfless service for the benefit of others. One could say that Mother Theresa was a Karma Yogini. Key concepts of Karma Yoga are to act selflessly, without attachment and with integrity. Karma yogis practice non-attachment to the results of their actions, while trying to see the divinity in every person. For a deeper definition of non-attachment, see Aparigraha under the Yamas section.
	*Bhakti Yoga* - The yoga of Devotion. Bhakti Yogis practice prayer, rituals of devotion, and chanting to each one's own name of God. One does not need to be attached to a formal Religion to practice Bhakti Yoga. One follows one's own spirituality, and respects and honors the spirituality of others.
	*Tantra Yoga (including Kundalini Yoga)* - Traditionally, this is a path of total commitment to the practice of Kundalini Yoga, devoting one's life - body, mind, and soul, into the quest for union with the Divine. Practitioners lead a fairly ascetic lifestyle, following complex rituals to assist in waking the latent spiritual energy in the body (believed to be coiled at the base of the spine). Tantra is about honoring both the dark and light sides of the body as being divine. "If God is everywhere - in the flower, the sun, the heart, then God is also in the garbage, the dark, the genitals." Tantra has been widely misrepresented in the West. While a some practitioners may include sex in a few Tantric Rituals, Tantra is a spiritual path about awakening the divinity within one's being.
	*Jnana Yoga* -(pronounced Gyah-nah) The Path of Knowledge and Wisdom. Practice of Jnana Yoga is self-observation and study of yogic scriptures to connect with the wisdom in the spirit. It is the path of knowledge gained through the experience of other yogic practices (hatha, karma, raja, or bhakti yoga). Jnana Yoga teaches non-dualism. In other words, everything is one - there is one singular reality, and our perception of separateness is a misconception.
	*Guru Yoga* - the yoga of dedication to a Yoga Master as a teacher and a guide along one's own spiritual journey. The Guru is expected to be an enlightened individual, who assists spiritual realization in his/her disciples.
	*Mantra Yoga* - the yoga of sound as a doorway to the divine. Mantra Yoga uses sound to integrate the body/mind/spirit, and to bring intense concentration to the mind. Mantras are words, syllables, or phrases repeated over and over until the integrate into one's consciousness.
	*Raja Yoga* - "Raja" is loosely translated as "royal" or "king's" yoga. Raja Yoga is the yoga of meditation. Raja Yoga is practiced by following the Eight-Limbed Path outlined by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras, which is a map for the journey of the soul to its Self. See The Eight-Fold Path for more information.

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