Differences among yoga styles

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam all!

 

I have a simple question, that probably requires a more complex

answer. I've been doing a lot of reading on yoga in general and

spirituality. I've finished Christ the Yogi and Autobiography of a

Yogi (I thought both were excellent books). I'm going to be reading

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali next. But I'm not quite clear on some

things. I know there are different 'styles' of yoga (bhakti, hatha,

kundalini, etc). What are the differences of each? In other words, I

understand that bhakti yoga is focused on devotion/service to others.

I THINK hatha yoga is more focused on the physical body (but don't

quote me). I understand kundalini. But I don't know how Tantra or

Kriya or the other yoga styles differ from each other. From what I've

seen, at least some of them are complimentary to one another. I say

this because I know that Brad and some others say that the do some

hatha once awhile. Could someone please educate me? Thanks!

 

Christa

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam! Here is a brief (very brief) outline of various types of yoga as I

have been taught...

 

 

The 4 main paths of Yoga/how to achieve union with God

 

Bhakti yoga: path of devotion and love. lots of chanting! total surrender

to God

 

Karma yoga: yoga through selfless service and right action

 

Hatha yoga: the physical purification of the body and mind so the soul

becomes free

 

Jnana yoga: the path of wisdom, inquiry leads to knowing God (neti, neti=not

this, not that)

 

And

 

Raja yoga: the royal path of yoga which combines all of the above as

outlined in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

 

 

I have also heard from some Ashtangis that Patanjali outlined 16 paths of

Yoga including the main 4 above. Here are some others I can remember off

the top of my head:

 

 

Laya Yoga: works with energy, united own energy with God's/the Absolute;

sometimes considered Kundalini Yoga

 

Nada Yoga: yoga of sound; deep listening

 

Shat Yoga: the cleansing practices/kriyas -- can be found recorded in the

Hatha Yoga Pradipika

 

Mantra Yoga or Japa Yoga: repetition of mantra (sometimes part of Nada yoga

as well)

 

Tantra Yoga: various practices, most of which center around using the body

as a map of the cosmos and invoking union through mudra, mantra, breath, and

placement of the hands on various parts of the body

 

Yantra Yoga: visualization, meditation on mandala or mudra

 

More:

 

Kundalini Yoga is considered the mother of all yogas. Gurmukh says it is the

umbrella under which all other yogas stand.

 

And of course there are many many different practices/styles of Hatha Yoga.

Some people will classify Pranayama as its "own" yoga as well, others will

place it with Hatha or just a part of Patanjali's Raja yoga path, one of the

8 limbs.

 

Okay! That's all I can come up with right now!

 

ONG NAMO GURUDEV NAMO

 

elle/ranjit kaur

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Who wrote Christ the Yogi and who publishes is?

 

Thank you.

Samantha