Six Branches Of Yoga

Hatha Yoga

Hatha Yoga is the path of Physical Yoga or Yoga of Postures is the most popular branch of Yoga. Hatha Yoga considered the body as the vehicle for the soul. It uses Physical Poses or Asana, Breathing Techniques or Pranayama, and Meditation in order to bring the body to perfect health and for the more subtle spiritual elements of the mind to emerge freely. The practice of Hatha Yoga will result in the union of the body and the soul, it aims to make the body perfect and fill it with life force.

Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti Yoga is the path of heart and devotion or the Yoga of devotion. Yogis who practice Bhakti Yoga see the Divine in everyone and everything he encounters. This leads him to develop love, acceptance, and tolerance for all. Bhakti Yoga teaches a person to have a devotion to God and all things through devotion to life and love.

Raja Yoga

Raja means "royal". Raja Yoga is the path of Yoga that focuses on meditation and contemplation. It is based on the Eight Limbs of Yoga which was discussed in the Yoga Sutra. This Yoga path teaches deep self-respect through self-mastery. The self here is honored. 

Raja Yoga believes that the universe exists for the self, giving the self an illusion of centrality which results in self-respect and respect for all creatures. Raja Yoga is also referred to as the King of Yogas, and the majority of its practitioners live in spiritual or religious orders.

Jnana Yoga

Jnana Yoga is the path of Yoga that deals with wisdom and knowledge or the Yoga of the mind. Jnana Yogis pays tribute to man's intelligence. They try to surpass limitations by unifying intellect and wisdom. 

Jnana Yoga tries to obtain existence beyond doctrine and ideological controversies by accepting all other philosophies and religions. It also uses an open, rational, and curious mind in studying the spirit.

Karma Yoga

Karma Yoga believes that your present situation is based on your past actions. Karma Yoga is the path of service; it refers to the energy of action. This path requires you to be selfless. Performing a selfless service is the essence of Karma Yoga or consciously choosing a future that is free from negativity and selfishness knowing that your life is a consequence of your past actions. 

Karma Yoga practices try to change your action towards the good - good words, good thoughts, good deeds, in order to change your soul. By being selfless, you change your consciousness which leads to a change in your destiny.

Tantra Yoga

Tantra Yoga is the path of ritual and perhaps the most misunderstood path. Some may think of Tantra Yoga as sorcery, witchcraft, magic spell, or some mysterious formula. Most people perceive Tantra Yoga as sexual. All of these perceptions are far from the truth. Tantra is the knowledge concerning Tattva (Truth or Brahman) and Mantra (mystic syllables). 

It utilizes rituals to respectfully experience the sacred in everything we do, not just sex though sex is a part of it. It aims to expand our awareness in all states - whether awake or asleep. Tantra Yoga practitioners must have purity, humility, devotion, courage, dedication to their Guru, cosmic love, faithfulness, contentment, dispassion, non-covetousness, and truthfulness.