Traditional Yoga / Philosophy
Yoga is an ancient science. Yoga means to ‘yug’ or to join the individual soul with the Universal Soul. However most of us don’t even know what ‘soul’ is and even the thought of a Universal Soul is beyond our imagination. There are many different texts all trying to explain the inexplicable. The Universal Soul may be referred to as Brahman, Paramatma, Consciousness, Universe, Life, God, The Absolute, THAT or Tat and many other names in different languages.
Yoga may be considered the science of religion, but it is not a religion as it follows no dogmas nor does it profess to be the only way. Yoga encourages religious practice but without blind faith and rather with continual inquiry and practice. People are all ultimately aiming for the same thing in life, peace, love and happiness, which is the experience of Truth.
As we all have different degrees of intelligence, experiences, different faculties, strengths and weaknesses; one path alone would not suit all. There are many different paths to that one Truth. Yoga allows us to go beyond the mind, so we can become self-aware.
Yoga has been classified into four main categories: Jnana Yoga, Raja Yoga (of which Hatha Yoga is the preliminary), Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. Yoga is not limited to these four headings alone but most practices can fit under one of these categories. All can be practiced alongside each other, though generally, we will tend to favor and gravitate towards one path, and it is to that path that we direct the majority of our effort.
The four main categories of yoga are explained below:
Jnana Yoga
Bhakti Yoga
Raja Yoga
Karma 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 know oneself?
Jnana Yoga is knowledge of the Self, not bookish knowledge, rather knowledge gained through direct experience. 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 following 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 have been 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 and 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 is the path of devotion, of unconditional selfless love for one and for all. It is the path of delight for the mind. One becomes immersed in Divine Love.
Bhakti Yoga is said to be the path and the goal. Bhakti is true love and does not involve wanting of any kind, rather it involves sacrifice and selfless service. Bhakti Yogis practice non-discrimination towards race, color, sex, religion and they love all as equals.
There are three stages in Bhakti Yoga, first we are servants of God, later children of God, and finally, the Bhakta and God become One and the same. 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. 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. If one believes that they are a part of God, then they would offer their actions and thus let God be the all-doer. Every thought, word and deed is offered to God.
Raja Yoga is the method that aims at mastery over the mind. Raja means king, and as such this method of Yoga is considered to be the king of methods due to the ability to progress quickly if the time and effort is given to ones practice. Astanga Yoga and Hatha Yoga fall under this category.
Astanga (or eight limbs)
The Eight Limbs are:
• Yama – Universal conduct and restraints
• Niyama – Individual observances and disciplines
• Asana – Physical postures exerting force on the body
• Pranayama – Breathing systems
• Pratyahara – Sense control, withdrawal
• Dharana – Concentration
• Dhyana – Meditation
• Samadhi – Pure presence and experience of truth
Each limb is practiced to reach realization and only when all limbs are experienced is it referred to as Raja Yoga. The effort initially is to separate the two forms of the Universe (Consciousness and Energy, Ying and Yang, Shiva and Shakti, Purusha and Prakriti) to realise only that they are in fact one, is the practice of Raja Yoga.
Hatha Yoga, meaning sun (ha) and moon (tha), is said to be a preliminary within Raja Yoga that focuses on balancing and unifying prana, (the universal vital energy), with the mental energies of the mind (Chitta). Through the practice of Hatha Yoga an aspirant will attain physical and mental purity and balance. Without a pure body and mind, the practices of asana, pranayama, and mediation are fruitless.
Hatha Yoga is also the most commonly known form of Yoga in the Western world and encompasses all the famous styles: Anusara, Astanga (Mysore), Bikram, Iyengar, Power Living, Satyananda and Vinyasa Yoga.
Karma means actions and thus this Yoga is the path of action. This style 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 of us. 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 even 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, and 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, and 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.
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