What is Yoga for Me?

While I am no expert on the history of yoga, nor the practice, I find yoga interesting and useful. I like the fact that one can do yoga almost anywhere and the competition is with one’s self.

I frequently find articles titled, “What is Yoga?” and recently included part of an article on the subject from a Yoga website HERE. I was prompted to search on Google for, “What is Yoga?” and came up with 82,600 links. I will add to that long list a very short description.

The word yoga means “union” in Sanskrit, from India where yoga originated. This “union” points to union between the mind, body and spirit. From what I have read so far, there are six branches of yoga and many styles within those branches.

1. Hatha Yoga is the most popular practice in the West, using physical poses called Asana and breathing technique called Pramaua, along with meditation. The practice of Hatha Yoga aids in acquiring health and peace of mind.

2. Bhakti Yoga is the Yoga of Devotion and is most practiced in India. Bhakti Yoga teaches devotion to the “One” by developing love for all things.

3. Raja Yoga, the Yoga of Self-Control, is where one achieves self-respect by learning to be master of yourself through discipline.

4. Jnana Yoga is Yoga of the Mind, focusing on intelligence, wisdom, intellect, gaining knowledge, and having an open mind.

5. Karma Yoga is the Yoga of Service in the belief that your present situation is based on your past actions. By doing selfless service now you are on the path towards the future free from negativity and selfishness. Karma Yoga holds the belief that changing your behavior for the good will change your destiny.

6. Tantra Yoga is about using rituals to experience what is sacred. While sex is a part of this yoga practice, this path is to find what is sacred in everything we do. Some of the qualities that Tantra Yoga aims for are those like purity, humility, devotion, cosmic love, and truthfulness.

Back to the question – What is Yoga for me? Yoga is an activity that is, like dance, beautiful artful expressions of the body, inspiring not only as a practice for health but to capture in an art form.

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