A practice developed thousands of years ago in India, Yoga has many modes in which it can be practiced. Each type of yoga is based around a different discipline all of which aim to take you on a road to spiritual enlightment. In Modern society, most of these discplines aren't commonly practiced with people preferring to stick with Karma-Yoga, Mantra-Yoga, Hiranyagrabha-Yoga and Iyengar-Yoga, which is particulary common among athletes.

The Different Types of Yoga

Abhâva-Yoga: A concept found in the Purânas meaning the power of nonexistence; the higher yogic practice of plunging into the Self without any external support such as mantras.

 

Adhyâtma-Yoga: A concept characteristic of the Upanishads meaning the unifying discipline of the inner self; synonymous with the practice of Yoga.

 

Agni-Yoga: The integrative discipline of fire. The joint action of manas, the mind and prâna, the life force causes the awakening of kundalini, the serpent power within the body.

 

Ashtânga-Yoga: The unifying discipline of the eight limbs.

 

Asparsha-Yoga: The discipline of non contact expounded by Gaudapâda in his Mândûkya-Kârikâ.

 

Bhakti-Yoga: The collective discipline of love and devotion that is extolled in the Bhagavad-Gîtâ, the Bhâgavata-Purâna, and in the scriptures of the Vaishnavas and Shaivas.

 

Buddhi-Yoga: The discipline of the higher mind, first mentioned in the Bhagavad-Gîtâ.

 

Dhyâna-Yoga: The profound discipline of meditation.

 

Ghatastha-Yoga: The discipline of the ghata, the body; it is mentioned in the Gheranda-Samhitâ

 

Guru-Yoga: The discipline relative to one's teacher

 

Hatha-Yoga: The discipline of the force exercised by asanas, the physiological activity and pranayama, the breath control

 

Hiranyagarbha-Yoga: The discipline of Hiranyagarbha or the Golden Germ, who is considered the original founder of the Yoga tradition

 

Japa-Yoga: The centralizing discipline of recitation of the mantras

 

Jnâna-Yoga: The exercise of wisdom and knowledge, which is the approach of the Upanishads.

 

Karma-Yoga: The discipline of self-surpassing action as expounded in the Bhagavad-Gîtâ; the theory of action and reaction, cause and effect.

 

Kaula-Yoga: The instructions of Tantric Yoga of the Kaula school

Kriyâ-Yoga: The exercise of rituals as mentioned in the Yoga-Sûtra of Patanjali; the combined practice of tapas, asceticism, svâdhyâya, study and îshvara-pranidhâna, the worship of the Lord

Kundalinî-Yoga: The discipline fundamental to the Tantric tradition; the exercise of the serpent power, kundalinî-shakti

 

Lambikâ-Yoga: The yogic approach that stimulates the uvula to augment the flow of amrita or saliva

 

Laya-Yoga: The yoga that features the absorption or dissolution of the elements ere their natural dissolution at death

 

Mahâ-Yoga: The concept that is found in the Yoga-Shikhâ-Upanishad which combines the practice of Mantra-Yoga, Laya-Yoga, Hatha-Yoga, and Râja-Yoga

 

Mantra-Yoga: The practice of numinous sounds that help protect the mind

 

Pancadashânga-Yoga: The training of the 15 limbs:
i) yama, moral discipline
(ii) niyama, restraint
(iii) tyâga, renunciation
(iv) mauna, silence
(v) desha, right place
(vi) kâla, right time
(vii) âsana, posture
(viii) mûla-bandha, root lock
(ix) deha-samya, bodily equilibrium
(x) dhrik-sthiti, stability of vision
(xi) prâna-samrodha, control of the life force
(xii) pratyâhâra, sensory inhibition
(xiii) dhâranâ, concentration
(xiv) âtma-dhyâna, meditation upon the Self and
(xv) samâdhi, ecstasy

 

Pâshupata-Yoga: The yogic discipline of the Pâshupata sect found in some of the Purânas

 

Pâtanjala-Yoga: The discipline of Patanjali, better known as Râja-Yoga or Yoga-Darshana

 

Pûrna-Yoga: The cultivation of wholeness or integration. It is the name of Sri Aurobindo's Yoga.

 

Râja-Yoga: The yoga synonymous with Pâtanjala-Yoga, Ashtânga-Yoga, or Râja-Yoga

 

Samâdhi-Yoga: The yoga ecstasy or eternal bliss

 

Sâmkhya-Yoga: The discipline of insight, a reference of which is found in the Mahâbhârata

 

Sanyâsa-Yoga: The procedure of renunciation, which is often pitched against the concept of Karma-Yoga in the Bhagavad-Gîtâ

 

Samputa-Yoga: The tantric practice of maithunâ or sexual encounter

 

Samrambha-Yoga: The concept found in the Vishnu-Purâna which states the discipline of hatred as a principle that enable one to become what one continually contemplates; it can even be charged with negative emotions

 

Saptânga-Yoga: The discipline of the seven limbs sapta-anga or sapta-Sâdhana (i) shasta-karma, good deeds or the six purifying practices (ii) âsana, posture (iii) mudrâ, seal (iv) pratyâhâra, sensory inhibition (v) prânâyâma, breath control (6) dhyâna, meditation and (7) samâdhi, ecstasy

 

Shadanga-Yoga: The discipline of the six limbs shasta-anga, as stated in the Maitrâyanîya-Upanishad (i) prânâyâma, breath control (ii) pratyâhâra, sensory inhibition (iii) dhyâna, meditation (iv) dhâranâ, concentration (v) tarka, examination and (vi) samâdhi, ecstasy

 

Siddha-Yoga: The discipline of the experts; founf in the Tantras

 

Sparsha-Yoga: The discipline of contact or touch exercised with breath control and mantra recitation; it is a Vedantic Yoga mentioned in the Shiva-Purâna

 

Tantra-Yoga: The practice of the Tantras based on the serpent power in the body, the kundalinî

 

Târaka-Yoga: The yoga based on the phenomena of light; the discipline of târaka, the deliverer

 

Yantra-Yoga: The power of focusing the mind upon yantra, geometric representations of the cosmos.

Â