The 5 Main Branches Of Yoga

The origins of yoga date back thousands of years.
The earliest writings of yoga can be found in the Vedas (ancient, spiritual texts) dating back to 1700 BCE to 1100 BCE.

There are four collections of religious texts: Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharva.
Born of the Vedas are the Upanishads.

Compared to the Vedas which define the religion of a certain culture, the Upanishads are considered to be universal teachings and ideas.

Below we will explore the origins of yoga. Each path is a different way to reach ones highest potential, which is to become enlightened or awakened.
It’s the realization that we are not separate from the universe, but we are one with it. It’s when the wave realizes it’s the ocean.

RAJA YOGA – Royal Yoga

The most ancient form of yoga, known as Raja yoga or Royal Yoga, focused on meditation and contemplation.

This type of yoga earned its name as royal because it was embraced and learned by royal families in India, who invited sages and spiritual masters to teach them the wisdom of yoga.

In its early stages, it had nothing to do with the nowadays so popular physical poses. It was all about the science of the mind.

Fast forward to the years between 200 and 400 CE, a man named Patañjali organized this classical Raja yoga into the concise and impactful Eight Limbs of Yoga.

These limbs, presented in sutras, transcend age, gender, ethnicity, and religious beliefs, making yoga accessible to all. (If you want to learn more about those 8 limbs, make sure you are subscribed. We already went through the first 2)

Jnana Yoga – The Yoga Of Knowledge

Jnana yoga is the path of self-realization trough mental and experiential understanding.

While intellectual study has value, Jnana yoga emphasizes attaining experiential knowledge of the deeper truths behind reality. One uses the power of the mind to directly experience the true nature of reality at the subtlest levels.

The Buddha was probably one of the most powerful Jnana yogis in history. After years of intense spiritual seeking, at 35 years old, he sat under the Bodhi tree vowing to meditate until he became fully enlightened.

As his concentration deepened, his awareness expanded to directly perceive the constant flux of subatomic particles (Kalapas) that make up the entire universe.

This insight unlocked the realization that impermanence (anicca) characterizes all phenomena.

The Buddha attained freedom by knowing the universal laws of nature directly. He then dedicated his life to empowering people to achieve the same wisdom he had, through inner exploration via meditation.

Albert Einstein also embodied the spirit of a Jnana yogi, using the instrument of his mind to revolutionize science.

Through tremendous focus in his thought experiments, Einstein uncovered some of physics' greatest secrets such as relativity.

He repeatedly affirmed that imagination and intuition were more important than knowledge, hinting at the inner experiential wisdom central to Jnana yoga.

As these examples illustrate, in Jnana yoga one cultivates concentrated awareness to tap into reality's subtlest levels directly instead of conceptually.

These fleeting yet profound glimpses accumulated over time into enlightenment and comprehension of the deepest truths.

We all possess the seeds of innate wisdom.

Jnana yoga offers techniques to nurture those seeds into fruits of knowledge about ourselves and the nature of the cosmos.

Karma Yoga

Karma yoga stems from a universal principle similar to Newton's Third Law -

for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

How we treat the world shapes how the world treats us in return. When we spread positivity through our thoughts, words and actions, that positivity will circle back to us.

Karma yoga means aligning one's intentions and behaviors with the greater good – acting in service from a place of generosity and compassion.

Living by moral ethics provides its own intrinsic rewards. As Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see.”

A shining example of a karma yogi was Mother Theresa, who dedicated every ounce of her being to selflessly caring for the poor and ill without wanting anything in return.

A true karma yogi serves with openness of heart, letting go of ego desires.

When we give to others, contribute our gifts, and acknowledge our interconnectedness with all beings, something beautifully transformative occurs internally.

We tap into an innate power that illuminates life's meaning. Practicing karma yoga helps us recognize how each word, deed and thought sends ripples, however small, into the world.

By walking gently, creating conscious good, and acting from selfless love rather than selfish wants, we elevate the collective while lifting ourselves.

The effects of karma yoga pour boundless blessings upon both giver and receiver. All the joys we wish for others eventually come back to us.

Karma yoga allows us to step into our noblest potential.

Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti yoga is the pathway of cultivating love and devotion toward the Divine.

Rather than an intellectual pursuit, Bhakti yoga involves opening one's heart to God/the Universe through emotional expression.

Music, dance, poetry, and art become vehicles to pour out admiration.

The aim of Bhakti yoga is dissolving the ego-self through wholehearted worship in order to reconnect with our boundless eternal essence.

Much like asanas (physical yoga poses) purify the body, mantras and chanting purify the mind and heart.

Kirtan is a form of devotional singing. A kirtan leader, often accompanied by a band, calls out a mantra and the audience sings the mantra back.

As clinging identification with the small sense of “I” drops away through immersive practices of Bhakti, our natural qualities of compassion, forgiveness, humility and empathy unfold.

Any creative act – songwriting, painting, sculpting, writing,… – done in tribute to the Divine becomes an act of devotion, returning us to our luminous nature beyond thoughts and any limiting labels.

From this liberated place of unity beyond the ego, we gain immediate access to enormous potential energy for bettering ourselves, society, and the planet.

The force of pure love that softens rigid hearts offers a catalyst for fulfilling our dharma of service.

Bhakti is the alchemical fire allowing an ordinary human life to become an extraordinary light. Find gratitude through poetry, bliss in movement, connection in community – love will set you free.

Hatha Yoga

Hatha Yoga is a type of yoga that primarily focuses on the physical aspects of the practice, such as mastering the body and breath, in order to enhance meditation.

Hatha means sun and moon. And sometimes it is translated as “to strike with force.”

At the end of the day, it is about finding the balance between the solar and lunar energies of nature.

Hatha practices began emerging around the 10th century to prepare yogis for sitting still during long hours of meditation.

Texts like the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (1350CE) and Gheranda Samhita (1600s) codified early posture sequences and techniques.

At first, most asanas had a gentle, receptive yin-like quality.

Over time, Gheranda Samhita added more dynamic yang postures.

As teachings evolved, Hatha yoga progressively incorporated active, strengthening poses.

Teachers like Krishnamacharya (the godfather of modern-day yoga) knew about 3000 postures and taught vinyasa krama. This style links a movement with a breath and induces a powerful flow state.

Krishnamacharya taught and inspired legendary yoga teachers, such as B.K.S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, T.K.V. Desikachar and Srivatsa Ramaswami.

Yet the aim stayed balancing solar (masculine) and lunar (feminine) aspects within the self to support higher stages of awakening.

All physical yoga remains grounded in this lineage.

Now Hatha encompasses myriad schools - from Gentle classes to intense Power Yoga popularized in the West by B.K.S. Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois (the legendary Ashtanga Yogi)

The heterogenous landscape of modern Hatha yoga carries the richness of ancient teachings into everyday life. Body, breath, and spirit interweave towards inner harmony.