Definitions of Yoga

Yoga

Yoga (Sanskrit: योग, "union of atman (individual Self) with paramåtma (Universal Self)") derived from the root yuj, "to join, to unite, to attach" — spiritual practices performed primarily as a means to enlightenment (or bodhi). Traditionally, Karma Yoga (through action), Bhakti Yoga (through devotion), jñåna-yoga (through knowledge), and dhyåna-yoga (through meditation) are considered the four main yogas. In the West, yoga has become associated with the asanas (postures) of Hatha Yoga, popular as fitness exercises. Yoga has many other meaning. For example, in astronomy and astrology it refers to a conjunction (union) of planets.

Definitions of Yoga"Yoga is the control of the whirls of the mind (citta)."—Yoga-Sûtra (1.2)"Yoga is skill in [the performance of] actions."—Bhagavad-Gîtâ (2.50)"Yoga is ecstasy (samâdhi)."—Yoga-Bhâshya (1.1)"Yoga is said to be the oneness of breath, mind, and senses, and the abandonment of all states of existence."—Maitrî-Upanishad (6.25)"Yoga is the union of the individual psyche (jîva-âtman) with the transcendental Self (parama-âtman). —Yoga-Yâjnavalkya (1.44)"Yoga is said to be the unification of the web of dualities (dvandva-jâla)."—Yoga-Bîja (84)"Yoga is known as the disconnection (viyoga) of the connection (samyoga) with suffering."— Bhagavad-Gîtâ (6.23)"Yoga is said to be control."—Brahmânda-Purâna (2.3.10.115)"Yoga is the separation (viyoga) of the Self from the World-Ground (prakriti)."—Râja-Mârtanda (1.1)"Yoga is said to be the unity of exhalation and inhalation and of blood and semen, as well as the union of sun and moon and of the individual psyche with the transcendental Self."— Yoga-Shikhâ-Upanishad (1.68-69)"This they consider Yoga: the steady holding of the senses."—Katha-Upanishad(6.11)"Yoga is called balance (samatva)."—Bhagavad-Gîtâ (2.48)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 Principle YogaYoga is a profound tradition, which has a history of 5,000 or more years. Beginners are easily overwhelmed by the vastness and richness of Yoga's practice, philosophy, and literature. But there are a few underlying principles that, once grasped, provide easier access to all the numerous aspects of Yoga. Here are ten such fundamental principles.
Râja-Yoga is the “Royal Yoga” aiming at liberation through meditation, which is for practitioners who are capable of intense concentration—the eightfold path of Patanjali’s ashta-anga-yoga, also called “Classical Yoga”
Hatha-Yoga is the “Forceful Yoga” aiming at liberation through physical transformation
Jnâna-Yoga is the “Wisdom of Yoga” aiming at liberation through the steady application of higher wisdom that clearly discerns between the real and the unreal
Karma-Yoga is the “Action Yoga” aiming at liberation through self-transcending service
Bhakti-Yoga is the “Devotional Yoga” aiming at liberation through self-surrender in the face of the Divine
Tantra-Yoga is the “Continuity Yoga” aiming at liberation through ritual, visualization, subtle energy work, and the perception of the identity (or continuity) of the ordinary world and the transcendental Reality
Mantra-Yoga is the “Yoga of Potent Sound” aiming at liberation through the recitation (aloud or mental) of empowered sounds (such as om, hûm, ram, hare krishna, etc.)—often considered an aspect of Tantra-Yoga

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Branches or Types of Yoga
The following is a descriptive list of forty yogic approaches or features of the path. Not all of these form full-fledged branches or types of Yoga, but they represent at least emphases in diverse contexts. All of them are instructive insofar as they demonstrate the vast scope of Hindu Yoga.

Abhâva-Yoga
The unitive discipline of nonbeing, meaning the higher yogic practice of immersion into the Self without objective support such as mantras; a concept found in the Purânas; cf. Bhâva-Yoga

Adhyâtma-Yoga
The unitive discipline of the inner self; sometimes said to be the Yoga characteristic of the Upanishads

Agni-Yoga
The unitive discipline of fire, causing the awakening of the serpent power (kundalinî-shakti) through the joint action of mind (manas) and life force (prâna)

Ashtânga-Yoga
The unitive discipline of the eight limbs, i.e., Râja-Yoga or Pâtanjala-Yoga

Asparsha-Yoga
The unitive discipline of "noncontact," which is the nondualist Yoga propounded by Gaudapâda in his Mândûkya-Kârikâ; cf. Sparsha-Yoga

Bhakti-Yoga
The unitive discipline of love/devotion, as expounded, for instance, in the Bhagavad-Gîtâ, the Bhâgavata-Purâna, and numerous other scriptures of Shaivism and Vaishnavism

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

Dhyâna-Yoga
The unitive discipline of meditation

Ghatastha-Yoga
The unitive discipline of the "pot" (ghata), meaning the body; a synonym for Hatha-Yoga mentioned in the Gheranda-Samhitâ

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

Hatha-Yoga
The unitive discipline of the force (meaning the serpent power or kundalinî-shakti); or forceful unitive discipline

Hiranyagarbha-Yoga
The unitive discipline of Hiranyagarbha ("Golden Germ"), who is considered the original founder of the Yoga tradition

Japa-Yoga
The unitive discipline of mantra recitation

Jnâna-Yoga
The unitive discipline of discriminating wisdom, which is the approach of the Upanishads

Karma-Yoga
The unitive discipline of self-transcending action, as first explicitly taught in the Bhagavad-Gîtâ

Kaula-Yoga
The unitive discipline of the Kaula school, a Tantric Yoga

Kriyâ-Yoga
The unitive discipline of ritual; also the combined practice of asceticism (tapas), study (svâdhyâya), and worship of the Lord (îshvara-pranidhâna) mentioned in the Yoga-Sûtra of Patanjali

Kundalinî-Yoga
The unitive discipline of the serpent power (kundalinî-shakti), which is fundamental to the Tantric tradition, including Hatha-Yoga

Lambikâ-Yoga
The unitive discipline of the "hanger," meaning the uvula, which is deliberately stimulated in this yogic approach to increase the flow of "nectar" (amrita) whose external aspect is saliva

Laya-Yoga
The unitive discipline of absorption or dissolution of the elements prior to their natural dissolution at death

Mahâ-Yoga
The great unitive discipline, a concept found in the Yoga-Shikhâ-Upanishad where it refers to the combined practice of Mantra-Yoga, Laya-Yoga, Hatha-Yoga, and Râja-Yoga

Mantra-Yoga
The unitive discipline of numinous sounds that help protect the mind, which has been a part of the Yoga tradition ever since Vedic times

Nâda-Yoga
The unitive discipline of the inner sound, a practice closely associated with original Hatha-Yoga

Pancadashânga-Yoga
The unitive discipline of the fifteen limbs (pancadasha-anga): (1) moral discipline (yama), (2) restraint (niyama), (3) renunciation (tyâga), (4) silence (mauna), (5) right place (desha), (6) right time (kâla), (7) posture (âsana), (8) root lock (mûla-bandha), (9) bodily equilibrium (deha-samya), (10) stability of vision (dhrik-sthiti), (11) control of the life force (prâna-samrodha), (12) sensory inhibition (pratyâhâra), (13) concentration (dhâranâ), (14) meditation upon the Self (âtma-dhyâna), and (15) ecstasy (samâdhi)

Pâshupata-Yoga
The unitive discipline of the Pâshupata sect, as expounded in some of the Purânas

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

Pûrna-Yoga
The unitive discipline of wholeness or integration, which is the name of Sri Aurobindo's Yoga

Râja-Yoga
The royal unitive discipline, also called Pâtanjala-Yoga, Ashtânga-Yoga, or Râja-Yoga

Samâdhi-Yoga
The unitive discipline of ecstasy

Sâmkhya-Yoga
The unitive discipline of insight, which is the name of certain liberation teachings and schools referred to in the Mahâbhârata

Samnyâsa-Yoga
The unitive discipline of renunciation, which is contrasted against Karma-Yoga in the Bhagavad-Gîtâ

Samputa-Yoga
The unitive discipline of sexual congress (maithunâ) in Tantra-Yoga

Samrambha-Yoga
The unitive discipline of hatred, as mentioned in the Vishnu-Purâna, which illustrates the profound yogic principle that one becomes what one constantly contemplates (even if charged with negative emotions)

Saptânga-Yoga
The unitive discipline of the seven limbs (sapta-anga), also known as Sapta-Sâdhana in the Gheranda-Samhitâ: (1) six purificatory practices (shat-karma), (2) posture (âsana), (3) seal (mudrâ), (4) sensory inhibition (pratyâhâra), (5) breath control (prânâyâma), (6) meditation (dhyâna), and (7) ecstasy (samâdhi)
Shadanga-Yoga
The unitive discipline of the six limbs (shad-anga), as expounded in the Maitrâyanîya-Upanishad: (1) breath control (prânâyâma), (2) sensory inhibition (pratyâhâra), (3) meditation (dhyâna), (4) concentration (dhâranâ), (5) examination (tarka), and (6) ecstasy (samâdhi)

Siddha-Yoga
The unitive discipline of the adepts, a concept found in some of the Tantras

Sparsha-Yoga
The unitive discipline of contact; a Vedantic Yoga mentioned in the Shiva-Purâna, which combines mantra recitation with breath control; cf. Asparsha-Yoga

Tantra-Yoga
The unitive discipline of the Tantras, a kundalinî-based Yoga

Târaka-Yoga
The unitive discipline of the "deliverer" (târaka); a medieval Yoga based on light phenomena

Yantra-Yoga
The unitive discipline of focusing the mind upon geometric representations (yantra) of the cosmos.