The Yoga Dairies - The four types of Yoga. Which one is for you ?

Nirvana, Realization, Liberation, Salvation, Enlightenment, Awakening and Being-One-With-Everything etc. many a word has been used to describe that mystical state to which many humans have ascended to time to time across cultures. It is supposedly the culmination of an energy body’s journey through the universe. As a state it is very difficult to describe, it’s like explaining the concept of 4th dimension sitting here in 3rd dimension. We can perhaps create an abstract model to feed our minds but we cannot explain it experientially. It happens when the ego (SENSE OF ‘I’) or individuality dissolves completely.

However, what can be understood and then explained is the “path” to liberation. Yoga has been since time memorial a well-studied path. A system of science that deals with the cosmos in a very different way. This is mysticism.

It differs from ‘science’ which relies on “external experimentation and validation” and instead operates from a premise of ‘experiential knowledge’. While the world sees many religions and practises, Yoga simply sees energy and any division in the syllabi is made on the basis of the kind of energy used to push the spiritual journey of the practitioner.

The only way yoga works effectively is if it has “intensity”, the kind of intensity we have when we are focusing hard, when we are angry, we are competing hard, making love etc. While the situations may be different the primal energy that drives it is the same. The more “intensity” you have, the more you are likely to use it to push your yogic practice higher. Various factors creates a certain kind of “intensity” in a person. Depending on those factors various kinds of yoga was designed to cater to different needs.

Also yoga is not dogmatic, many people across the globe today practice many things which are yogic. However they may not necessarily know it as "Yoga".

They different kinds of Yoga are:

Bhakti Yoga

The path of devotion. This path essentially uses emotion as the primary energy source to fuel the persons growth. In this the core idea of the practice to make your ego subservient to something/someone until your own ego or individuality vanishes.

Now technically it will work with anyone or anything. But its not a great idea to be subservient to another human being. There is a great possibility of abuse as it does with a lot of fake gurus,Ulemas,Monks,preachers and pastors.

Hence its best to pick “thought forms”. So various religions pick various thought forms to love, worship and devote themselves to. The idea is to make your ego smaller and smaller with respect to the devoted deity until the worshiper's individuality or ego dissolves completely. Jesus, Allah, Buddha and the various Hindu gods today serve as thought forms for Bhakti Yogis irrespective of their actual historical existence. Ideas as such as loving your god serving him/her unconditionally all fall in this aspect of yoga.

The most seen form of religion and worship across the world today is mostly Bhakti Yoga.The Indian Saint Ramakrishna was a famous bhakti yogi. Many of the Christian Saints would be Bhakti Yogis.

I call it the smartphone version of Spirituality. No need to know how to make a phone. Just know how to use the phone and have FAITH that it will work! You will eventually get to the goal.

Jnana/Gyaana Yoga

This is the path of intelligence. In this person uses his mind or the logical aspect of his brain to understand the mechanics of the universe. They kind of yogis do have a need for a certain amount of seclusion from society. It’s important for the early aspirant to stay away from the social cacophony to un-condition their minds before the intelligence is completely let free.

Scientists who use the mind to understand the universe would be Jnana Yogis of sorts though they may not call themselves yogis. Theologians and philosophers and certain sects of sanyasis are also on the path of Jnana. Monks too are to some extend Jnana Yogis. Its rare to see someone on who relies on this path exclusively. Mostly yogis and monks mix this path with something else from the other paths as well. Famous spiritual teachers like Allan Watts and JD Krishnamurti Were gyaana yogis.

Karma Yogis

This is the path of service. The path of selfless service to humanity with absolutely no self interest and expectation of reciprocity from those you are helping. This means one is using the power of the body to serve people. Sure, mind and emotions play a role but it’s the body that is doing the heavy lifting.

People of Sikh community from India are Karma Yogis. Christian Missionaries are kind of Karma Yogis.Doctors without Borders are kind of Karma Yogis. However the Sikh Community in India their path to be that of Karma Yoga. While the rest probabaly know it as serving humanity. It really does not matter what we call it. You will Sikh community at any place that requires assistance. Earthquakes, Accidents, Disasters, War Zones you will find members from the Sikh community doing something to help the needy.People from India, Canada, UK and US might know what I am talking about. These places have communities with Sikh Indians. You can recognize them from their beard and turbans.

One of the most famous icons of Karma Yogi would be Mother Teresa. She worked tirelessly her whole life to serve the world. While she would have been a Bhakti yogi personally, it’s to her Karma Yoga that she has devoted her life. Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi too would be people who would could be called Karma Yogis. They are likely to be Bhakti Yogis and Jnana Yogis personally but it’s for Karma Yoga that they have dedicated their lives.

Ironically even terrorists would be Karma Yogis. They have given up their individuality to serve something that in their understanding is higher purpose.
It’s a whole different matter that what they do is stupid and a crime against humanity. But since at the moment of death they went “believing” that they were serving a higher purpose and thus happy and feeling “fulfilled”. The movement of their energy, post-death can be similar to that of someone who may have been a very compassionate and pious saint. Please note - This is not an endorsement of any such activity!

Kriya Yoga

This is one of my favorite kinds. All the so-called yoga we see in the world today especially in US and Europe are small tit bits of Hatha Yoga. Hatha is one of the introductory forms of Kriya Yoga. Its given to the practitioner to make the body strong to be able to with stand the strong energies which get released when they start working with the Kundalini energy.

All Martial arts such as Kung-Fu/ Karate etc are alternatives to Hatha yoga. They also focus on the body primarily. Even when they work with the mind it’s to enhance the efficiency of the body movement.

Once the body is fixed, the practitioner moves to practices that work directly with their energies. This more advanced and as written in various literature have to be come to known as Laya or Kundalini Yoga. The top most masters of this kind of yoga are the Aghoris, Powerful Tantrics, Most of the Himalayan masters and spiritual greats like Jesus and Buddha are examples of Kriya Yogis.They have control over the five elements that make the cosmos.It is these kind of yogis who live 500 years and walk on water and feed 5000 people and so on so forth.

Please note there is no such “KUNDALINI” yoga in the proper yogic practice. It’s a later segmentation based on some exercises that work directly with energies of a person. To a yogi it’s a seamless spiritual journey. To understand it better, to a genuine martial artist it is one seamless journey. There is no green belt and yellow belt and brown belt. They are simply artificial constructs created later.

Kundalini Yoga Has always fascinated me since childhood. I have been fascinated with the mystical energy that resides in our perineum at the base of the Spinal cord. The spinal cord in a spiritual context is called SUSHUMNA Nadi. It is though this channel the powerful Kundalini rises !

I will be writing more about Kundalini Yoga in the next article. Hope you enjoyed reading this. If you have any thoughts please do share in the comments.

Cher!