There are as many answers to this question as there are individual practioners. Here are some definitions that resonate with me:
Yoga is skill in action that produces additional prana (life force) within the individual, and the World around them.
Yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ (Yoga stills the oscillations of the mind.)
Yoga is the Chord of Love that binds us together.
KRIPALU
YOGA
Kripalu Yoga includes
Hatha, Bhakti, Jnana and Karma yoga,
making it the Yoga of Life. Kripalu Yoga comes from the
kundalini lineage and aims to increase and focus PRANA, or
life-force in the human body. Kripalu means, "compassion" and
focuses
on find each individual finding the yoga that is right for
them.
Traditions and Types of Yoga
There are many
traditions of yoga including Kripalu, Ashtanga, Sivananda, Anusara,
Iyengar, Kundalini, the list goes on.... All of these traditions
have different components, emphasis and practices, but they all
pull from the same foundations in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and other
classical texts. They also incorporate different types of
yoga.
The different types of yoga are listed
below:
HATHA
YOGA
Hatha Yoga is the Yoga
system of physical well-being with which most Western students
begin their practice of this ancient science, Hatha Yoga uses the
body as a "sacred doorway" through which we focus our awareness and
by which our body's inborn potential for well-being is unleashed.
Through techniques using the body and involving the breath and
mind, we can rejuvenate and re-balance all the bodily
systems:endocrine, nervous, muscular, skeletal, immune,
circulatory, and digestive. Yoga postures, when applied
consciously, encourage concentration, inner stillness,
perseverance, patience, self-acceptance, objective
self-observation, and a sense of humor, all of which benefit the
mind. Consistent practice can bring calmness and clarity to the
emotions, anchor feelings on a base of deep relaxation, and help us
develop the ability to witness ourselves.
Hatha Yoga can be practiced and enjoyed by young and old, healthy
and unhealthy, strong and weak, people of all ages, nationalities,
races, creeds, religions, and sexes. Simply put, it intends to
serve as a universal instrument to create awareness and wholeness
of body, mind, and spirit.
KARMA
YOGA
Karma Yoga is the
practice of selfless service that is predominately action-oriented.
Offering the results of one's efforts, on behalf of the practical
welfare and spiritual liberation of others, is the fundamental
precept. Karma yogis practice skillful actions not for personal
aggrandizement, but to uplift the lives of those whom they serve.
Their intention is to see the Divine in each and every person they
serve and to develop non-attachment to the results/outcomes of
their actions.
BHAKTI
YOGA
Bhakti Yoga is the way
of devotion; its primary practices take a heart-centered approach.
These include rituals of reverence, chanting the various names of
God, prayers, repetitive soundings or mantras, and sincere
invocations to divine incarnations and aspects for the awakening
and opening of universal heartfelt love.
JNANA
YOGA
Jnana Yoga is the path
of knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is gained through the study of
scripture and observation of one's Self. Wisdom is revealed through
the practices of Yoga. The Jnana yogi uses the experiences of
practice (Karma, Bhakti, or Hatha Yoga) and the knowledge acquired
in his study to gain the wisdom hidden beyond the mind and in the
depths of the soul.
Definitions of types of
yoga respectfully reproduced from the Kripalu Teacher's Manual.
Copyright 2006 Kripalu Yoga Fellowship. All Rights
Reserved
