Hatha Yoga Raja Yoga & Kriya Yoga and Karma Yoga

Hatha Yoga:

Know Your Body, Know Your Mind As we’ve mentioned before, Hatha Yoga works under the assumption that supreme control over the body, or the physical self, is one path to enlightenment. Hatha Yoga is a sort of spiritual fitness plan in which balance is a key. Attention to the physical is foremost in Hatha Yoga; this particular type of yoga involves cleansing rituals and breathing exercises designed to manipulate the body’s energy through breath control, in addition to the postures or exercises for which Hatha Yoga is commonly known.

Raja Yoga:

Know Your Mind, Know the Universe Raja Yoga, also known as The Royal Path, emphasizes control of the intellect to attain enlightenment. Meditation, concentration, and breath control are paramount in Raja Yoga, the yoga of the mind. Hatha and Raja Yoga work well together; Hatha Yoga is often considered a stepping stone to Raja Yoga, because after control of the body is mastered, control of the mind comes more easily.

Kriya Yoga and Karma Yoga:

Act It Out!
Kriya Yoga and Karma Yoga are the yogas of action. Kriya means “spiritual action,” and Kriya Yoga involves the practice of quieting the mind through scriptural self-study, breathing techniques, mantras, and meditation. Kriya Yoga understands that divine energy is stored in the lower part of the body. The study of Kriya Yoga breathing and meditation techniques helps to bring this energy up the spine. As the energy builds, the yogi’s body (physical and astral) is strengthened.

In Karma Yoga, the emphasis is selfless action. Karma Yoga transcends concerns of success or failure, egoism, and selfishness. What emerges is service to all beings. Because yoga teaches that every person is part of the divine universal spirit, Karma Yoga encourages that all beings on this earth be served with the respect deserving of a divine presence. The follower of Karma Yoga proceeds through daily life attempting to increase virtue and decrease lawlessness in the world by working for others and foregoing personal desires, resulting in greater empathy for and understanding of the world—and eventually, full understanding, or enlightenment.