Types of Yoga

Most people think of yoga as a fixed set of poses, however, it is not quite so. Although yoga is usually termed as ‘yoga’ in the west, as yoga began to become widespread, there emerged many yoga styles based on what the yoga practitioner wants to achieve. Think of yoga as a tree with various branches. Although each branch has different characteristics, they are part of the same tree.

In fact, if you’ve ever talked to someone who is guided by a yoga instructor or part of a yoga studio, you probably know that yoga instructors and studios often teach a mixture of different yoga types. Yoga instructors may even invent their own yoga poses or asanas.

There are 6 popular types of yoga:

1. Bhakti (bhuk-tee) Yoga: The Yoga of devotion
2. Hatha (haht-ha) Yoga: The Yoga of physical discipline
3. Jnana (gyah-nah) Yoga: The Yoga of wisdom
4. Karma (kahr-mah) Yoga: The Yoga of self-transcending action
5. Raja (rah-jah) Yoga: The Royal Yoga
6. Tantra (tahn-trah) Yoga (including Laya Yoga and Kundalini Yoga): The Yoga of continuity