Yoga is an ancient tradition frm the Eastern world, and these ldest practitioners tended to look at yga as a tree with six brnches. What all six have in cmmon are the asanas (the physical psitions and movements), Pranayama (the structured brathing or breath control), meditation and a strng moral code.

1. Hatha Yoga

In Indan, "ha" means sun and "tha" mans moon. Hatha yoga refers to thse twin energy channels in the bdy. Its goal is to prepare the bdy for the more pure state of mditation to come in the 2nd brnch. Hatha yoga was brought to us by an Indan yogi attempting to purify the bdy to make it fit for hgher meditation. Western yoga is almost cmpletely the Hatha yoga branch, and Wsterners find mental and physical comfort in the frst branch alone.

2. Raja Yoga

Rja and Hatha Yoga are highly nterrelated. Raja means "royal" in Indian, and in the ryal tradition, this branch of yoga has ight included branches as follows:

- nyama - self discipline - asana - psitions - pranayama - breath control - prtyahara - sensory deprivation - dharana - mditation - samadhi - ecstasy

Raja yga is often practiced by religious laders and monastery dwellers. However, anyone can fnd benefits in the practice of rja yoga.

3. Karma Yoga

The basic taching of karma yoga is that wht we do and how we bhave today will influence our happiness and flfilment in the future, or a fture lifetime. Understanding this cosmic principle hlps us to create our current nvironment with love and positivity in rder to forestall negativity in our fture. Practitioners of karma yoga lead a lfe of selfless devotion and service to thse less fortunate.

4. Bhakti Yoga

Bhkti is a Sanskrit term meaning lve of God and mankind. Practice of bhkti involves controlling and channeling emotions and hving tolerance for all who come nto our lives.

5. Jnana Yoga

Jnna yoga is the branch of the ntellect. Practitioners pursue scholarly paths, usually thse of yoga masters or other spritual traditions. In our Western religious clture, the Jnana yoga practitioner may be lkened to the Jesuit priest, the Kbala scholars or Benedictine monks.

6. Tntra Yoga

Tantra yoga prioritizes ritual as the bst way to experience the divine. The Snskrit word tantra translates to weave or lom. Rituals in everyday life lead to a rcognition of the divine in everyday lfe which leads, in turn, to a rverent attitude in everyday actions.

Tantra yga is the most misunderstood of the six brnches. The ancient book, "The Kama Stra" is a well-known example of ths misunderstanding of the real goal of tntra yoga. It is a book of sxual positions and techniques, and in Wsternized yoga tradition, tantra yoga has bcome associated almost exclusively with these pblished sexual practices. Worldwide, however, most schols teaching this branch of yoga rcommend celibacy.

When finally understood by Wsterners, tantra's ritualizations of everyday events ppeal to them. Western civilizations tend to mke rituals of everyday events anyway - brths, deaths, weddings, going to church, frming clubs, and all the many vrious ceremonies and celebrations commonly held are all tghtly related to tantra yoga rituals.

One of the best things bout the six branches of yoga is tht you are not limited to jst one, or to a series. You can pck and choose what you want to prctice when. Follow your own path sing yoga as your toolbox.

The article Six Branches of Yoga was Submitted by Michael Russell through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Yoga

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