Purna Yoga or Integral Yoga

The word Purna means ‘complete’ or ‘full’ in Sanskrit and sometimes it is also called ‘Supramental yoga’. Purna Yoga was initiated by Bengali philosopher and sage Sri Aurobindo in 1990’s. Integral Yoga is the process of the union of all the parts of one's being with the Divine, and the change of all of their harsh elements into a harmonious state of higher divine consciousness and existence.

Sri Aurobindo describes the nature and practice of integral yoga in his work ‘The Synthesis of Yoga’. The integral yoga is yoga of synthesis, proposed to tone the paths of karma, jnana, and bhakti yoga as described in the ‘Bhagavad Gita’. It regarded as an amalgamation between Vedanta and Tantra, and even between Eastern and Western approaches to spirituality.

Purna Yoga offers wisdom and techniques for the union of the body and the mind with the spirit. Using awareness, precision, and concentration, Purna Yoga inspires the evolution from our lower nature to our Divine. It is the art of loving yourself by living from the heart. Purna Yoga or integral yoga is said to be an improvisation over the traditional Yoga systems of India. Purna Yoga is a world-assenting and body-positive spirituality that joins self-transcendence with love, compassion, and worship for all life.

According to the Integral Yoga the ultimate goal of life is complete self-incorporation. This self-integration involves other important elements like action, love, wisdom and peace.

Tantra Yoga

The word ‘tantra’ means ‘expansion’ and Tantra focuses on the dynamic aspect of divinity called ‘Shakti’. Tantra yoga is one of the several types of yoga; it is a holistic approach to the study of the universe from the point of view of the individual. Tantra is a living system which is designed to promote rapid growth towards enlightenment.

There are many sciences which are included in Tantric Yoga, such as astronomy, astrology, numerology, physiognomy, physics, chemistry, alchemy, Ayurveda, psychology, mathematics, geometry, and more.

The goal of tantra yoga is to awaken and harmonize the male and female aspects within each person in order to spiritually awaken and realize the whole universe as an expression of the divine life force, or Spirit.

The Tantras are not books of sorcery, witchcraft, magic spells, and mysterious formulae. They are wonderful scriptures ‘Mahanirvana’ and ‘Kularnava Tantras’ are the important books in Tantra Sastra. Yoga Kundalini, Upanishad of Krishna Yajurveda, Jabala Darsana, Trisikha Brahmana, and Varaha Upanishad are useful for getting knowledge of Kundalini Sakti and the methods to awaken it and take it to Sahasrara Chakra at the crown of the head.

Tantra Yoga helps to cross the obstacles to our development, particularly those cropping up from ignorance, intolerance, attachment to our rudeness, and selfishness. By following the Tantra Yoga techniques we can learn to create peace, harmony, and order within ourselves.

Mantra Yoga

Mantra-Yoga is an important aspect of Tantra Yoga but it also be practiced as a separate path. It is considered the easiest in all forms of Yoga because it involves no complex practices. The essence of Mantra-Yoga is the regular and extensive recitation (japa) of one or more potent sounds (mantra), which awaken the chakras in our body.

The word mantra is related to manas (the mind) and is a sound or word. It is generally used to help focus the mind on a single thought until selfish. Mantra Yoga means to unite using the utensil of mantra. This process is called concentration and Meditation.

There are many mantras which can be used and are mainly in Sanskrit. The most common and used worldwide is the ‘Ohm’ mantra which helps in creating that feeling of ease and calmness. The chanting Mantra is the only thing that remains in your mind, which increases your concentration and self-awareness level.

According to the Mantra-Mahodadhi (Ocean of Mantras), Mantra Yoga has fifteen limbs:

1. Devotion
2. Purification
3. Posture
4. Serving the five limbs, the daily ritual of reading the Bhagavad-Gita, and the Sahasra-Nama, and declaiming songs of praise, protection, and heart-opening. These five are thought of as the "limbs" of the Divine.
5. Conduct
6. Concentration
7. Serving the divine space
8. Breath ritual
9. Gesture or seal
10. Satisfaction
11. Invocation
12. Offering
13. Sacrifice
14. Recitation
15. Meditation

Jnana yoga

The word ‘Jnana’ in Sanskrit means ‘knowledge’, ‘insight, or ‘wisdom’. Jnana yoga is one of the types of yoga mentioned in Hindu philosophies. According to ancient Greeks, the word gnosis means a special kind of liberating knowledge or intuition. Actually, both the terms ‘jnana’ and ‘gnosis’ are related through the Indo-European root ‘gno’, which means ‘to know’.

The path of Jnana-Yoga, which has been described as a straight but steep course, is outlined with elegant conciseness by Sadananda in his ‘Vedanta-Sara’, a fifteenth-century manuscript. Sadananda lists four principal means for attaining liberation.

1. Viveka - Discrimination: This is the capability to differentiate between what is real/eternal and what is unreal/ temporal (everything else in the universe.)

2. Vairagya-Dispassion: After practice one should be able to separate her/himself from everything that is temporary.

3. Shad-sampat - The 6 Virtues: Tranquility (control of the mind), Dama (control of the senses), Uparati (renunciation of activities that are not duties), Titiksha (endurance), Shraddha (faith), and Samadhana (perfect concentration).

4. Mumukshutva – the cultivation of the spiritual impulse

Bhakti Yoga

In Hinduism Bhakti Yoga is a term which indicates the spiritual practice of nurturing loving devotion to God, called ‘bhakti’. Traditionally there are nine forms of bhakti-yoga. Bhakti yoga is generally considered the easiest of the four general paths to liberation, or moksha. The other paths include Karma, Raja and Jnana Yoga. In Bhagavata Purana, bhakti is portrayed as a perfection stage in itself which surpasses even moksha as a level of spiritual realization. Hindu movements in which bhakti yoga is the main practice are called bhakti movements.

Bhakti Yoga is the system in which love and devotion are highlighted. Bhakti Yoga traditions do not teach about main aspects of yoga like asana, pranayama, mudra or meditation. Love of God, love of God in man, and surrender to God's will are the major points in Bhakti Yoga approach.

There are no certain ways to execute Bhakti yoga. Some people find that external abets can contribute to a devotional attitude. For instance an altar used during prayer and meditation; using of pictures of Gods to serve as inspiration; chanting or singing of mantras to help in creating a mood as preparation for meditation.

Bikram Yoga

Bikram Yoga is also known as ‘Hot Yoga’ because it is practiced in a hot room between the temperatures of 36-37 degrees Celsius/ 95-100 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat produced is said to encourage purification of toxins through perspiration and loosens up the muscles. Hot Yoga comprises a set of 26 poses done repeatedly. The various styles of yoga consequently present various challenges. Whichever form of Yoga you opt for, it depends on how much you wish to confront yourself.

Iyengar Yoga

Iyengar Yoga, generated by B.K.S. Iyengar, is a form of yoga known for its use of supports, such as belts and blocks, which helps in performing asanas (postures). It is strongly based on the traditional Astanga yoga as explained by Patanjali in his ‘Yoga Sutras’. The yoga sutras accentuate the development of strength, stamina, flexibility and balance, as well as concentration (Dharana) and meditation (Dhyana). Iyengar has regulated over 200 classical yoga Asanas and 14 different types of Pranayamas from the simple level to the incredibly difficult.

Iyengar Yoga is a form of Hatha Yoga and it focuses on the structural alignment of the physical body through the development of asanas. Through the practice of a system of asanas, it aims to unite the body, mind and spirit for health and well-being. Iyengar founded the use of struts such as cushions, benches, blocks, straps, and even sand bags, which assists in allowing novice to experience asanas more easily.

The regular practice of Iyengar Yoga controls various ailments like chronic backache, immunodeficiency, high blood pressure, insomnia, depression and menopause. The Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute located in Pune, India.