Yoga techniques are most effective when they match a person’s nature and disposition. Knowing your individuality is the key to finding the type of yoga which can most easily bring fulfillment. Explore the main yogas and find which one best fits you.

There are basic principles which support progress in whatever yoga path you choose. Each of the main yogas begins by releasing tension, balancing the life force, and freeing mental/emotional turbulence. Exploring Patanjali’s Eightfold Path as well as other yoga practices can lead to deeper experiences on your personal path.

Raja yoga, a powerful way to gain an awareness of Spirit, offers many ways to develop character, improve mental focus and attune with God’s will. It is well suited for those who enjoy creating and accomplishing things.

Mantras (mantrams) are cosmic syllables which rescue the mind from chaos and turbulence. Mantras are often employed along with other yoga paths. In bhakti yoga, for example, mantras provide a way to focus on the Lord, increasing devotion and spiritual awareness.

Karma yoga, the yoga of action, is well suited for busy people. Understanding the law of karma (cause and effect) reveals how our thoughts, words and actions create causes which come back to us as effects. We can improve our lives by creating better causes which in turn bring better results.

Bhakti yoga, the yoga of love and devotion, is effective for those seeking emotional well being. Sri Ramakrishna, a master yogi from the 1800s, taught that bhakti yoga is the easiest path for most people. Through bhakti yoga we can cultivate an awareness of the heart’s true feeling — unconditional love. Its practices enable us to enjoy a loving relationship with Spirit.

For folks with a strong intellect, jnana yoga, the yoga of wisdom, may be the most satisfying. Yogis say that it is through maya (delusion) and ignorance that we see ourselves and the manifold universe as separate from Spirit. Jnana yoga meditation practices focus on helping you experience the peace and joy of oneness with Spirit.

Jnana yoga, the yoga of wisdom, is well-suited for those with a strong mental focus. Maya, the delusion which causes us to view ourselves as separate from Spirit, is diminished and overcome. Jnana meditations focus on going beyond our limited perceptions to ecstatic absorption in Spirit.