Comparing and Contrasting the Four Yoga Styles in Hinduism

Rakeshia Gregory

WREL216: Philosophy of World Religions

Dr. Caicco

April 2, 2021
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Everyone has heard of yoga some time or another in their lifetime, yet most people will

immediately think of heated rooms, and the “downward facing dog”. While the basic conceptual

ideology of Hindu yogi practices such as raja, bhakti, jnana and karma is that they are all

designed to “clear the mind, and support a state of serene detached awareness,” [CITATION

Mar17 \p 89 \l 1033 ] there are unique philosophical pathways distinguished by Sages that

identified four yogi types and what it takes each type to reach the unification of “Self” as

described by the Upanishads.

In likeness, all four types of yoga are practices used to develop a state of balance, purity,

wisdom and peacefulness within the mind. The belief that achieving such balance and internal

peace would manifest samadhi. The infamous “aum” that is associated with yoga is sacred, as it

represents the sound that first manifested creation. [CITATION Mar17 \p 89 \l 1033 ].

Raja yoga is for a person who is meditative. Sadhanas attain their highest conscious

through following the raja practices. There are 8 limbs of the yogi patch, with the asanas used to

clear the mind and body, while calming breathing exercises are utilized to increase prana. A

major pathway is by chakras and channeling the energy from lowest to highest to reach Samadhi.

This ties into the major Hindu belief of direct personal experiences of the truth through

meditation.

Jnana yoga is for the rationalized mind that wants to transcend by concentration. The

belief is that ignorance roots all problems and is solely what separates us from the Absolute.

Continuously trying to self-identify is how to discover what is beyond the mind and body, more

of a focus on the soul. This ties into the major Hindu belief that the ultimate cause of suffering is
being ignorant of the “omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, perfect Self. In Jnana, the seeker

must develop spiritual virtues such as calmness, restraint and concentration as well as having a

drive for liberation. The belief is the ultimate wisdom is spiritual versus the intellectual

knowledge of self.

Karma yoga refers to helpful action without wanting anything or expecting anything in

return. The idea is that the Absolute performs all actions, as they are gifts. This ties into the

Hindu belief that ethics are key to order within your social life, as suffering is attributed to the

law of karma which leads to higher empathy as well as more ethical behavior.

Bhakti yoga is the most traditional practice, as majority of the Hindu religion are

bhaktas. This path of devotion and admiration for a deity is intense, as the “Beloved One” is a

real presence in the bhaktas life. [CITATION Mar17 \p 91 \l 1033 ] According to Bhaktas channel

their emotions into devotion for the deity which they serve, practiced utilizing kirtan along with

festivals, and other means of devotion.[ CITATION Swa21 \l 1033 ]

Having compared each yoga type, it is clear the similarities as well as what differentiates

each yoga pathway as I have gained a better understanding into the philosophy behind yoga, and

its many pathways. When reflecting on the spiritual journey that each pathway represents, I agree

that the Western obsessions with yoga studios as physical exercise is blatant ignorance and does

constitute as a form of cultural appropriation though not intentionally. Those who practice in

Western cultures, do so to gain a sense of tranquility within themselves, often aiming to clear the

mind, and calm the body yet do so without gaining more knowledge and insight into the yoga

practices. As a Western society, we simply want to utilize the practice of yoga for increasing

blood flow, flexibility and other health benefits, while it is traditionally seen as a Hindu
philosophical system related to the Vedas, and deeply “religious” as each yoga pathway is

intended to calm the mind in a quest to reach ones highest Self.

Works Cited
Mary Pat Fisher, R. R. (2013, 2014, 2017). Living Religions 10th Edition. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

Swami Sivananda, S. Y. (2021). The Four Paths of Yoga. Retrieved from Google website:
artsandculture.google.com