You have heard all the benefits of practicing yoga. You know that anyone can do it. It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, how fit you are or how flexible you are. Any yoga position can be altered for your fitness and flexibility level. You want to enjoy the benefits of yoga starting today. Now you need to know how to learn yoga. There are a couple options that you have, the one you choose will really depend on your learning style and comfort level.

To learn yoga you can take a class, go on a yoga retreat, learn yoga from a book or pop in a beginners guide to yoga DVD or video tape. They all have their benefits and again it will really depend on you. Try one and if you are unhappy with the results or instruction try another.

Deciding on how to learn yoga is as important as figuring out which type of yoga you would like to learn. Here is a small list of the types of yoga:

? Hatha yoga – with Hatha there is a lot of importance places on the perfect physical form. This is because those that practice Hatha believe that the perfect form is what helps them attain spiritual perfection. They employ breath control exercises and hand gestures to reach self realization.

? Kundalini Yoga – this is the potential form of life force that is lying dormant in our bodies. It is seen as a coiled up serpent that lays in the base of our spine and it can spring awake when it is activated by spiritual disciplines. The practice of kundalini yoga focus on the psyhic centers in the body to generate a spiritual power.

? Bhakti Yoga – this type of yoga is all about getting in touch with the Divine Being and is then followed by an outpouring of ones’ heart. This type of yoga advocates love and devotion as the path to being liberated.

? TantraYoga – with its roots in the ancient fertility practices of India, tantra yoga is the merging of the Ultimate by arousing and channeling sexual energy.

Remember that this is only a small list of the types of yoga, you will find that some are more spiritual and some are more physical but they all are based on the same poses the variance is in the instruction.

Once you have decided on your learning style and the type of yoga you would like to learn you need to get prepared. You will need a mat or some sort so that you are not just on the hard floor and you will need to be dressed in comfortable clothes. You don’t need to run out and by “special yoga clothes” just wear clothes that are not restrictive and are comfortable.

Make sure that you have a quiet place set up at home where you can practice your yoga poses. It is advisable that you do not begin to practice yoga if you have any physical injuries, talk to your doctor first. Yoga is meant to help you, not cause you more pain. Also do not underestimate the energy that is required to perform the yoga poses. They may look simple, but practicing yoga will require strength and stamina.

Many people still think that Yoga is a religion. Others believe it to be a kind of magic. Some associate Yoga with the rope trick, with snake-charming, fire-eating or sitting on nail-beds, lying on broken glass, walking on sharp swords, etc. Sometimes it is even linked to fortune telling, spiritualism, hypnotism and other “isms.” In reality, Yoga is a method, a system of physical, mental and spiritual development.

Q): What is the meaning of the word “Yoga”?

A: The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root “yuj,” which means join, or union. The purpose of all Yoga is to unite man, the finite, with the Infinite, with Cosmic Consciousness, Truth, God, Light or whatever other name one chooses to call the Ultimate Reality. Yoga, as they say in India, is a marriage of spirit and matter.

Q: Is there only one Yoga?

A: Yoga has several branches or divisions, but the goal, the aim of all of them is the same – the achievement of a union with the Supreme Consciousness. Raja Yoga (Royal Yoga) is the Yoga of consciousness, the highest form of Yoga. Its practice usually starts with Hatha Yoga which gives the body the necessary health and strength to endure the hardships of the more advanced stages of training.

Hatha Yoga is the Yoga of physical well-being. It consists of several steps and is preceded by the Yama-Niyama, the ten rules of the Yoga code of morality. The first stage is called Asana, or posture; the second is Pranayama, or breath control; the third is Pratyahara or nerve control; the fourth is Dharana, or mind control; the fifth is Dhyiana, or meditation; and finally there is Samadhi, the state of ultimate bliss and spiritual enlightenment. Strictly speaking the last four stages of Hat ha Yoga already merge into the realm of Raja Yoga.

Q: What does “Hatha” mean?

A: “Ha” stands for the sun and “tha” for the moon. The correct translation of Hatha Yoga would be solar and lunar Yoga, since it deals with the solar and lunar qualities of breath and Prana.

Q: What is “Prana”?

A: Prana is a subtle life energy existing in the air in fluid form. Everything living, from men to amoebae, from plants to animals, is charged with Prana. Without Prana there is no life.

Q: What religion does a yogi profess?

A: A yogi can belong to any religion or to none at all. In this case, he usually forms his own relationship with the Ultimate Reality once he has come closer to It.

Q: Can a Catholic take up Yoga?

A: Certainly, since Yoga is not a religion. In fact, a Catholic association has been recently formed in Bangalore, India, in order to introduce the Yoga Asanas to the Catholic young men there, and to integrate them into the Catholic way of life.

Q: If the goal of Yoga is a spiritual illumination, why then is so much attention given to the care of the body?

A: The yogis regard the human body as a temple of the Living Spirit and believe that as such it should be brought to the highest state of perfection. Also, the advanced practices of Yoga require great power of endurance. The body might not be able to stand the strain witho0ut special preparation.

Q: What is the origin of Yoga?

A: Yoga was originated in India several thousand years ago. According to the German Professor Max Mueller, Yoga is about 6,000 years old, but other sources suggest it is much older than that.

Q: Who originated Yoga?

A: This is not known. Patanjali, who lived about 200 B.C., is called the Father of Yoga because he was the first to put into writing what had until that time been handed down only verbally from master, or guru, to pupil, or chela.

There is more to know about yoga, but this information will put you on the right path.

Ancient practitioners have likened yoga to a living tree with six branches coming from the trunk, with each branch having its own unique function relating to a particular lifestyle. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is one of the six darshanas of Hindu or Vedic schools and, alongside the Bhagvada Gita and Hatha Yoga Pradipika, is a milestone in the history of Yoga. Though brief, the Yoga Sutras are an enormously influential work, just as relevant for yoga philosophy and practice today, as when written many thousands of years ago.

The six branches of Yoga tend to have some aspects in common and familiarizing oneself with all six will certainly help in the selection of your own yoga programme that incorporates routines that appeal from any of the six branches. Asanas or postures, Pranayama or breath control, these two disciplines along with meditation and a strict moral code are the fundamentals of the practice of yoga.

Hatha Yoga

Introduced in the 15th century by an Indian sage as a preparatory stage of physical purification to enable the body to be fit for the practice of higher meditation as in Raja Yoga, Ha means sun and tha means moon, a reference to the energy channels of the body. Fully opened energy channels allow the body to become supple enough to attain the mental disciplines of Raja Yoga. In practice, both Hatha and Raja Yoga are inter-related and dependant upon each other. Western practitioners associate yoga with the hatha branch to attain mental and physical wellbeing.

Raja Yoga

Raja translates as ‘royal’ and meditation is central to this branch of yoga, which has eight side branches or limbs in an order that must be strictly followed. We start with Yama meaning ethical standards, Niyama – self discipline, asana – posture, pranayama – breathing control, pratyahara – sensory withdrawal, dharana – meditation, samadhi – ecstasy or final liberation. Those inclined to introspection or meditation are best suited to Raja yoga.

Though members of religious orders and spiritual communities devote themselves to this yoga branch, one does not have to embrace a monastic lifestyle to gain from the benefits of practicing Raja Yoga.

Karma Yoga

The fundamental principle of Karma Yoga is that what we experience now is created by our past actions, whether in this life or a previous one. Once we understand this principal, then we can ensure all our present actions help create a future free of negativity and selfishness. To practice Karma Yoga is to lead a life of selfless service to others.

Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti Yoga is yoga of the heart, a branch of devotion Bhakti is the Sanskrit term for selfless love of God and mankind. Bhakti principles are universal and common to many world religions. By following the path of bhakti we learn to channel our emotions, accept and have tolerance for all those that cross our path.

Jnana Yoga

This is the branch of knowledge, the yoga of the mind and is both the most difficult and the most direct of the six branches. It is yoga of the mind, of wisdom, the path of the sage or scholar. The practitioners of Jnana Yoga develop their intellects by intensive study, particularly but not confined to, the yoga tradition and other spiritual teachings. This is the path that most appeals to the intellectuals pursuing the practice of yoga. Within the context of our Western religious traditions, Kabalistic scholars, Jesuit priests, and Benedictine monks epitomise Jnana Yogis.

Tantra Yoga

Tantra, from the Sanskrit ‘to weave’ or ‘loom’, is the branch of yoga that practices ritual as a means of experiencing the divine in all our activities. Probably, the most misunderstood or misinterpreted of all the yogas, tantra, the sixth branch, is the pathway of ritual, an in tantric practice; we experience the Divine in everything we do. A reverential attitude is, therefore cultivated, encouraging a ritualistic approach to life. In essence, tantra is the most esoteric of the six major branches and appeals to those yogis who enjoy ceremony and relate to the feminine principle of the cosmos, which they call Shakti.

In the West, the tantric path of yoga has become associated almost entirely with sexual activity. It is because of this emphasis on only one aspect of this branch that it has become misinterpreted and misunderstood by so many. It is amusing to note that, although tantra has become associated exclusively with sexual ritual, most tantric schools actually recommend a celibate lifestyle. The ‘Kama Sutra’ an ancient Hindu book of sexual techniques is the best known example of the lack of understanding of the true objectives of tantra yoga.

A discipline that leads to a reverential attitude to even the most every day celebrations of giving and receiving, of birth and death, of achievements and of failure, and of relationships and understanding, this is a path that will appeal to westerners who enjoy being actively involved in celebrations, church going, clubs and associations and other types of ceremonies.

Combining the Paths

You do not have to limit yourself to one expression, but can practice hatha yoga, taking care of your physical body, while simultaneously cultivating the lifestyle of a Bhakti Yogi, expressing compassion for everyone you meet. Whichever, avenue of yogic expression draws your interest; it will probably be the right yoga path for you.