In this episode of That’s So Hindu, Dr. Vijay Satnarine from Hindu American Foundation dives into the expansive world of yoga, revealing that there are actually 16 (possibly more) paths and practices that go far beyond the commonly known four. This discussion challenges simplified views of yoga and emphasizes its diverse and inclusive nature, grounded in spiritual traditions and practical applications.
The 16 types of yoga
1. The Disciplines of the Mind & Intellect
These techniques focus on refining the "instrument" of perception.
Abhyāsa-yoga (Yoga of Practice): The technique of repeatedly bringing the wandering mind back to a single point of focus.
Buddhi-yoga (Yoga of Discernment): Using the higher intellect to filter out sensory "noise" and make choices based on the fundamental reality of a situation.
Sāṅkhya-yoga (Yoga of Analysis): The intellectual discipline of "counting" or "categorizing" the difference between the eternal observer and the transient world.
Jñāna-Vijñāna-yoga (Yoga of Knowledge & Realization): The progression from theoretical understanding to direct, verifiable experience of reality.
2. The Disciplines of Action & Engagement
These techniques focus on how we interface with the world without creating further cycles of suffering.
Karma-yoga (Yoga of Action): Performing one's duty without attachment to personal gain.
Karma-phala-tyāga (Renunciation of Results): The psychological technique of surrendering the "fruit" of action to manage anxiety and ego.
Sannyāsa-yoga (Yoga of Renunciation): Not the abandonment of action, but the renunciation of the sense of doership (the ego’s claim on the action).
Yajña-yoga (Yoga of Sacrifice): Viewing every action—from eating to breathing to working—as an offering to the greater whole, rather than an act of personal consumption.
3. The Disciplines of Emotional & Biological Baseline
These provide the "steady ground" required for all other yogas.
Sthitaprajña-yoga (Yoga of Steady Wisdom): The practice of remaining unmoved by the "dualities" (pleasure/pain, win/loss) to maintain a clear view of reality.
Dhyāna-yoga / Ātma-saṃyama-yoga (Yoga of Meditation/Self-Restraint): The biological discipline of regulating sleep, food, and breath to keep the "instrument" of the body tuned.
Samatva-yoga (Yoga of Equanimity): The specific technique of viewing a lump of earth, a stone, and gold with the same steady eye—recognizing the same underlying Sat in all.
4. The Disciplines of Connection & Vision
These expand the individual's perspective from the local self to the universal.
Bhakti-yoga (Yoga of Devotion): Reorienting the emotional faculty toward the Divine, transforming personal desire into universal love.
Vibhūti-yoga (Yoga of Divine Manifestation): The technique of practicing "constant awareness" by seeing the "best of" every category (the sun among lights, the lion among beasts) as a portal to the Divine reality.
Viśvarūpa-darśana-yoga (Yoga of the Universal Vision): The radical expansion of consciousness to see the interconnectedness of all time, space, and being.
5. The Disciplines of the "Field" (Contextual Reality)
These focus on understanding the environment in which we act.
Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña-yoga (Yoga of the Field & Knower): Distinguishing between the "Field" (the body, the mind, the world) and the "Knower" (consciousness).
Guṇatraya-vibhāga-yoga (Yoga of the Three Modes): Analyzing the three qualities of nature—Sattva (clarity), Rajas (activity), and Tamas (inertia)—to understand what is driving our current behavior.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
