Branches/Paths of Yoga

Question 1

bhakti

Answer 1

yoga of devotion

Bhakti Yoga is known as the Path of Devotion,
-the Divine in all,
-invoke love and a feeling of closeness to the Divine through thought, word and deed
-practices include chanting mantras and kirtan.
-explained by Krishna inThe Bhagavad Gita

Question 2

Karma Yoga

Answer 2

Yoga of action
-Karma yogis practice yoga through actions intended to transcend self and influence destiny.
-law of universal causality, which states that what we experience today was created by actions in the past and that our present efforts create our future.
-act responsibly, unselfishly, without attachment, and with integrity.
-one of the yogic paths explained by Krishna inThe Bhagavad Gita

Question 3

Jnana Yoga

Answer 3

Yoga of wisdom
is use intellect and reasoning to transcend limitations of the “I” mind and discover the natural state of yoga.
-It is one of the yogic paths explained by Krishna in The Bhagavad Gita.

Question 4

Raja (Casual) Yoga

Answer 4

Patanjali
Raja means “royal” and thus this is known as the Royal Path
-outlined in Patanjali’sYoga Sutras.
-Thepractices are theEight Limbs of Yoga:yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyanaandsamadhi.
-The Sanskrit name isashtanga yoga(different from the style, Ashtanga Yoga, founded by Pattabhi Jois)

Question 5

Tantra

Answer 5

Liberation of the world
“Tan” means “to extend”, “expansive,”or “whole.”
-Tantrikas seek liberation in the world. Tantric practices are designed to realize through experience that everything is divine and connected.
-Tantra arose in reaction to patriarchy, dualism, and atheism.
-A key philosophy ofTantrais nondualism, or the idea that “one’s true essence exists in every particle of the universe.”
-Practices include pranayama ,mantra, mudra, andyantra.

Question 6

Advaita Vedanta

Answer 6

A non-dualistic understanding of Vedanta

Question 7

Atman

Answer 7

The Self

Question 8

Brahman

Answer 8

The formless spirit of the Universe

Question 9

Gunas

Answer 9

Modes of being

Question 10

Karma

Answer 10

The law of universal causality

Question 11

Maya

Answer 11

The cosmic illusion caused by an error in spiritual perception

Question 12

Prakrti

Answer 12

Substance (dynamic and creative)
sattva (luminosity and
intelligence), rajas (motor energy and mental activity) and tamas (static inertia and psychic obscurity)

Question 13

Purusha

Answer 13

Spirit (consciousness of the experiencer) desires are not eternal therefore they do not belong to the spirit

Question 14

Samkhya

Answer 14

A dualistic philosophy teaching discrimination between spirit and matter
means discrimination (between spirit and substance

Question 15

Shakti

Answer 15

Feminine principle

Question 16

Shiva

Answer 16

Masculine principle

Question 17

Vedanta

Answer 17

A philosophy based The Vedas

Question 18

Tantra

Answer 18

A non-dualistic philosophy with practices designed to realize through
experience that everything is divine and connected