| Iyengar, Bikram, and Sivananda may be common | | | | system. The body benefits with focus on asana and |
| styles where you live, but they are sub-styles of Hatha | | | | pranayama. The mind receives calming and increased |
| Yoga. Hatha may be the most popular form of Yoga | | | | concentration from the practice of meditation and |
| outside of India, but within India are many jewels. Now, | | | | relaxation techniques. |
| let's take a closer look at the first three of the nine | | | | Hatha is often viewed as beginner's preparation for |
| main styles from the birthplace of Yoga. | | | | Raja (royal) Yoga. There are many aspects of Hatha, |
| Bhakti Yoga: Union through love and devotion. This is | | | | such as yama, niyama, mantra, bandhas, Yoga nidra, |
| one of the four main branches of Yoga. Bhakti is the | | | | mudras, doshas, and koshas, but many Hatha teachers |
| spiritual path of love, devotion, and worship. All of this | | | | focus only on physical mastery, because it is popular |
| devotion and love focuses on God, a specific deity, or | | | | and it fills classrooms. |
| one's guru. The most popular form of Yoga, in India, is | | | | Jnana Yoga: Sometimes, this is referred to as the |
| Bhakti Yoga, which uses mantra, japa, prayer, and | | | | Yoga of Wisdom. Jnana is one of the four main |
| songs of praise. | | | | branches of Yoga. Jnana is an ancient discipline of |
| Hatha Yoga: The word "Hatha" originates from two | | | | self-knowledge that can trace its roots back to the |
| root words, "ha," which means sun, and "tha," which | | | | Vedas. |
| means moon. Hatha Yoga can easily be seen as | | | | This Yogic discipline requires the use of intelligence, |
| balancing opposing energies, such as male and female | | | | knowledge, self-study, and meditation, to find one's true |
| or yin and yang. Hatha makes use of Pranayama, | | | | nature. This Yogic path is suited to intellectual |
| asana, kriyas, meditation, and more. | | | | temperaments, because it focuses on spiritual |
| All Hatha techniques work toward the complete health | | | | knowledge, wisdom, meditation, and the quest for truth. |
| of mind, muscles, vital organs, skeleton, and nervous | | | | |