Depending on who you talk to or where you get your information, you may find anywhere from three to seven paths of yoga. The training that I completed referenced the Bhagavad Gita, which notes three paths of yoga, so those are the three we will be reviewing today.
A note before we start; yoga has not always been a postural practice. The ancient texts of yoga actually don't mention a single asana. Yoga began as a solely spiritual practice, and then, over the years, has transformed into a practice which encompasses both the spiritual and physical aspect. Some may lean more toward a solely physical practice, or a solely spiritual practice, or may fall somewhere in the middle. Wherever you are at on the spectrum of yoga practice is just great - do what fits your authentic self. As you read more about the three paths of yoga, keep in mind that these paths are related to yoga as a spiritual practice, and not a postural practice.
From the Bhagavad Gita, the three paths of yoga are:
Karma Yoga: the yoga of service
Jnana Yoga: the yoga of knowledge
Bhakti Yoga: the yoga of devotion
The three paths of yoga recognize that each person has unique interests, talents, and personality traits, therefore each person's spiritual path will also be unique.
Karma Yoga, the yoga of service, promotes the idea of service without ego. Acts of service are preformed without the expectation of reward or acknowledgment. Additionally, just doing something nice for someone isn't quite enough. The act of service must be done with genuine intention and with pure spirit. Those honest actions are thought to cleanse one of egoism, hatred, jealousy, anger, and other negative emotions, thus creating more space for positive emotions, such as joy, peace, calm, and love.
The four primary principles of Karma Yoga are:
Fulfill your duty to the best of your ability
No involvement of ego
No attachment to the process or the result
Do no expect a reward or other show of gratitude
Those who are drawn to the Karma Yoga path generally possess following traits:
Graceful and loving nature
Speaks and acts truthfully
Sees others as equals, not above or below them
Compassionate, sympathetic and tolerant
Celebrates the success and happiness of those around them
Jnana Yoga, the yoga of knowledge, believes that the way to reach enlightenment is through self-inquiry. This has the reputation of being the most difficult of the three paths, as it requires the study of ancient texts (which can be a challenge in and of itself), and then, recognizing these texts within oneself. This also requires accepting that human logic and intellect are faulty to a degree. By accepting these flaws, one can use that realization to continue on the path to spiritual enlightenment.
Generally, those who find the most success in the Jnana Yoga path:
Are mindful of the world around them
Are curious and inquiring
Incorporate meditation into their daily practice
Are active listeners and often contemplate answers given to them
It should be noted that while Jnana Yoga followers may seem similar to Yoga Scholars, the key difference it the intent behind the reading. Scholars read ancient texts for academic pursuits, where as Jnana Yogis read to help reach their spiritual goals.
Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of devotion, is also known as the path of love. Bhakti Yoga students believe there is a thread of pure love which connects each person to the Divine. While this thread can never be broken, it is hidden in layers of sadness.
The Divine in Bhakti Yoga is reached by a devotion to a guru, friend, god, family member, or other entity. By devoting oneself to a chosen entity, the power of emotion for said entity is transformed into love for the Divine.
There are nine spiritual practices which are utilized by those of the Bhakti Yoga path:
Sravana - hearing about god
Kirtana - devotional singing
Smarana - meditating
Pada Sevanam - serving the Devine
Archana - worshipping god
Vandana - prayer
Dasya - permanent service
Sakhya - friendship with god
Atma-Nivedana - Divine oneness
Traits of those who fit best into the Bhakti Yoga path are:
Consistently looks for the divine in ordinary things
Honors all life
Acts as a friend, mother, or servant to all
Open to all things
If you are a spiritual yoga practitioner, is there one path which you gravitate towards? Or maybe you have strong qualities from multiple paths.
Again, yoga practice, spiritual or postural, is just as unique as you are! There is no wrong answer.
-Charlene 🧡
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