Branches or Paths of Yoga

Introduction

In this lesson, we explore the diverse branches of yoga: Bhakti, Jnana, Raja, Tantra and Hatha. We consider the primary focus of each and how they relate and differ.

Bhakti: Yoga of Devotion

• Bhakti Yoga is known as the Path of Devotion.
• Bhakti Yogis see the Divine in all.
• Bhakti Yogis invoke love and a feeling of closeness to the Divine through thought, word and deed.
• Bhakti Yoga practices include chanting mantras and kirtan.
• It is one of the yogic paths explained by Krishna in The Bhagavad Gita.

BLOSSOMING OF LOVE

Bhakti is love of God but also the expression and blossoming of love in all your relationships. The divine light of God resides in all that is alive, or for that matter, even that which we consider inanimate. Through our relationships with others, we discover our higher self. – Deepak Chopra & David Simon