By Celeste Condoleo
The Vedas are the oldest sacred Hindu texts, as well as the Bhagavad Gita and the
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. They contain the most important spiritual teachings
of all times. There are described six main paths in Yoga: six ways
different from approaching spirituality. Each one fits a temperament or
different personality, but all lead to the same destination: union with God.
In the West it is customary to practice only one path of Yoga: Hatha Yoga, from which
give off different styles such as Vinyasa or Iyengar, which focus on the realization of
asanas (physical postures). The lessons of the ancient scriptures invite us to integrate each
one of these paths to achieve true wisdom.
BHAKTI YOGA
It is the path of devotion and divine love. Practitioners of this path seek to experience the purest, highest and most unconditional love: the love of God. Devotion can be towards the form of divinity with which you feel an affinity: God, Christ, Brahma, the Divine Mother, Jehovah, the All or the Higher Intelligence. Bhakti Yoga is adogmatic.
This path is practiced through prayers, prayers and mantras, rituals and ceremonies, and daily meditation. An example is the Hare Krishna movement, renowned for its songs to the Hindu god.
JNANA YOGA
It is the yoga of wisdom and the path of knowledge. It is practiced through the study of ancient scriptures and texts on the philosophy of Yoga.
This path seeks self-realization by practicing discernment and shedding light on the problems of life and the enigmas of the cosmos. Jnana yoga practitioners want to evolve through the study and knowledge of the fundamental truths and principles of the universe and of being, to apply them to their daily lives.
KARMA YOGA
It is the Yoga of disinterested action. This path seeks union with God through service to humanity without expecting anything in return.
Karma Yoga implies leading an active life and serving others uninterruptedly, feeling the pain of others to alleviate or remedy it. The teachings, which come from the Bhagavad Gita, emphasize that humanity is the highest manifestation of divinity. So, to serve humanity is to serve God. An example of Karma Yoga is Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who dedicated her life to helping the poorest.