Different Types of Yoga - Continuation

Deva Yoga

Yoga is the divine path to experience the Divine, a sacred and disciplined way to embrace sacredness and the Sacred. It is ‘Devayoga’ (Deva = the Absolute, "celestial" or "shining"), where Jevatma / living individual soul and Paramatma / Divine Highest or Universal Soul seek for divine union. Deva Yoga is Meditative Yoga, a smooth blending of Raja Yoga and Hatha Yoga. It is an art of living, with positive attitude and cheerfulness. Accept, adopt and practice yoga as a part of your life and enjoy happiness and peace. You will be able to reach in this conviction: ‘I am the living, loving and joyful expression of life’.

Yoga is a way of life. It is a path to unfold one's capacity for reaching our full capacity for happiness. This happiness arises when one's body and soul are balanced. Deva Yoga combines the breathing practices, yoga postures and relaxation techniques of Hatha Yoga with the deep philosophy, self control, meditation and contemplation of Raja Yoga. Through the practise of Hatha Yoga we prepare the body and mind to calm, quite and be ready to enter into meditation.

The practice of Deva Yoga will increase your concentration and memory power, enthusiasm, cheerfulness, positive approach to life, build interpersonal relationships, and improve physical and mental stamina, immunity, healing power. It will help you to attain emotional balance.

This system of Deva Yoga is introduced by Dev from his 30 years experience, study and research in the field of yoga. This is a holistic system which helps for the integration, wholeness and wellness of a person.

Raja Yoga

 In Raja Yoga (Patañjali’s Yogasutras) sage Patañjali mentioned Yoga as the royal yogic path to union. It was codified around 200 BC by Patañjali, one of the greatest yogis of ancient India.Raja Yoga is the art of self-discipline. It is a practical aid to spiritual life. It is a way of being united with the Supreme Spirit through an intense and consistent practice of meditation.

Patañjali in his Yogasutras suggests Astangayoga, the eight-fold path, to control mind. They are: Yama – abstinence, Niyama-moral and religious observances, Asana - a meditative posture or steadiness of both body and mind, Pranayama -  control over the vital energy (breath), Pratyahara – withdrawal of the senses from the sense objects, Dharana – concentration, Dhyana-meditation and Samadhi- oneness with object of concentration.

Hatha Yoga

The term hatha means (pulling) force, or power, or effort. It is a powerful system of Yoga, which aims at achieving the psychosomatic well-being of a person by applying certain techniques such as Asanas and pranayamas. The excavators in the Mohen-jo-daro cites found stone carvings of Yoga postures. This is indicative of the fact that Yoga was being practised in its seminal form by at least some realized souls during the period of the Indus Valley civilization. It was at least an ideal way of life prescribed by many realized souls for the advancement of realization in the lives of the many.

The aim of these techniques is to transform the physical body into a divine glorious body, which is in any way much more purified and subtler then the merely physical. Yoga relaxes both mind and body, freeing us from all this-worldly attachments and bondages, and blessing us with peace and joy. Yogic relaxation helps the person to cultivate harmony between thoughts, words and actions, and creates a sufficiently perfect atmosphere for Divine experience. Thus, Hatha Yoga makes us healthy and joyful amidst the humdrum activities, involvements and tensing situations of everyday life and prepares us for a deeper Divine experience from within this very life of activities.

Jnana Yoga

 Jnana Yoga is the path of knowledge or wisdom.

Bhakti Yoga

 Bhakti Yoga is the path of Devotion to God.

Karma Yoga

Karma Yoga is the path of action (doing one's own duty).


Reference: Swami Devaprasad, (2010). DEVA YOGA for wholeness and wellness. Bangalore, India, Asian Trading Corporation (ATC)


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