Hatha: Ha - ‘Sun ‘ Tha – ‘ Moon. ‘

Hatha yoga is the most practiced form of yoga in the west. The aim of the practice is to incorporate posture work ( asana ) with breath control ( pranayama ) leading to the practice of meditation. Originally yoga did not consist of posture work. Postures were later developed as a tool so that the body became more subtle allowing yogis to hold meditation poses for longer periods of time without disturbance or movement.

Ashtanga Vinyasa: ashtanga – ‘ Eight Limbs ‘ ,Vinyasa - ‘Breath Synchronized Movement. ‘

Ashtanga Vinyasa is an ancient system of yoga popularised by K. Pattabhi Jois. It is characterized by a set of dynamic connecting postures with the use of the breath. The Vinyasa flow is a variation of ‘ Surya Namaskara ‘- The Sun Salutation. Unlike other Hatha yoga styles – attention is also placed on the journey between the postures not just the postures themselves.

Karma: ‘ Deed or Act ‘

Karma yoga is based on the teachings of the ‘ Bhagavad Gita ‘ the ancient yogic text. Karma yoga is the science of achieving perfection in action. Karma means action and Yoga means union translating as ‘ union through path .‘ With this particular form of Yoga, concentration lies in the way the individual is acting, thinking and willing themselves towards realization by acting according with ones duty ( Dharma ). This is without consideration of personal self centred desires, likes or dislikes.

Kriya: ‘ To Do. ‘

‘The most important action of the soul is the breath.’

Kriya yoga is a technique of energy control ( pranayama ). A term for various schools of meditative yoga practice emphasizing pranayama, breathing techniques, to accelerate spiritual progress, aggressively breaking awareness free of day-to-day consciousness and arousing the kundalini with the goal of expanded consciousness and self transformation.

Mantra: ‘ Sacred Utterance.’

Mantra yoga is a combination of divine syllables or sounds which when chanted with devotion, faith and emotion gravitate the concerned God, Goddess or Diety and secure their divine blessing.

Shabd Guru: Shabd – ‘ Sound ‘ Guru – ‘ Teacher.’

The simplest meaning of Shabd Guru would be ‘ Special sound that is a teacher. ‘ The Shabd Guru employs the Naad – which is the totally balanced universal sound, to remove constriction and distortions of the ego.

Bhakti: ‘ To Share. ‘

Bhakti yoga is the yoga of devotion. One who practices Bhakti yoga is known as a Bhakta. Bhakti as a spiritual path is referred to as Bhakti Marga or the Bhakti way. Bhakti emphasises devotion and practice over rituals. It is typically represented in terms of human relationships, most often to a beloved - lover, friend – friend, parent – child. It may also refer to devotion to a spiritual teacher, ( Guru ) to a personal form of God or divinity without form.

Jnana: ‘ Divine Wisdom or Knowledge ‘

Jnana yoga is the path of knowledge and wisdom. The second chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is known as Jnana yoga. It is said to contain all the important concepts and ideas of the scripture. Jnana consists of the following:

• Developing correct awareness of the mind, body and self.
• Purification of the body and mind through self discipline.
• Acquiring awareness of the world and the supreme knowledge – self beyond.
• Practicing various other techniques as a means to self purification, elevation and elimination.

Tantra: ‘ Weave ‘

1. Tantra measns literally "to weave through",this refers to the weave through life and utilizing all of life’s energies(Prana)for your practice. (Including emotions which are often suppressed in other forms of yoga).

2. Tantra is a spiritual technology using the basic formula ‘mantra + tantra(including asana ,mudra and chakra symbols) = tantra’.

3. Tantra stresses the importance of ritual for example: kriyas and the number of repatitions the length of days practicing a particular kriya and the length of time it is practiced.

4. There are two types of tantra,right handed (orthodox) and left handed (heterodox)

a.Right handed basically follows the same rules as the other forms of yoga utilising the importance of the Yamas and Niyamas.

b.Left handed uses the 5 ‘M’s’ ritually as part of practice:

• madya (wine)
• mamsa (meat)
• matsya (fish)
• mudra (parched grain)
• maithuna (sexual intercourse)

5. Tantra is also divided into 3 colours according to intention:

• Red - often focusing on ritualised sex with personal intention.
• Black - ‘black magic’ used with the intention of protection of the state/country, nationalistic intention.
• White - ‘white magic’ used for the benefit of all sentient beings, altruistic/good intention.

6. Tantra generates and accumulates life force (Prana) through asana, pranayama, visualisation and mantra. The prana is brought into the central channel (sushumna) in order to purify the chakras and awaken the Kundalini energy which enables the practitioner to reach higher states of consciousness and eventually achieve enlightenment(Samadhi)

7. Tantra is said to be the fastest but most precarious road to enlightenment. The danger is that if done without following the teachers instructions it can lead to illness or at worse egoism or madness. This is why we are taught protection mantras at the beginning of practice and the importance of training for example warming up, relaxation and not altering the kriyas.

It is important to realise the practice is done to generate a ‘wholesome intention’ and to achieve good for ALL creation.