​FORTY TYPES OF YOGA

The Sanskrit word yoga stems from the verbal root yuj meaning "to yoke" or "to unite." Thus, in a spiritual context, yoga stands for "training" or "unitive discipline." The Sanskrit literature contains numerous compound terms ending in -yoga. These stand for various yogic approaches or features of the path. The following is a descriptive list of forty such terms. Not all of these form full-fledged branches or types of Yoga, but they represent at least emphases in diverse contexts. 


Abhâva-Yoga: The unitive discipline of nonbeing, meaning the higher yogic practice of immersion into the Self without objective support such as mantras; a concept found in the Purânas; cf. Bhâva-Yoga
Adhyâtma-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the inner self; sometimes said to be the Yoga characteristic of the Upanishads cf. Atma Samadhi Yoga and Atma Yoga in Bhagavat-Purana
Agni-Yoga: The unitive discipline of fire, causing the awakening of the serpent power (kundalinî-shakti) through the joint action of mind (manas) and life force (prâna)
Ashtânga-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the eight limbs, i.e., Râja-Yoga or Pâtanjala-Yoga
Asparsha-Yoga: The unitive discipline of "noncontact," which is the nondualist Yoga propounded by Gaudapâda in his Mândûkya-Kârikâ; cf. Sparsha-Yoga
Bhakti-Yoga: The unitive discipline of love/devotion, as expounded, for instance, in the Bhagavad-Gîtâ, the Bhâgavata-Purâna, and numerous other scriptures of Shaivism and Vaishnavism
Buddhi-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the higher mind, first mentioned in the Bhagavad-Gîtâ
Dhyâna-Yoga: The unitive discipline of meditation
Ghatastha-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the "pot" (ghata), meaning the body; a synonym for Hatha-Yoga mentioned in the Gheranda-Samhitâ
Guru-Yoga: The unitive discipline relative to one's teacher
Hatha-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the force (meaning the serpent power or kundalinî-shakti); or forceful unitive discipline
Hiranyagarbha-Yoga: The unitive discipline of Hiranyagarbha ("Golden Germ"), who is considered the original founder of the Yoga tradition
Japa-Yoga: The unitive discipline of mantra recitation
Jnâna-Yoga: The unitive discipline of discriminating wisdom, which is the approach of the Upanishads
Karma-Yoga: The unitive discipline of self-transcending action, as first explicitly taught in the Bhagavad-Gîtâ
Kaula-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the Kaula school, a Tantric Yoga
Kriyâ-Yoga: The unitive discipline of ritual; also the combined practice of asceticism (tapas), study (svâdhyâya), and worship of the Lord (îshvara-pranidhâna) mentioned in the Yoga-Sûtra of Patanjali
Kundalinî-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the serpent power (kundalinî-shakti), which is fundamental to the Tantric tradition, including Hatha-Yoga
Lambikâ-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the "hanger," meaning the uvula, which is deliberately stimulated in this yogic approach to increase the flow of "nectar" (amrita) whose external aspect is saliva
Laya-Yoga: The unitive discipline of absorption or dissolution of the elements prior to their natural dissolution at death
Mahâ-Yoga: The great unitive discipline, a concept found in the Yoga-Shikhâ-Upanishad where it refers to the combined practice of Mantra-Yoga, Laya-Yoga, Hatha-Yoga, and Râja-Yoga
Mantra-Yoga: The unitive discipline of numinous sounds that help protect the mind, which has been a part of the Yoga tradition ever since Vedic times
Nâda-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the inner sound, a practice closely associated with original Hatha-Yoga
Pancadashânga-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the fifteen limbs (pancadasha-anga): (1) moral discipline (yama), (2) restraint (niyama), (3) renunciation (tyâga), (4) silence (mauna), (5) right place (desha), (6) right time (kâla), (7) posture (âsana), (8) root lock (mûla-bandha), (9) bodily equilibrium (deha-samya), (10) stability of vision (dhrik-sthiti), (11) control of the life force (prâna-samrodha), (12) sensory inhibition (pratyâhâra), (13) concentration (dhâranâ), (14) meditation upon the Self (âtma-dhyâna), and (15) ecstasy (samâdhi)
Pâshupata-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the Pâshupata sect, as expounded in some of the Purânas
Pâtanjala-Yoga: The unitive discipline of Patanjali, better known as Râja-Yoga or Yoga-Darshana
Pûrna-Yoga: The unitive discipline of wholeness or integration, which is the name of Sri Aurobindo's Yoga
Râja-Yoga: The royal unitive discipline, also called Pâtanjala-Yoga, Ashtânga-Yoga, or Râja-Yoga
Samâdhi-Yoga: The unitive discipline of ecstasy
Sâmkhya-Yoga: The unitive discipline of insight, which is the name of certain liberation teachings and schools referred to in the Mahâbhârata
Samnyâsa-Yoga: The unitive discipline of renunciation, which is contrasted against Karma-Yoga in the Bhagavad-Gîtâ
Samputa-Yoga: The unitive discipline of sexual congress (maithunâ) in Tantra-Yoga
Samrambha-Yoga: The unitive discipline of hatred, as mentioned in the Vishnu-Purâna, which illustrates the profound yogic principle that one becomes what one constantly contemplates (even if charged with negative emotions)
Saptânga-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the seven limbs (sapta-anga), also known as Sapta-Sâdhana in the Gheranda-Samhitâ: (1) six purificatory practices (shat-karma), (2) posture (âsana), (3) seal (mudrâ), (4) sensory inhibition (pratyâhâra), (5) breath control (prânâyâma), (6) meditation (dhyâna), and (7) ecstasy (samâdhi)
Shadanga-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the six limbs (shad-anga), as expounded in the Maitrâyanîya-Upanishad: (1) breath control (prânâyâma), (2) sensory inhibition (pratyâhâra), (3) meditation (dhyâna), (4) concentration (dhâranâ), (5) examination (tarka), and (6) ecstasy (samâdhi)
Siddha-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the adepts, a concept found in some of the Tantras
Sparsha-Yoga: The unitive discipline of contact; a Vedantic Yoga mentioned in the Shiva-Purâna, which combines mantra recitation with breath control; cf. Asparsha-Yoga
Tantra-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the Tantras, a kundalinî-based Yoga
Târaka-Yoga: The unitive discipline of the "deliverer" (târaka); a medieval Yoga based on light phenomena
Yantra-Yoga: The unitive discipline of focusing the mind upon geometric representations (yantra) of the cosmos. 

Yoga Quotes -
"Yoga is the control of the habits of the mind (citta)."—Yoga-Sûtra (1.2)
"Yoga is skill in [the performance of] actions."—Bhagavad-Gîtâ (2.50)
"Yoga is ecstasy (samâdhi)."—Yoga-Bhâshya (1.1)
"Yoga is said to be the oneness of breath, mind, and senses, and the abandonment of all states of existence."—Maitrî-Upanishad (6.25)
"Yoga is full consciousness of the individual psyche (jîva-âtman) of the transcendental Self (parama-âtman). "—Yoga-Yâjnavalkya (1.44)
"Yoga is said to be the unification of the web of dualities (dvandva-jâla)."—Yoga-Bîja (84)
"Yoga is known as the disconnection (viyoga) of the connection (samyoga) with suffering."— Bhagavad-Gîtâ (6.23)
"Yoga is said to be control."—Brahmânda-Purâna (2.3.10.115)
"Yoga is the separation (viyoga) of the Self from the World-Ground (prakriti)."—Râja-Mârtanda (1.1)
"Yoga is said to be the unity of exhalation and inhalation and of blood and semen, as well as the union of sun and moon and of the individual psyche with the transcendental Self."— Yoga-Shikhâ-Upanishad (1.68-69)
"This they consider Yoga: the steady holding of the senses."—Katha-Upanishad(6.11)
"Yoga is called balance (samatva)."—Bhagavad-Gîtâ (2.48)

Typical words used in the Yoga community –