Giselle Toner

The subject of Yoga and the Eight Limbs of Yoga is vast and there are many books, both new and ancient, on the subject. The sage, Patanjali, codified the Eight Limbs of Yoga in the Yoga Sutras.

There is much confusion regarding the different "Types" and "Styles" of yoga. The following may help clarify some confusion. Without writing volumes, here is a simple, brief breakdown of some of the different types of yoga (not to be confused with the many different styles, i.e., Iyengar, Bikram, Kundalini, etc.):

There are four "Types" of yoga, which are as follows:

1. Karma Yoga - the path of selfless service;

2. Bhakti Yoga - the path of devotion to the Divine through prayer, chanting, rituals;

3. Jnana Yoga - the path of intellect, wisdom and study of sacred texts;

4. Raja Yoga - also known as the "royal path," is the path to personal enlightenment, and is a balance of the first three types.

Also:

There are the Eight "Limbs" of Yoga, codified in the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali, around 200...