Yoga is now the umbrella term for the practice of movement combined with the breath but yoga is about union, uniting mind, body and spirit, originating in India. There are four main types of yoga but in the Western world, we have moved away from these more traditional forms and have developed many other types of yoga.
The original four types of yoga are; karma, bhakti, jnana and raja. Karma yoga is about helping others and selfless service. Bhakti yoga is the yoga of devotion which often sees people chanting in groups, known as Kirtan. Jnana yoga is the study of the self and consists of the study of ancient yoga texts in order to understand the human mind, and transcend it. Raja yoga is the yoga we know in the West. This encompasses the physical practice of yoga and is where Hatha yoga sits with Hatha yoga being the yoga postures combined with breath.
