# Yoga and Meditation *Systems of spiritual practice and meditation* Total entries: 73 ## Types of Yoga **Four Main Paths:** 1. **[[index/entries/karma-yoga|Karma-yoga]]** - Path of action - Performing duties without attachment - Offering fruits to Krishna 2. **[[index/entries/jnana-yoga|Jñāna-yoga]]** - Path of knowledge - Philosophical inquiry - Understanding Brahman 3. **Rāja-yoga (Aṣṭāṅga-yoga)** - Eightfold mystic yoga - Meditation and breath control - Realization of Paramātmā 4. **Bhakti-yoga** - Path of devotion - Direct devotional service - Highest and easiest path ## Aṣṭāṅga-yoga (Eight Limbs) 1. **[[index/Y#yama defined|Yama defined]]** - Moral restraints (non-violence, truthfulness, etc.) 2. **Niyama** - Observances (cleanliness, contentment, etc.) 3. **[[index/A#āsana|Āsana]]** - Postures 4. **Prāṇāyāma** - Breath control 5. **[[index/P#pratyāhāra|Pratyāhāra]]** - Withdrawal of senses 6. **[[index/D#dhāraṇā as yoga process|Dhāraṇā as yoga process]]** - Concentration 7. **[[index/D#dhyāna|Dhyāna]]** - Meditation 8. **[[index/entries/samadhi|Samādhi]]** - Trance, absorption ## Meditation Practices **Object of Meditation:** - Viṣṇu in the heart (Paramātmā) - Oṁkāra (praṇava) - Deity form - Holy name (mahā-mantra) **Types of Samādhi:** - Savikalpa - With thought - Nirvikalpa - Without thought ## Other Yoga Systems - **[[index/entries/hatha-yoga|Haṭha-yoga]]** - Physical postures and breathing - **Kuṇḍalinī-yoga** - Awakening dormant energy - **Mantra-yoga** - Chanting sacred sounds - **Laya-yoga** - Merging in sound ## Bhagavad-gītā's Conclusion Krishna explains that of all yogis, one who thinks of Him within with faith is the most intimately united with Him in yoga and is the highest of all (BG 6.47). ## All Related Entries - [[index/A#anuśāsana defined|Anuśāsana defined]] - [[index/A#asamprajñāta-samādhi|Asamprajñāta-samādhi]] - [[index/A#aṣṭāṅga-yoga defined|Aṣṭāṅga-yoga defined]] - [[index/A#aṣṭāṅga-yoga, processes of|Aṣṭāṅga-yoga, processes of]] - [[index/B#battlefield, sudarśana cakras prowess on|Battlefield, Sudarśana cakras prowess on]] - [[index/C#cakra as lords wheel weapon|Cakra as Lords wheel weapon]] - [[index/C#cakra defined|Cakra defined]] - [[index/C#cakra of lord|Cakra of Lord]] - [[index/C#cakradṛk|Cakradṛk]] - [[index/C#cakras|Cakras]] - [[index/C#cakras in body|Cakras in body]] - [[index/C#cakravartī|Cakravartī]] - [[index/C#citraratha (son of nemicakra)|Citraratha (son of Nemicakra)]] - [[index/C#comet, sudarśana cakra compared to|Comet, Sudarśana cakra compared to]] - [[index/D#dhyāna|Dhyāna]] - [[index/D#dhyāna-yoga|Dhyāna-yoga]] - [[index/D#dhyāna-yoga, bhakti-yoga completes|Dhyāna-yoga, bhakti-yoga completes]] - [[index/D#dhāraṇā as yoga process|Dhāraṇā as yoga process]] - [[index/D#duḥśāsana|Duḥśāsana]] - [[index/D#dānavas, sudarśana cakra &|Dānavas, Sudarśana cakra &]] - [[index/H#hari-cakra defined|Hari-cakra defined]] - [[index/entries/hatha-yoga|Haṭha-yoga]] - [[index/H#haṭha-yoga as needless|Haṭha-yoga as needless]] - [[index/H#haṭha-yoga compared with real yoga system|Haṭha-yoga compared with real yoga system]] - [[index/entries/jnana-yoga|Jñāna-yoga]] - [[index/J#jñāna-yoga compared with bhakti-yoga|Jñāna-yoga compared with bhakti-yoga]] - [[index/J#jñāna-yoga, bhakti-yoga completes|Jñāna-yoga, bhakti-yoga completes]] - [[index/K#karma-cakra|Karma-cakra]] - [[index/entries/karma-yoga|Karma-yoga]] - [[index/K#karma-yoga defined|Karma-yoga defined]] - [[index/K#kuṇḍalinī-cakra|Kuṇḍalinī-cakra]] - [[index/K#kāla-cakra defined|Kāla-cakra defined]] - [[index/L#luminaries, sudarśana cakra master of|Luminaries, Sudarśana cakra master of]] - [[index/M#madhyama devotee defined|Madhyama devotee defined]] - [[index/M#madhyama-adhikārī defined|Madhyama-adhikārī defined]] - [[index/entries/meditation|Meditation]] - [[index/M#meditation in kali-yuga|Meditation in Kali-yuga]] - [[index/M#meditation on supreme lord|Meditation on Supreme Lord]] - [[index/M#muktāsana defined|Muktāsana defined]] - [[index/M#mystic meditation|Mystic meditation]] - [[index/M#māṇikya-siṁhāsana|Māṇikya-siṁhāsana]] - [[index/N#nemicakra|Nemicakra]] - [[index/entries/nilambara-cakravarti|Nīlāmbara Cakravartī]] - [[index/P#pratyāhāra|Pratyāhāra]] - [[index/P#pratyāhāra as yoga process|Pratyāhāra as yoga process]] - [[index/P#pratyāhāra defined|Pratyāhāra defined]] - [[index/R#rāja-yoga|Rāja-yoga]] - [[index/S#samprajñāta-samādhi|Samprajñāta-samādhi]] - [[index/entries/samadhi|Samādhi]] - [[index/entries/samadhi-trance|Samādhi (trance)]] - [[index/S#samādhi defined|Samādhi defined]] - [[index/S#samādhi-yoga defined|Samādhi-yoga defined]] - [[index/S#saṁsāra-cakra|Saṁsāra-cakra]] - [[index/entries/sudarsana-cakra|Sudarśana cakra]] - [[index/S#sudarśana cakra weapon|Sudarśana cakra weapon]] - [[index/S#sudarśana cakra, potency of|Sudarśana cakra, potency of]] - [[index/T#tadīya-upāsanam|Tadīya-upāsanam]] - [[index/U#upāsana-kāṇḍa defined|Upāsana-kāṇḍa defined]] - [[index/V#viśvanātha cakravartī ṭhākura criticizes ritual performers|Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura criticizes ritual performers]] - [[index/V#viśvanātha cakravartī ṭhākura quoted on spiritual master, kṛṣṇas mercy achieved through|Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura quoted on spiritual master, Kṛṣṇas mercy achieved through]] - [[index/V#viśvanātha cakravartī ṭhākura quoted on spiritual masters satisfaction|Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura quoted on spiritual masters satisfaction]] - [[index/V#vālmīki muni, meditation of|Vālmīki Muni, meditation of]] - [[index/V#vīrāsana defined|Vīrāsana defined]] - [[index/V#vīrāsana sitting posture|Vīrāsana sitting posture]] - [[index/Y#yama defined|Yama defined]] - [[index/Y#yoga-samādhi defined|Yoga-samādhi defined]] - [[index/A#ācāryopāsanam|Ācāryopāsanam]] - [[index/A#āsana|Āsana]] - [[index/A#āsana (sitting place)|Āsana (sitting place)]] - [[index/A#āsanas (sitting postures)|Āsanas (sitting postures)]] - [[index/S#śrīnātha cakravartī|Śrīnātha Cakravartī]] - [[index/S#ṣaṭ-cakra defined|Ṣaṭ-cakra defined]] - [[index/S#ṣaṭ-cakra-yoga|Ṣaṭ-cakra-yoga]] ## Related Categories - [[index/concepts/bhakti-stages|Bhakti Stages]] - [[index/concepts/philosophical-terms|Philosophical Terms]] - [[index/scriptures/bhagavad-gita|Bhagavad-gita]]