Understanding the Philosophy of Yoga! Yoga philosophy is really one of the six main orthodox faiths of Hinduism. Ancient, medieval and even contemporary literature usually refers to this Yoga school as just Yoga. It’s closely related to the Sama (Samsara) school of Hinduism though. All the schools share some common ideas but they have differences on the philosophy front.

Most modern scholars and practitioners who are writing about the history of yoga are trying to understand how yoga came about and developed into what it is today. They are also trying to explain the origin and development of the different branches of yoga like Hatha yoga and Tantra yoga. Basically the philosophy of yoga consists of the following: Everything in our life begins with consciousness and yoga is about transforming consciousness. The different yoga poses are meant to help practitioners realize their innermost state of being and to open themselves to greater understanding.

The major branch of philosophy that these modern practitioners refer to as Hatha yoga consists of several branches. Understanding the Philosophy of Yoga. These include Jnana yoga (the philosophy of yoga), Hatha yoga (the practice of postures), Purna yoga (the discipline of breathing techniques), and Agamas (the set of texts and disciplines, mainly based on ancient literature, which mainly describe spiritual practices). Many of these branches also have many similarities. The common thread, however, is that these practitioners believe in the sanctity of yoga and that the various postures and breathing techniques are used to attain enlightenment. Modern students of yoga mainly study the Agamas and other Sanskrit literature to understand the stages of yoga.