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Asked by Prabhash Last Modified
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Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, and Kriya Yoga are different paths within the broader realm of yoga:
1. **Raja Yoga:** Focuses on mental and meditative discipline. It involves practices like meditation, concentration, and ethical principles to attain spiritual insight and self-realization. Patanjali's Yoga Sutras are a key text associated with Raja Yoga.
2. **Hatha Yoga:** Primarily concentrates on physical postures (asanas) and breath control (pranayama) to balance and align the body and mind. It is often used as a foundation for other yogic paths and aims for overall well-being through the purification of the body.
3. **Kriya Yoga:** Introduced by Paramahansa Yogananda, Kriya Yoga combines breath control, meditation, and specific body movements to accelerate spiritual development. It's known for its emphasis on inner reflection and the awakening of higher consciousness.
While Hatha Yoga deals with the physical aspect, Raja Yoga is more focused on the mind, and Kriya Yoga incorporates both physical and mental practices for spiritual evolution. Each path offers a unique approach to achieving harmony and self-realization.
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Difference between Raja yoga ,hatha yoga & kriya yoga :
1. Raja Yoga is introduced by Swami Vivekananda based on the Patanjali's Yoga sutras, also known as Ashtang Yoga (which includes eight consecutive parts viz. Yama, Niyama, Aasan, Pranayama, Pratyahar, Dharna, Dhyana and Samadhi).
2.Hatha YoHatha Yoga refers to the physical exercises and postures. Besides the postures, it will usually include some of the practices of Raja Yoga, including pranayama, but the greater emphasis is on the physical postures. The Hatha Yogi desires to arouse the Kundalini, not for purposes of Liberation, but for the purpose of attaining siddhis. The ‘powers’ that an accomplished Hatha Yogi attains are some of the siddhis described in Patanjali’s Yoga Aphorisms. Attainment of these siddhis does not bring Liberation.
3. Kriya is translated as activity, or action, and sometimes work. It does not mean work, however, in the same context as karma yoga when it is translated as work. One of the biggest proponents of ‘Kriya Yoga’ is Paramahamsa Yogananda and the various organizations that came about from his work.
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Like the previous answer states, Hatha Yoga deals with the body. It involves Asanas, Pranayama, Mudras, Bandhas, Kriyas etc. Raja Yoga works in more subtle levels. It involves Pranayama, the movement of prana up and down the spine, the chakras, Kundalini, also the tenets of self-control etc.
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