Yoga is an absolutely wonderful exercise, and it is actually one of the only exercises that you can do which works you out mentally, physically and spiritually, all at once. However if you are a newcomer to yoga and you are not sure where to start, then you are definitely going to want to go with the beginners yoga before you advance any further.
About Beginners Yoga
Beginners yoga starts off by informing you about the actual exercise of yoga, where it came from, and its purposes, and it then goes into the showing of the most basic and important positions.
One of the most important things that you will do in beginners yoga is to learn and understand about the different paths that you can choose from, the four most basic which are: Raja, the path of physical and mental control; Karma, the path of action; Bhakti, the path of devotion; and Jnana, the path of knowledge or wisdom.
To the beginners yoga student this can all be quite confusing, but you should basically just look at it this way: yoga paths are the main roads of yoga and all of the other terms that you will hear about while you are learning about yoga are simply side roads that branch off from the main road but can still help you to reach your destination.
Each of these different yoga paths has its own separate traits, and for instance with Raja, this is often known as the 'royal road' and it is considered as being the most complete yoga because it is the one which focuses on controlling both the mind and body in order to attain enlightenment, rather than just one or the other.
Karma yoga is one which focuses more on the causes and effects of an individual's actions, and it basically teaches a person how to live a life of spiritual action and selfless service. Karma yoga achieves union with God through this right action and selfless service.
Bhakti yoga is the path which is most followed in India, and it involves the surrendering of oneself to the Divine through prayer, worship, and ritual. Chanting or singing the praises of whatever divine presence is meaningful to you form an incredibly substantial part of this yoga.
Finally, with Jnana yoga, this is the one which is most often considered as being the most difficult path, because it requires a radical shift in perception. The goal of this path is to seek the knowledge that is hidden in all of us.
