Yoga Knowledge Library

Yoga Philosophy

Clear, grounded articles on the Yoga Sutras, Bhagavad Gita, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, ethics, practice, and traditional yogic wisdom.

Yoga practitioner studying traditional yoga books in a peaceful Rishikesh setting

Yoga Philosophy

Nada Yoga vs. Kundalini Yoga: How They Differ

Nada Yoga and Kundalini Yoga are often confused. A clear comparison of their aims, methods, lineages, risks — and why “Kundalini Yoga” means two different things.

Yoga Philosophy

Om vs. Aum: Is There Actually a Difference?

Om and Aum are the same syllable spelled two ways — but the question hides a real distinction in how it's pronounced, and why the tradition analyses it in three parts.

Yoga Philosophy

What the Yoga Sutras Actually Say About Mantra

Patanjali on mantra, examined sutra by sutra — the pranava, the instruction most teachers skip, svadhyaya, and what the Yoga Sutras notably do not contain.

Yoga Philosophy

Chakras and Sound: The Bija Mantras Explained

LAM, VAM, RAM, YAM, HAM — the bija mantras of the chakras explained: what they mean, where they come from, how to chant them, and what's traditional versus modern.

Yoga Philosophy

Buddhism and Yoga – A Brief Summary

Buddhist Yoga Hatha Yoga is enjoying unprecedented growth globally and is being used as a tool for physical fitness, physical therapy, and...

Yoga Philosophy

What Are the Five Vrittis in Yoga Philosophy?

Learn the five vrittis of the mind according to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras: Pramana, Viparyaya, Vikalpa, Nidra, and Smriti. Understand how these...

Yoga Philosophy

Exploring the Different Types of Yoga

Yoga is generally understood as a process of unification. This unification is multifaceted. In one dimension, it is a unification of the various...

Yoga Philosophy

Do You Need Initiation to Chant a Mantra?

What diksha actually is, what the tradition really requires, which mantras were always open to everyone, and how to think about the question honestly.