Rāja Yoga

Raja Yoga, also known as Royal Yoga, is a discipline within Indian philosophy that outlines eight stages leading to self-realization and liberation. It is a system that aims to reverse the evolution of the world, allowing the spirit to detach from matter and return to its pure state. The practice involves ethical preparations like restraint and discipline, followed by physical preparations such as postures (asana) and breath control (pranayama). The internal stages include withdrawal of the senses, concentration, meditation, and finally, a state of deep concentration (samadhi) where the meditator experiences union with ultimate reality. Raja Yoga is sometimes distinguished from Hatha Yoga, which emphasizes bodily postures and breathing, though a common maxim states that neither is complete without the other.123