Hinduism is the world's oldest and most dominant religion of India. Yoga is a fundamental part of the Hindu religion and is a precise and practical method of spiritual training. There are quite a few different practices of yoga within the Hindu religion; including Bhakti, Raja, and Jnana. Each practice of yoga functions differently within the religion. .
The first type of Hindu yoga is Bhakti. Bhakti means devotion to God and Bhakti yoga can be described as a devotional service of Bhagavan with no other muses than to just please the gods such as Vishnu, Ganesha, and Parvati. In other words, one surrenders all and express sincere love and devotion to the gods. The goal is not just to perform acts of love and worship the gods, but to actually love them, to devote oneself to them as if they were a lover, a parent or one's child (Hinduism: Forms of Yoga).On the other hand, Bhakti yoga is the easiest yoga to master because it does not involve extensive yoga practices. For example, an open mind and loving heart are one of the only requirements for Bhakti (Hinduism-the Religious Life). In addition, singing or chanting the praises of God is a significant practice of Bhakti yoga. Many people also give gifts to the gods at their temple and make pilgrimages to a site sacred to the goddesses' life. Due to the simple practice everyone can practice this form of yoga. .
The second form of yoga that is practiced within the Hindu religion is Raja yoga which means royal. The essential goal of this meditation is being able to remove one's own consciousness from its awareness of this world of Maya and focus only on the ultimate reality (Hinduism-the Religious Life). In other words, detaching oneself from the world around them. This is quite challenging to overcome one's awareness of their surroundings and of their own body including the functions of the body. For example, such as breathing and the pumping of the heart.