Only through the integration of body, mind, and spirit can one unite with the Absolute, or Brahman. Through meditation, exercise, chanting and conscious action, yoga seeks to join the self with Brahman. There are more than a dozen branches of yoga, each with a different philosophical path to the Absolute. Raja yoga, for example, is the path of physical and mental control. Bhakiti yoga is the path of devotion.
Karma yoga is the path of action.
Tantra yoga, now associated with sex, is actually the path of uniting the masculine and feminine aspects within us all. Through body positions called asanas , breathing techniques and meditation, Hatha yoga seeks to enhance the prana , or life force. The body has to be a worthy host for the prana , and the various exercises seek to perfect the functions of the muscles and organs. To practice one aspect and exclude the others is to lose balance, and lose, in the process, the full benefit of the yoga experience. It is not a cure for any of these problems, but it can promote healing and improve the effects of traditional therapies or shorten recovery time.