Raja yoga is The Highest form of yoga. Raja means "royal," and the meditation route to Self-Realization is considered to be just this. It is direct and affords the opportunity of experience in different levels of awareness. Raja Yoga meditation is the process whereby the practitioner concentrates upon one point in order to integrate discontinuous, diffused attention, thus holding attention steady. Distractions are thus effectively closed out. Raja yoga is the complete yoga as it focuses on controlling both the mind and body to achieve self-purification.

The central teaching of raja is meditation. Absolute mental control as taught in Patanjali’s Eight Limbs is the goal and is achieved through meditation, concentration, and breathing. When the mind is not restless, you are closer to self-awareness. Hatha yoga is the physical branch of the meditative science of raja yoga. While meditation teaches control of the mind, hatha teaches control of the body Regular exercise can strengthen the mind and body and studies show that it improves mood too.