Raja Yoga is an indispensable part of the process of yoga. Its goals are to gain control of the mind through certain set practices that include service, devotion and higher knowledge. A teacher or guru directs these practices. Raja Yoga divides these practices into three different stages depending on the spiritual development of the aspirant, they are;

Uttama Adhikari – first class aspirant
Madhyama Adhikari – second class aspirant
Adhama Adhikari - third class aspirant

For Adhama Adhikari, Raja Yoga prescribes Ashtanga Yoga or the Eightfold Practice - Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.

To the Madhyama Adhikari aspirant, Raja Yoga prescribes Kriya Yoga - Tapas, Svadhyaya and Ishvarapranidhana.

Tapas is austerity. Selfless service, humility and desirelessness are said to be the greatest forms of Tapas. Practice of the three kinds of Tapas associated with the body, mind and tongue.

Svadhyaya is study of spiritual literature, namely the Vedas and also Japa, chanting specific Mantra. The mantras can be repeated verbally or aloud, when the lips move but no sound is heard and inaudible repetition or “mental” mantra.

Ishvarapranidhana is self-surrender to the Supreme Lord giving all actions up as an offering to the Lord. These three form the Sadhanas of the Madhyama Adhikari who enters into deep meditation very soon and will eventually attain liberation from the material mundane world.

“He who has given up all attachment, all fear, and all anger, he whose whole soul has gone unto the Lord, he who has taken refuge in the Lord, whose heart has become purified, with whatsoever desire he comes to the Lord, He will grant that to him. There fore worship Him through knowledge, love, or renunciation”.

For Uttama Adhikari, Raja Yoga prescribes persevering practice (Abhyasa) and non-attachmment (Vairagya). They practice meditation on the Self; the practice of Chitta-Vritti-Nirodha. Chitta is consciousness which includes the mind, the intellect and the ego. Vritti Naroda is the method of silencing the vibrations of the chitta. and soon enters into Samadhi. The mind then becomes one with the object of concentration. If applied to the Divinity within, samadhi enables one to become absorbed in God by direct communion. This is practice sustained by non-attachment.

"Yoga is the cessation
of the fluctuations of the mind.
Then the Seer is established in
his own real and fundamental nature."
Yoga-Sutras 1:2-3

It is written that there are two sorts of purification, external and internal. The purification of the body by water, earth, or other materials. Purification of the mind by truth, and by all the other virtues, is what is called internal purification. Both are necessary in Raja Yoga. It is not sufficient that a man should be internally pure and externally dirty. No one can become a Raja Yogi until they have both. Worship of God is by praise, by thought, by devotion.