Six Yogas

Six Yogas (Wyl. chos drug) aka the Six Yogas of Naropa.

1. Inner heat (tummo) which is the root of the path. For a Dzogrim practitioner this meditation on Inner heat is like the root of the entire path. Without some experience of tummo practice, it is said, the various experiences (nyam) of tsa-lung practice such as bliss, clarity and absence of thought will not arise.
2. Illusory body (gyu lü) which is the foundation of the path.
3. Clear light/luminosity (ösal) which is the heart-essence of the path.
4. Then in order to test the strength of,or assess one's progress in, the practice of clear light, there is the dream yoga.
5. For those who are unable to complete the practice of Clear light because untimely death occurs, there needs to be one who picks them up, just as when one is travelling to a country such as France and one needs to be picked up at the airport. The practice which comes to 'collect' you is the practice of Phowa.
6. Then, finally, the juncture (tsam jor) which bridges the gap between past and future lives and provides a connection with the Zangdokpalri heaven of Guru Rinpoche in Ngayab Ling or the pure realms such as the paradise of Sukhavati (Tib. Dewachen), is the Bardo. By applying the bardo teachings a practitioner whose practice isn't particularly great can transform their practice and become a great practitioner. They can also bridge that gap.