Who Is Shiva Yogi?

Today we will learn about the meaning of the term Shiva yogi, about the three types of Shiva yogis and the difference between them.

What is the meaning of Shiva yogi?
Someone who is on the path of yoga or union with Shiva is Shiva yogi.
Yoga means union, merging into Shiva.
Yoga, union is the goal.
What you do to achieve that is yogabhyasa.
That is also yoga.
There are youngsters who migrate to the US or Canada.
After a few years their way of life will become like the natives of that place.
It would change.
That is because they are present there, perpetually.
A tourist who goes to that place once or once in a while will not acquire those characteristics and habits.
For how long you are there is what matters.
If you live for ten years then you become an American.
If you live for ten more years, you become more American.

In the same way how much time you spend in the presence of Lord Shiva, with Lord Shiva, thinking about Lord Shiva, talking about Lord Shiva, contemplating about Lord Shiva will decide how much you have become like him.

Shiva purana says there are three kinds of Shiva yogis, depending on what they do to achieve Shiva.
Kriya yogi, Tapo yogi and Japa yogi.
In fact they are three stages of progress.
As we had seen earlier, worship of Shiva linga is very important if you want to progress in the path of attaining Shiva.
The same can be achieved by continuously listening to his glories and talking about his glories also.
But Shiva Puja, worship of Shiva adds a lot of strength to your sadhana.

The Kriya yogi will be focused on perfecting the puja procedure.
He will ensure that everything that he offers to the Lord is of the best quality. He will spend money on getting ornaments, decorations, and building a nice temple. His sadhana is focused on physical objects. Getting the best of physical objects and offering them to the Lord. Make the surroundings nice and beautiful, clean.

The Tapo yogi, in addition to Puja will practice self-restraint, self-denial, self-control to increase his spiritual strength.He will do fasting during Pradosha or on certain days of the week. He will observe vows such as brahmachary, if not forever, at least on certain days, he will avoid certain kinds of food, he will observe honesty.
When Shiva puja is combined with these then he is called a Tapo yogi.

Puja, tapa and also Japa.
Getting initiated into Shiva mantra and chanting the mantra in the prescribed manner.
He is Japa yogi.

All three lead to attainment of the Lord. Union with Lord Shiva.
Only the speed varies.
Tapo yogi will achieve him faster than Kriya yogi.
Japa yogi will achieve him faster than Tapo yogi.
All five kinds of goals can be achieved through these.

Salokya- reaching Kailasa.
Samipya- being with the Lord wherever he is.
Sarupya- attaining physical form like him.
Sarshti- getting all the powers of him.
Sayujya- merging into him.

As a sadhaka you should do all three; perform his puja in a perfect way, observing self-control and also getting initiated into his mantra and chanting it.