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मार्गmārga · the way
The paths of yoga
Updated October 17, 2026 · sources checked October 17, 2026
In short
Yoga is not one method but several paths. The texts describe hatha yoga (body and breath), raja yoga (the mind, after Patañjali), the yogas of action, devotion and knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita, and the tantric, mantra and sound yogas. Modern schools such as Ashtanga Vinyasa, Iyengar, Sivananda or yin grew mostly out of hatha yoga.
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika opens by saluting Ādinātha, who taught hatha yoga as a staircase leading to the high summit of raja yoga, and near the end of its second chapter it states a clear rule: no success in raja yoga without hatha yoga, and none in hatha yoga without raja yoga (2.76 in Pancham Sinh's edition). The paths are not rivals. They are doors into the same house. Start with what yoga is, then use the tables below to find your door.
Which yoga to choose: the traditional paths
| Path | Origin, text or founder | What you do | For whom | Level | Physical intensity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hatha yoga | Haṭhapradīpikā, 15th c.; Nātha lineage | postures, breath control, seals, relaxation | those who want to start with the body | all levels | moderate |
| Raja yoga | Patañjali's Yoga Sutras; name popularised by Vivekananda (1896) | ethics, seated meditation, concentration | the reflective, meditators | all levels | very low |
| The eight limbs | Yoga Sutra 2.29 | yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma… samādhi | anyone wanting the whole map | all levels | low |
| Karma yoga | Bhagavad Gita, ch. 2-3 | action without attachment, service (seva) | active people, carers, workers | all levels | none required |
| Bhakti yoga | Gita ch. 12, Nārada Bhakti Sūtra, Bhāgavata | chant, prayer, japa, worship | devotional temperaments, music lovers | all levels | none required |
| Jñāna yoga | Upanishads, Gita, Śaṅkara | study, reflection, self-inquiry | the questioning mind | intermediate | none required |
| Kriyā yoga | Yoga Sutra 2.1; lineage of Lahiri Mahasaya and Yogananda | discipline, study, surrender; initiated meditation technique | committed meditators | beginner (Patañjali) to initiated | low |
| Kuṇḍalinī yoga | hatha and tantric texts; modern system of Yogi Bhajan (from 1968) | dynamic sets, strong breathing, mantra, meditation | those who like intensity and rhythm | beginner with care | moderate to strong |
| Tantra yoga | Āgamas and Tantras, Kashmir Shaivism | initiation, mantra, ritual, meditation | committed seekers within a lineage | advanced | low |
| Mantra yoga | Yoga Sutras 1.27-28, Gita 10.25 | repetition of a sacred formula (japa) | almost everyone | all levels | none required |
| Nāda yoga | Haṭhapradīpikā 4.65-4.102 | listening to outer and inner sound | musicians, sound-sensitive people | all levels | none required |
Which yoga to choose: the modern schools
| School | Founder or source | What you do | For whom | Level | Physical intensity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashtanga Vinyasa | K. Pattabhi Jois (1915-2009), Mysore | fixed series linked with breath, Mysore-style classes | the disciplined, athletic | beginner to advanced | strong |
| Iyengar yoga | B.K.S. Iyengar (1918-2014), Pune | precise alignment, long holds, props | beginners, precise minds, people with limitations | all levels | moderate |
| Sivananda yoga | Swami Sivananda (1887-1963), Rishikesh; Swami Vishnudevananda | twelve basic postures, breathing, relaxation, chanting | beginners, those wanting a complete classical class | all levels | gentle to moderate |
| Bihar School | Swami Satyananda (1923-2009), Munger, 1963 | hatha, pranayama, yoga nidra, kriyās, meditation | those wanting a systematic traditional method | all levels | gentle to moderate |
| Viniyoga | T.K.V. Desikachar, son of Krishnamacharya, Chennai; name from Yoga Sutra 3.6 | practice adapted to the individual, breath-led | individuals, therapeutic needs | all levels | gentle |
| Vinyasa yoga | Krishnamacharya's Mysore teaching, ashtanga; modern studios | flowing sequences changing each class | those who like movement and variety | beginner to advanced | moderate to strong |
| Power yoga | Beryl Bender Birch, Bryan Kest, United States, 1990s, from ashtanga | vigorous, fitness-oriented flow | sporty practitioners | intermediate | strong |
| Hot yoga and Bikram | Bikram Choudhury, Los Angeles, 1970s | 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises (Bikram) or a flow, in a heated room | heat-tolerant, healthy adults | intermediate | moderate effort, high heat load |
| Yin yoga | Paulie Zink, Paul Grilley, Sarah Powers, North America, from the late 1970s | passive floor postures held 3-5 minutes | stiff bodies, those needing slowness | all levels | gentle |
| Restorative yoga | Iyengar's props; Judith Hanson Lasater (1995) | fully supported rest postures | fatigue, stress, recovery | all levels | very gentle |
| Yoga nidra | Swami Satyananda, Munger; book Yoga Nidra (1976) | guided relaxation lying down | everyone, including those who cannot move much | all levels | none |
| Other modern styles | Anusara, Jivamukti, aerial, acro and more | varies | curious practitioners | varies | varies |
Good to know
Not sure? Take the quiz: which path of yoga is yours?, check your level before choosing a class, and remember that you can combine a physical school with a path of the heart or the mind.
Choosing by what you are looking for
- To start gently with the body: hatha yoga, Sivananda, Iyengar, then the beginner postures.
- To calm the mind: raja yoga, mantra yoga, yoga nidra, how to meditate.
- For the heart: bhakti yoga, nāda yoga.
- For the questions: jñāna yoga, the eight limbs, the Yoga Sutras.
- For daily life: karma yoga, yamas and niyamas.
- For energy and intensity: Ashtanga Vinyasa, vinyasa, Kundalini yoga, with care.
In this chapter
योगWhat is yoga? The word योग and what the texts sayyoga · yoking, discipline, absorptionThe root yuj, the four classic definitions, from the Kaṭha Upaniṣad to Patañjali, and yoga's history in brief.इतिहासA history of yoga, from the Vedas to todayitihāsa · 'so indeed it was', historyFour thousand years of claims and three thousand of texts: what the sources really show, period by period, with prudent dates.हठयोगHatha yoga, the original physical pathhaṭha-yoga · the yoga of forceThe meaning, history and four steps of hatha yoga according to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and what a hatha class looks like today.राजयोगRāja yoga, the royal path of the mindrāja-yoga · the royal yogaThe king of yogas in the texts, how the word moved from samādhi to Patañjali, and a daily practice to begin.अष्टाङ्गThe eight limbs of yoga, Patañjali's aṣṭāṅgaaṣṭāṅga · eight limbsYama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, dhyāna, samādhi, each from its sutra, with what it means in practice.भक्तियोगBhakti yoga, the path of devotionbhakti-yoga · the yoga of devotionLove turned towards the divine, from Gita chapter 12 and the Nārada Bhakti Sūtra to kīrtan, japa and pūjā today.ज्ञानयोगJñāna yoga, the path of knowledgejñāna-yoga · the yoga of knowledgeKnowing the Self through the Upanishads: viveka, Śaṅkara's four qualifications, the three steps of study, and self-inquiry today.कर्मयोगKarma yoga, the path of selfless actionkarma-yoga · the yoga of actionActing fully without clinging to the fruits: the verses of the Gita, seva, and a daily practice anyone can start.क्रियायोगKriyā yoga, two meanings of one namekriyā-yoga · the yoga of actionThe kriyā yoga of the Yoga Sutras and the Kriya Yoga of Babaji, Lahiri Mahasaya and Yogananda, told from the texts and published facts.कुण्डलिनीयोगKuṇḍalinī yoga, tantric roots and modern formkuṇḍalinī-yoga · the yoga of the coiled powerThe coiled power in the hatha texts, the modern Kundalini Yoga of Yogi Bhajan, what a class involves, the documented controversy and the research.तन्त्रTantra yoga, what the texts really teachtantra · loom, system, scriptureThe tantric scriptures, initiation, mantra and the subtle body, the 112 meditations of the Vijñānabhairava, and the gap with Western neo-tantra.नादयोगNāda yoga, the yoga of soundnāda-yoga · the yoga of resonanceListening to the inner sound as the Hatha Yoga Pradipika teaches it, from outer music to silence, with a simple practice.मन्त्रयोगMantra yoga, practice through the sacred wordmantra-yoga · the yoga of the sacred formulaThe yoga of repeating a sacred sound: its texts, the three kinds of japa, initiation, and a first daily practice.अष्टाङ्ग विन्यासAshtanga vinyasa yoga, from Mysore to the worldaṣṭāṅga vinyāsa · eight limbs, linked placingKrishnamacharya, Pattabhi Jois, the six series, how a Mysore-style class works, and what the sources say about the Yoga Korunta.मैसूरुMysore style, how a traditional ashtanga class worksMaisūru · the city of Mysore, KarnatakaA room where everyone practises a different stage of the same sequence, in silence, at their own pace: how it works, what is expected of you, and how to begin.अय्यंगार योगIyengar yoga, precision as a pathiyengar yoga · the method of B.K.S. IyengarFrom Krishnamacharya's Mysore to Pune: Light on Yoga, alignment, long holds, props, certified teachers and RIMYI.शिवानन्द योगSivananda yoga, from Rishikesh to the worldśivānanda · the bliss of ŚivaSwami Sivananda, the Divine Life Society, Vishnudevananda's centres, the five points, the twelve postures and a class step by step.सत्यानन्दThe Bihar School of Yoga, Satyananda's lineage at Mungersatyānanda · the bliss of truthSwami Satyananda, Ganga Darshan, an integral method from hatha to kriya, the books from Munger, yoga nidra, and how to find a real teacher.विन्यासVinyasa yoga, movement placed on the breathvinyāsa · placing, arrangementThe meaning of vinyāsa, its roots in Krishnamacharya and ashtanga, what a flow class looks like, and the precautions for wrists and shoulders.Yin yoga, stillness held over timePaulie Zink, Paul Grilley, Sarah Powers: where yin yoga comes from, what a session looks like, how it relates to hatha yoga, and its limits.विश्रान्तिRestorative yoga, rest as a practiceviśrānti · rest, reposeFully supported postures held for long minutes: Iyengar roots, Judith Hanson Lasater, the props, five classic poses and a home session.Hot yoga and Bikram, honestlyWhere heated yoga comes from, the Bikram sequence and the documented court cases, what research shows about heat, and who should stay out of the hot room.योगनिद्राYoga nidra, yogic sleep, explained and guidedyoga-nidrā · yogic sleepThe old word and the modern method, the stages, a short guided practice to read or record, the evidence on sleep and stress, and the precautions.विनियोगViniyoga, yoga adapted to the personviniyoga · application, appropriate useYoga Sutra 3.6, Krishnamacharya in Madras, T.K.V. Desikachar, the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, one-to-one teaching, breath-led postures and chanting.तपस्Power yoga, ashtanga's athletic offspringtapas · heat, disciplined effortWhere power yoga comes from, how it differs from ashtanga, what a class looks like, what the tradition says about effort, and how to practise it without injury.नवीनModern yoga styles, and what links them to the traditionnavīna · new, modernIntegral Yoga, Anusara, Jivamukti, AcroYoga, aerial yoga, laughter yoga: who founded them, when, what a class is, and how far they are from the texts.अभ्यासThe practices of yoga, one by oneabhyāsa · practiceFrom posture to service: every practice of yoga with the text it comes from, what you do, its level and where to learn it.
Questions people ask
How many types of yoga are there?
There is no fixed number. The Bhagavad Gita speaks of the yogas of action, knowledge and devotion; later teachers add rāja and hatha yoga; tantra, mantra, nāda and kriyā yoga are further traditional paths, and there are dozens of modern schools.
Which type of yoga is best for beginners?
A gentle hatha class, Sivananda or Iyengar yoga are good starting points for the body; restorative yoga and yoga nidra if you need rest; karma or bhakti yoga need no physical ability at all.
Can I follow several paths at once?
Yes, and the texts expect it. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika says hatha and raja yoga need each other (2.76), and the Gita weaves action, devotion, knowledge and meditation together.
Sources
- The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, translated by Pancham Sinh (Allahabad, Panini Office, 1914), Internet Archive checked October 17, 2026
- Patañjali, Yogasūtra, Sanskrit text (GRETIL, University of Göttingen) checked October 17, 2026
- Bhagavadgītā, critical edition (Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute), Sanskrit text (GRETIL) checked October 17, 2026