Thirteen types of yoga, and how to tell them apart

“Hatha” is an umbrella term for physical yoga, but in studio language it usually means a slower class where postures are held for several breaths. Its roots sit in the medieval Hatha Yoga texts, which combined asana, breath retention, cleansing practices and energetic work — far more austere than a modern studio class.

A typical class moves through standing postures, seated forward bends, twists and a closing rest, with cues on alignment and breath. The pace leaves time to feel what is happening. It is the best starting point for most people precisely because it is not trying to entertain you.

Vinyasa means “to place in a special way”, and in practice it describes sequences linked to the rhythm of the breath. Styles such as Ashtanga-derived flow and Power yoga sit under this roof. The form is modern in its sequencing logic, even though its building blocks are old.

Expect continuous movement: one breath, one transition. Sun salutations repeat and build heat; standing sequences rise and fall; the class usually ends with a longer rest. The mental benefit is often the point — a moving breath rhythm leaves very little room for rumination.

Ashtanga is a fixed series of postures practised in the same order, synchronised with breath and gaze. It was codified in the twentieth century by K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, drawing on a tradition he attributed to the sage Vamana. The method is taught in two ways: led classes, and “Mysore style”, where each student moves through the series at their own pace while a teacher assists.

The repetition is the teaching. Because you are not deciding what comes next, attention has nowhere to go but into the breath and the body. It rewards consistency and punishes ambition — which is a useful lesson in itself.

Yin yoga is a modern form, developed largely in the late twentieth century, that holds floor-based postures for several minutes to load connective tissue rather than muscle. It borrows its logic from Chinese medicine and from Paul Grilley's and Sarah Powers' teaching, not from classical Hatha.

Holds are long, props are common, and the sensation is different from a stretch: a dull, spreading pressure that should never become sharp. The real work is psychological — learning to stay when the impulse is to leave.

Kundalini yoga as taught in the West was systematised by Yogi Bhajan in the 1960s, though the underlying idea of kundalini — coiled energy at the base of the spine — appears in earlier Tantric texts. Classes combine dynamic breathing, repetitive movement, mantra, bandhas and long meditation.

It is the least “postural” style on this list. Some students find the breathwork profoundly settling; others find the chanting and intensity unfamiliar. Both reactions are reasonable. It is worth trying once with an open mind and a teacher you trust.

Developed by B. K. S. Iyengar, this method is defined by exact alignment, long holds and the extensive use of props — belts, blocks, bolsters, chairs. Postures are often taught in stages, and the sequence is built to prepare the body for what follows.

For anyone with an injury, a stiff back or a suspicion that their “downward dog” is mostly shoulders, Iyengar is unusually clarifying. It is also slower and more instruction-dense than most modern classes, which some people love and others find tedious.

Restorative yoga is a modern, therapeutic form in which props support the body completely, so muscular effort drops close to zero. Postures are held for five to twenty minutes. It draws on the relaxation response research popularised in the 1970s and on Iyengar's prop work.

It is not “easy yoga”. Staying still and unhurried can surface restlessness, and for people who use activity to manage anxiety, that is exactly the point. It is the class to choose when you are depleted rather than when you want to be challenged.

Bikram yoga is a fixed sequence of 26 postures and two breathing exercises, practised in a room heated to roughly 40°C, developed by Bikram Choudhury in the 1970s. “Hot yoga” is the generic term for any heated class, which may follow a different sequence entirely.

Heat increases perceived flexibility, which is precisely where caution is needed: it is easy to push past a safe range. Hydration, pacing and a willingness to rest matter more than finishing every posture. Anyone with cardiovascular conditions, pregnancy or heat sensitivity should get medical advice first.

Power yoga is a Western, fitness-oriented descendant of Ashtanga, popularised in the 1990s. It keeps the athletic sequencing but drops the fixed series, so teachers can design classes around strength, stamina or a particular body area.

Expect plank-heavy flows, arm balances and standing strength work. It is an excellent complement to running or weight training, and a poor first choice if you are recovering from an injury or have never been taught alignment.

Raja yoga, the “royal” path, is the yoga of meditation and mental discipline. It is most closely associated with Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and the eight-limbed framework: ethics, observances, posture, breath regulation, withdrawal of the senses, concentration, meditation and absorption.

Postures appear here, but only as one limb among eight — a seat steady enough to meditate in. If your interest is attention rather than flexibility, this is the tradition to read first. We explain each limb in our guide to yoga philosophy.

Bhakti is the path of devotion — of surrendering the ego through love, chant and service to something larger than oneself. It is described in the Bhagavad Gita and remains the dominant devotional mode of Hinduism, expressed through kirtan, mantra and temple practice.

In a studio it appears as chanting, call-and-response singing, or a class built around gratitude. You do not need to believe anything to attend, but you should be comfortable with the fact that Bhakti is explicitly religious in origin rather than merely physical.

Jnana yoga is the path of knowledge: disciplined self-inquiry into the nature of the self, traditionally through study of texts such as the Upanishads and the practice of asking “who am I?” rather than accepting inherited answers.

It is the least embodied path. Its modern equivalent is the student who reads, reflects and questions — and who is often frustrated by classes that offer only physical cues. If that sounds like you, pair your asana practice with serious reading.

Karma yoga is the yoga of action performed without attachment to its rewards. The Bhagavad Gita frames it as the answer to Arjuna's paralysis: do the work in front of you, well, and release your grip on the outcome.

In daily life it looks unglamorous — washing the mats, helping a student who is struggling, finishing the task nobody notices. Many practitioners find it the most demanding of the paths, because there is no applause and no visible progress.