There are essentially five main paths of yoga . These paths differ in their emphasis, but all lead to the same place - nirodah which means surrender. Raja Yoga , the royal path, emphasizes meditation; Jnana Yoga the path of wisdom, emphasizes self-enquiry; Karma Yoga , the path of action, emphasizes service; and Bhakti Yoga , the path of devotion, emphasizes worship, and Hatha Yoga, the path of energy, emphasizes energetic balancing .
Hatha yoga is the path of yoga most popular in the western world. Along the path of hatha yoga are various styles or schools including Iyengar, Ashtanga, Sivananda, Bikram, Vinni, and Power Yoga. Each style of yoga has a slightly different emphasis, but effectively, each should balance the five main elements of hatha yoga - asanana, vinyasa, pranayama, bhandas, and drushti. These five elements, which are based on the five natural elements : space, earth, water, air and fire essentially define hatha yoga. The presence of these five elements in ones practice is what distinguishes hatha yoga from stretching or simply making shapes with your body.
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