In whatever  way  a  Hindu  defines the goal of life, there are several methods (yogas) that sages have taught for reaching that goal. A practitioner of yoga  is called a  yogi. Texts dedicated to Yoga include the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika  and, as  their  philosophical  and  historical  basis, the  Upanishads. Paths one can follow to achieve the spiritual goal of life ( moksha, samadhi, or nirvana ) include:
* Bhakti Yoga (the path of love and devotion)
* Karma Yoga (the path of right action)
* Raja Yoga (the path of meditation)
* Jnana Yoga (the path of wisdom)

An  individual  may  prefer one or some yogas over others according to his or her inclination and understanding. For instance some devotional  schools  teach  that bhakti is the only practical path to achieve spiritual perfection for most people, based on their belief that the world is currently in the age of Kali yuga (one of four epochs part of the Yuga cycle). Practice of one yoga does not exclude others. Many schools believe that the different yogas naturally blend into and aid other yogas. For example, the practice of jnana yoga, is thought to inevitably lead to pure love (the goal of bhakti yoga), and vice versa. Someone practicing deep meditation (such as in  raja  yoga) must embody the core principles of karma yoga, jnana yoga and bhakti yoga, whether directly or indirectly.


                                                                  
Swami Vivekananda, shown here practicing meditation, was a Hindu guru recognized for  his  inspiring  lectures on topics such as yoga.