What Type of Yoga Style Should You Try?
Whether you want a more physically demanding yoga class or something more relaxing, there are many different yoga styles to suit every skill level and need. Each yoga atyle is slightly different.
According to the teacher, you’ll find different styles. Try different yoga styles before choosing your favorite style, the teacher will enhance your overall yoga experience and challenge you to push beyond your comfort zone.
Benefits of Practicing Yoga
The word yoga means “union”. It means both the discovery of the soul’s path and union with the soul. Yoga is a spiritual and physical art that brings together the mind, body and soul. Its goal is to achieve a perfect state of clear thoughts, turned soul inward, and pure powerful body.
Yoga activities have many benefits. On a physical level, yoga can alleviate many ailments in the body and is an excellent form of cross-training that increases flexibility, balance and strength, as well as body awareness, thereby helping to improve reaction time and agility. For the mind and spirit, yoga can help improve focus, concentration, confidence, and the ability to handle things more efficiently. Many people find it can also stabilize mood and encourage compassion and kindness.
Yoga Style
There are many yoga styles like Hatha Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Flow Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, etc. People maybe are unfamiliar with these names. But beginners can find the best yoga path with a little information and some understanding of their body goals.
Most yoga practiced in Western countries falls under the broad classification of Hatha Yoga. When people say they are taking a yoga class, they usually mean they are learning the postures and breathing techniques of hatha yoga.
Yoga Type
1. Iyengar Yoga
Iyengar developed a yoga style that emphasized body position and alignment. The style incorporates “props” to support poses and accommodates students with varying levels of fitness and flexibility. Items like yoga blocks or cotton yoga straps can be helpful for students who are prone to injury, weak, or lack flexibility. Iyengar coaches pay attention to the details of body alignment, which can result in precise and dynamic poses. The class is slower due to the focus of each pose and the concentration required to perform them correctly. This type of yoga is great for beginners.
2. Ashtanga Yoga
Ashtanga is a very dynamic form of yoga that approaches yoga through continuous movements. Top athletes who enjoy intense workouts love this form of yoga. Therefore, this kind of yoga can also be called power yoga. Ashtanga yoga emphasizes flexibility, strength and endurance. This yoga is not for beginners.
3. Kundalini Yoga
Kundalini is derived from the Indian word kundal. The purpose of Kundalini yoga practice is to activate this energy through breathing, postures, chanting and meditation. Various breathing forms techniques are used to clear the system and allow energy to flow into the chakras, or energy centers in the body. Practitioners view Kundalini Yoga as a holistic form of yoga that is applicable to all aspects of life and not just focused on fitness.
4. Sivananda Yoga
Sivananda Yoga incorporates many forms of yoga including the traditional Hatha method. Not just as a set of poses, Sivananda incorporates a five-point philosophy into each class like the principles of relaxation, exercise, breathing, eating, and positive thinking. Classes follow a series of breathing exercises, regular postures, and deep relaxation and meditation.
5. Hatha Yoga
Hatha yoga takes its name from the Sanskrit words for sun and moon, and its purpose is to balance opposing forces. Balance in hatha yoga may come from strength and flexibility, physical and mental energy, or the breath and body. To be considered Hatha yoga, classes must include a combination of asanas, pranayama, and meditation. So other types of yoga such as Iyengar, Ashtanga, or Bikram yoga are also technically considered Hatha. Hatha yoga is suitable for anyone looking for a balancing practice or for a more gentle type of yoga.
6. Yin Yoga
Yin yoga is a slower style yoga in which poses are held for one minute and eventually up to five minutes or more. It is a type of yoga with roots in martial arts. This yoga is designed to increase circulation to the joints and improve flexibility.
The exercises focus on the hips, lower back, and thighs with using props like mats, blankets, and blocks to let gravity do its work to help with relaxation. While other forms of yoga focus on major muscle groups. Yin yoga targets the body’s connective tissue. Yin yoga also helps with recovery from tough workouts. This style of practice is a great balance for Vinyasa flow. This style of yoga is suitable for those interested in practicing at a slower pace.
7. Power Yoga
Power yoga is generally more active and faster to complete than other types of yoga. Power yoga strengthens muscles while also improving flexibility. The variety of sequences keeps your brain active as you exercise all muscle groups in your body.
Power yoga sometimes is referred to as hot yoga, and some studios offer hybrid classes of power yoga and slow flow yoga to help students ease into this intense practice. Fans of power yoga may also like Buti yoga. Power yoga is suitable for people who want a good workout.
8. Restorative Yoga
If you saw people taking a restorative yoga class, you might think everyone was napping on the mat. This yoga form uses props to support the body. The destination is complete relaxation, and some teachers may even guide you through yoga nidra — a guided meditation that allows you to float blissfully between sleep and wakefulness. While all different types of yoga can help with stress relief and brain health, restorative yoga focuses on down-regulating the nervous system. Restorative yoga can benefit those who need to relax and de-stress, or it can be used as part of self-care on days off.
Conclusion
There are many types of yoga. Different yoga styles have their own unique characteristics. It’s hard to discuss which one is the best. If you want to practice yoga, you can consult a professional yoga teacher to find the yoga style that suits you best.
