Yoga has surpassed the geographical boundaries and has become one of the most preferred wellness activities across the globe. You can find numerous studios, yoga schools, and workshops teaching different styles of yoga, each positively affecting your body in different ways. From its ancient roots in India to its modernized skills in the west, yoga is all about beginner friendly as well as dynamic flows for overall wellness.
There are various yoga styles to practice, so it can get a bit overwhelming for you. This article will guide you all about the importance of different yoga styles that are practiced around the globe in today’s times.
What is Yoga?
Source: thebetterindia.com
Before diving into the various styles of yoga, you need to understand what yoga is all about. Yoga is a union of mind, body, and soul, a comprehensive system for improving your overall wellness. Yoga originated in India over 5000 years ago and has been a part of Indian tradition since then. It is derived from a Sanskrit word called “yuj” which means “to join”. According to the Patanjali Yoga Sutra, an ancient yogic philosophy, yoga is said to be a path for spiritual liberation that can be achieved through disciplined practices and ethical living.
However, in the modern world, yoga is primarily associated with physical postures that focus on improving your overall strength, flexibility, and bodily movements. While these physical benefits are an important aspect of yogic practices, there is still so much more to what yoga truly offers. Whether it is a spiritual growth, emotional balance, mental stability, flowing of energy chakras, or overall strength enhancement, yoga is a powerful wellness activity to provide you all of these benefits.
13 Different Kinds of Yoga- How to Choose the Right One for You
Always remember that there is no right or wrong yoga style for you- it is all about what is right for you at that moment of time. This guide will provide you insights about 13 kinds of yoga styles from which you can choose the one that aligns perfectly with your wellness goals.
Vinyasa Yoga
Vinyasa yoga is also referred to as “flow yoga” and is a majorly common yoga style worldwide. It is considered as a “flow” due to its smooth transition from one yoga pose to another that is linked by breathing synchronization. “Vinyasa” means “to place in a special way”, which is the reason behind this style being rhythmic, continuous, and slow-paced.
Vinyasa yoga is best suited to practitioners who prefer dynamic movements and variety in their practice. There is no fixed sequence for the yoga asanas and is practiced with one breath per movement. Surya Namaskar is one of the major examples of yoga asanas practiced in Vinyasa Flow. This yoga style helps your body to build strength, endurance and flexibility, along with teaching you the importance of breathing in a synchronized manner.
Hatha Yoga
Hatha yoga is a general yoga term used for most of the physical yoga practices. It is a slow-paced beginner friendly yoga style that focuses on basic asanas and control of the breath. Hatha translates to “force”, which means that you need to concentrate on force on your body while practicing asanas. This yoga style is beginner friendly and perfect for those looking for all rounded benefits in your body.
Hatha yoga teaches you the alignment and adjustment of different asanas, holding various poses for a few breaths, and working with breathing techniques for overall improvement. If you are a newbie and wish to build foundations in yoga, then Hatha yoga is extremely beneficial for you. It emphasizes improving bodily postures and breathing along with calming your nervous system. This ultimately improves your thinking and decision-making abilities.
Ashtanga Yoga
Ashtanga Yoga is a disciplined and dynamic form of yoga that was introduced by K. Pattabhi Jois in the 20th century. It incorporates a set sequence of yoga asanas which should be performed in the same order every single time, supported by synchronized breathing and better movements. Ashtanga yoga has six series– Primary, Intermediate, and four Advanced series. If you are someone who prefers a routine or is into a challenging and structured practice, then Ashtanga yoga is the perfect style to learn.
There are several Ashtanga yoga classes that majorly teaches the asanas in “Mysore style” where the practitioners learn the poses at their own pace under the guidance of an expert. The asanas in this style are physically demanding and focus on bandhas as well as drishti. The six series is given to any student only when the instructor decides that the student has mastered the previous one. This also assists you in spiritual awakening and provides you hands-on adjustment teachings on different yoga postures.
Yin Yoga
Yin yoga is considered to be a slower yoga style where you learn to hold different poses for longer durations. This yoga style is rooted deeply in a combination of martial arts as well as yoga and is curated to increase the blood circulation in your joints. The several poses in this style emphasizes on the hips, thighs, and lower back that improves flexibility and helps you to relax completely. You can also use props like blankets, blocks, and bolsters for the poses in order to let gravity do its work.
Yin yoga targets the deep connectivity tissues and helps you aid recovery from a hard workout. The deep stretches and posture holding relaxes your muscles, releases tensions, and provides a meditative state to your entire body. If your body requires stretching after a hard workout or just wants to learn a slow-paced yoga style, then Yin is the perfect kind of yoga for you.
Iyengar Yoga
Iyengar yoga was introduced by BKS Iyengar, who developed alignment based and classical practice in India. This yoga style became popular in the 1970s in the US and is majorly known for its high level training. If you are someone who has physical limitations or injuries or is interested in therapeutic benefits of yoga, then this is the perfect style to consider.
Iyengar yoga is amazing for incorporating body awareness and is beneficial for treating chronic pain. Multiple props are also used in these classes like chairs, benches, walls, straps, blocks, and bolsters for supporting the yoga poses. You will learn to hold postures for longer durations and focus on alignment.
Kundalini Yoga
Kundalini translates to “life force energy” and this yoga style focuses majorly on awakening your internal kundalini energy which resides at the base of your spine. This style is a unique combination of dynamic breathing techniques, physical postures, and meditation. The postures in kundalini yoga are designed to reduce your mental stress and help you move upward through your chakras for spiritual awakening.
The kundalini yoga classes involve some repetitive movements, mantra chantings, and various mudras (hand gestures). It focuses on energy and internal consciousness with the help of regular mantra chanting and breathing synchronization.
Power Yoga
Power yoga traces its roots to Ashtanga as well as Vinyasa yoga and was introduced in the 1990s as an advanced dynamic form of yoga. It is an athletic form of yoga and focuses on improving your physical strength and involves major use of muscles. This helps in elevating your cardiovascular health, agility, and muscular endurance.
There is no set sequence of yoga asanas so every power yoga class is different from the previous one. The asanas practice helps in supporting your mental health and provides perseverance to make you feel encouraged and strengthened. If you are someone who is interested in engaging in dynamic yogic practices, then power yoga is the perfect option for you.
Restorative Yoga
Restorative yoga is a relaxing form of yoga that was introduced to counterforce your fast-paced lifestyle. It is a new way of maintaining wellness and focuses majorly on deep rejuvenation in your body. It helps in lowering stress, anxiety, and enhances mental as well as physical well being. The yoga poses practiced in restorative yoga emphasizes in activating your parasympathetic nervous system and calms you down for better thinking.
The utmost benefit of this yoga style is that it can liberate your mind from the regular stressors of work life and allows you to restore internal balance while cultivating stillness and enlightenment. If you are someone who is constantly burned out and stressed, then restorative yoga is the perfect nurturing practice for you to bring back your energy reserves.
Bikram Yoga
Bikram yoga was curated by Bikram Choudhury in the 1970s, which became popular worldwide in the 2000s. It consists of a set structure of 26 yoga postures and 2 breathing exercises that are practiced in a heated room of 105°F (40°C) along with humidity of 40%. The classes are 90 minutes long and follow the exact same sequence. Bikram yoga focuses on improving your endurance and complete detoxification. This yoga style is physically as well as mentally challenging due to the temperature conditions. The yoga practices in this style makes your body flexible and improves your cardiovascular health. If you are someone who likes consistency and a heated environment for flushing out toxins, then this is the perfect yoga style to choose.
Prenatal Yoga
Prenatal yoga is curated for the pregnant ladies and emphasizes breathing techniques, gentle stretches, as well as mental stillness. The yoga asanas in this style eases your pain that is associated with pregnancy such as sore lower back and aching hips. It also relieves any discomfort and allows you to relax completely. Before picking this yoga style, you must discuss the pros and cons with your doctor and then practice asanas under the guidance of an expert yoga instructor.
Aerial Yoga
Aerial yoga is a new form of yoga which is also known as anti-gravity yoga. In this style you will be practicing the traditional asanas with added support of a silky and strong hammock which will hang from the ceiling. This will give you added support in postures like downward dog and pigeon along with helping you move easily past your comfort levels.
Aerial yoga cultivates body awareness within you and helps you overcome the fear of being inverted. These classes can be either a relaxing session for you or a completely physically-challenging session. If you are someone who is interested in learning non-traditional yoga poses or wants to understand the benefits of inversion, then this is the perfect yoga style to consider.
Acro Yoga
Acro yoga is a couple friendly yoga style that combines aerobics, yoga, and thai massage. Here, one partner serves as a base on the ground and the other one acts as a flyer who uses the base for performing different asanas. Acro yoga combines strength and balance of both the partners in order to explore the mind and body connections with each other. If you are looking for a fun and interactive session of yoga with your partner and wish to learn the several benefits of yoga as well, then acro yoga is the best option to consider.
Jivamukti Yoga
Jivamukti yoga blends different elements of Vinyasa yoga, Hatha yoga, meditation, and mantra chanting. It was introduced by David Life and Sharon Gannon in the 1980s and translates to “liberating while living”. It is a yoga style that focuses on your spiritual awakening and improves physical strength.
Along with this, it also benefits you mentally and assists you in clearer thinking as well as decision-making practices. The dynamic yoga poses in a sequence challenges your body physically as well as emotionally to foster overall transformation. If you are seeking comprehensive yoga practices that improve your physical, emotional, as well as spiritual elements in your body, then Jivamukti yoga is the best option to consider.
Yoga is not a one size fits all, different styles have different benefits in your body. You need to figure out what works for your body and aligns perfectly with your wellness goals before choosing a particular yoga style. Whether it is about seeking internal balance and peace or about enhancing your physical strength as well as endurance, these different yoga styles have it all. Pick up your mat and embark on a transformational journey of learning the best wellness activity of today’s modern lifestyle.
