Thursday, July 14, 2011

The Different Kinds of Yoga: Which Ones Should You be Taking?

  • Hatha, meaning sun in the Sanskrit language, contains a variety of physical styles of yoga that are generally very relaxing. This class is best for beginners first learning the ropes of yoga or those who want to gain an understanding of basic yoga posture.

  • Vinyasa, meaning “to place a certain way,” is a sequence of dynamic poses that is one of the most popular styles of yoga. It involves synchronizing the breath with a continuous flow of postures. Vinyasa teaches the body to breath in conjunction with the body’s movement. 

  • Ashtanga is also known as “power yoga.” This style of yoga is morefor those looking towards a serious work out. Ashtanga is based upon eight principles, consisting of a series of poses performed promptly after each other that are combined with deep, controlled breathing

  • Bikram is also referred to as “hot yoga” since the room temperature is at least 100 degrees. It consists of 26 yoga poses, also known as asanas, which become ten times harder to perform in the hot room. The class is perfect for those who enjoy a difficult work out, are willing to sweat a lot, and like a challenge.

  • Iyengar focuses on bodily alignment, using props such as belts, blocks, and blankets to perform the postures. To master this style of yoga one must learn the 14 different pranayamas, which is breath control. Depending on where the class is taken, Iyengar yoga can be for either beginners or very advanced students.

    A video of two yoga experts discussing the different styles of yoga:


No comments:

Post a Comment