Types of Yoga: A Guide to 9 Styles of Yoga explained
Studies continue to reveal the myriad of health benefits of Yoga, and Yoga is currently one of the most popular physical practices across the globe.
There are so many different types offered, that it can be difficult to choose the right one for you. This guide is about Types of Yoga: 9 Styles of Yoga along with their essential characteristics.
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No matter which style of yoga you choose, you will likely see many improvements in different areas of your health. When practicing regularly, you can:
- Increase your flexibility
- Increase your energy
- Improve your posture
- Decrease chronic pain
- Increase muscle tone and strength
- Detoxify your organs
- Reduce injuries
- Improve your cardiovascular health & circulation
- Sleep better
- Improve your mental health (reduce anxiety & depression)
- Improve athletic performance
- Release endorphins and improve your mood
- And so much more…
1. Vinyasa Yoga / Flow Yoga / Power Yoga
Vinyasa is a very generalized type of yoga that encompasses many different styles. Essentially, vinyasa links the breath to moving between postures, with the focus on inhaling and expanding, exhaling, and contracting. It is a vigorous style based on a rapid flow through sun salutations. The flow is comparable and means flowing from one pose to another, sometimes wandering away from the salutation series. Want to learn everything about how to get a Vinyasa Yoga certification?
2. Ashtanga Yoga
Ashtanga is a system of yoga that was brought to the modern world by yogi Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. There are several series included within an Ashtanga practice, starting with the primary series and increasing in difficulty as you progress through the levels. It is a fast-paced, physically challenging practice with a set sequence of asanas, offered in most studios both guided and Mysore (where a student is able to move at their own pace, assessed by senior instructors.
3. Hatha Yoga
Hatha Yoga is a broad category that encompasses most of the types of yoga that are based on physical practice. This style of yoga offered in a studio can vary greatly and is often more focused on teaching the beginner. Most classes will have a slower pace, holding poses for longer amounts of time, with instructions to introduce pranayama (breathing techniques), meditation, and correct alignment in asana (postures).
4. Iyengar Yoga
Developed by BKS Iyengar, this type of yoga is a very meticulous style with attention placed on finding the correct alignment in a pose. Iyengar's style guides the student into experiencing the intense subtleties of each pose by using a wide array of props, including bolsters, chairs, straps, blocks, etc. Poses are held much longer than in almost any other type of yoga.
5. Anusara Yoga
Discovered by Doug Friend, Anusara is a more modern approach to Hatha, using physical postures to support the students in opening their hearts, experiencing grace, and finding inner peace. Anusara can be an intense practice, incorporating Vinyasa, yet focuses on “The Universal Principles of Alignment” where one focuses on the natural spirals and loops of the body. This practice also brings attention to three main categories of practice known as the three A’s - Attitude, alignment, and action. Continue reading our guide on Types of Yoga: 5 Styles of Yoga.
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