If you’re new to yoga, you may be wondering which style you should choose. Or perhaps you’re an experienced yogi or yogini and want to mix things up and try something new. Whichever camp you’re in, this quick guide to yoga styles will help you decide which is best for you, before you can finish a sun salutation!
Hatha Yoga
It’s been said that Hatha yoga is the most popular style practised today. It involves a set of asanas (exercised) that bring the various parts of your body into alignment. In doing so, Hatha yoga aims to open the body so that energy can flow around and through it.
What’s interesting is that the word hatha is made up of two words – ‘ha’ meaning sun and ‘tha’ meaning moon. This makes sense when you consider that Hatha yoga aims to balance the stronger, hot masculine aspects of the body with the softer, cooler, feminine ones.
Vinyasa Yoga
Vinyasa yoga – also known as ‘flow yoga’ - refers to breath-synconised asanas, which makes it a more intense or active yoga style.
In a Vinyasa class, you’ll be introduced the Sun Salutations, which is a series of asanas that complement the breath. Yogis and yoginis perform these poses to warm up and prepare the body for the intense asanas that come later in the session.
Many other yoga styles spawned from Vinyasa, including Bikram, Anusara, Ashtanga and Jivamukti. These styles are interpretations of the Vinyasa approach to movement.
If you’re looking for a graceful yoga style that will have you working up a sweat, Vinyasa is for you.
Bikram or Hot Yoga
If you can handle the heat, then get thee to a Bikram yoga class! While a more modern style of yoga, Bikram is a popular way to sweat and cleanse while healing muscles. The room is heated to around 40 degrees Celsius and the class is lead through a series of 26 poses and two breathing exercises.
Recently, athletes in Scotland attributed Bikram yoga to helping them beat injuries and restore stability. So if you’re injury prone, you may find Bikram to be mighty helpful.
Ashtanga Yoga
Taking its inspiration from Vinyasa, Ashtanga yoga is a faster-paced style of yoga that sees a set of asanas performed as a series. At first, it can be tricky to keep up with the quick changes and physically intense postures.
You might like to try Ashtanga after having undergone a beginner’s Hatha yoga class, so you have some awareness of your body and an understanding of the major yoga asanas.
Which Yoga Style is Best?
These are just a few of the more popular yoga styles that exist today. There are many more out there to try, before you decide on the best one for you.
When ‘shopping around’ for a new yoga class, ensure the school is reputable and its practitioners can teach to your level. As with everything, be patient and kind to yourself as you learn a new style.
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