What style of yoga is right for me?

Yoga is a wonderful way to exercise, depending on what you are looking for. You can find classes that challenge your endurance or classes that provide restoration and Zen. Yoga is a very diverse practice that offers something for everyone. Whether you are seeking strength, mental calmness, spiritual growth, or relaxation there is a class available. Since there are so many different styles to choose from, it can get overwhelming for beginners to find the right fit. In this blog, I’m going to break down the more popular styles of yoga and their benefits. The goal is to find a style that resonates with you, your goals, and your lifestyle.

1. Hatha Yoga
   • Hatha yoga is slower and great for beginners. It focuses on the breathwork and moving slower in the asanas (poses). You will still do a lot of the traditional poses like downdog and cobra, but might hold them a little longer to find calmness.
   • Great for beginners
   • Benefits: It helps to improve flexibility, builds strength, lung capacity, and a great start to learning basic yoga principles.
2. Vinyasa Yoga
   • Consists of a flow, which means that poses (asanas) are put together to make a sequence. It can include many different types of yoga. Vinyasa yoga is a little bit more fast paced and is the opposite of Hatha yoga, which includes holding one pose at a time and resting in between. Personally, this is my FAVORITE type of yoga. I can so a slow flow or make it a little faster. It also gives me the freedom to choose the poses I want in the flow and make it move like water.
   • A sequence can include the same poses in a specific order however, most vinyasa courses are different depending on the teacher that you have. Vinyasa yoga gives teachers the freedom to be creative in sequences. You focus on your breath as you move from pose to pose.
   • Benefits: Great for people that like newness in a class. Since it can move quickly, it is great to keep you active, reduce stress, and improves cardio health. Vinyasa yoga is great for beginners and advanced yogis.
3. Ashtanga Yoga
   • Ashtanga means “8 limbed yoga” and is a vinyasa style of yoga except that it has a set sequence. It is the traditional form of yoga which originated from the 5,000 year old Yoga Korunta (by Vamana Rishi). Over the years, it eventually became what we know today. Pattabhi Jois learned from Krishnamacharya the Ashtanga yoga style and eventually he popularized it.
   • There are 6 sequences, with the first one being called the Primary series. They all include the Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar) and middle poses will differ depending on which series you are on. As you master a pose, a more advanced one is taught.
   • Benefits: It’s great for people that like familiarity, since the series is always the same. The benefits are very similar to all styles of yoga. It can help you to reduce stress and anxiety, strengthen your body, flexibility, and help your overall well being.
4. Iyengar Yoga
   • Iyengar is a “form of hatha yoga that focuses on proper alignment and precise technique“. It incorporates poses (asanas) and breath (pranayama) to help gain stamina, strength, & flexibility. This type of yoga was founded by B.K.S. Iyengar in the 60’s and he wrote a book on it called Light on Yoga. Iyengar yoga is based on the yoga sutras.
   • If you want to practice, you’ll need to create a sequence using the poses and breathing exercises that are in his book. Normally, Iyengar yoga starts with easy pose and meditation/breathing exercises, then a warm-up, standing postures (including Sun Salutations), a cool-down, and then savasana. Iyengar also introduced props to make poses accessible, which is great for beginners.
   • Benefits: They are pretty much the same as the other styles of yoga. It helps you to build strength and flexibility, improves your posture, decreasing anxiety and stress, and helps with energy levels.
5. Bikram Yoga (now known as Hot Yoga)
   • It was founded by Bikram Choudhury in the 70’s and has a set sequence of 26 postures. This sequence is normally done in a sauna-like room set to about 105 F and 40% humidity. There were some harassment lawsuits against Choudhury in the US, so he fled to Mexico in 2017. Nowadays, this type of yoga is called Hot yoga, to disassociate from Bikram. If you are interested in learning about the founder, Netflix has the documentary called, Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator.
   • This Hot yoga is not recommended for everyone. If you are pregnant, have heart conditions, asthma, heat sensitivity, on certain medications, or have any underlying health conditions, then Hot Yoga is not for you (or ask your medical provider).
   • Benefits: For those that are able to practice, this type of yoga helps with flexibility, cardiovascular fitness (due to your cardiovascular system needing to work harder because of the heat), reduce stress, skin health (again, due to heat and sweating out impurities),
6. Kundalini Yoga
   • The goal of Kundalini yoga is to achieve spiritual growth. It includes breathwork, movement, chanting, meditation, and singing to awaken the Kundalini energy. It consists also of using mudras (or hand gestures that has a message) and mantras (or affirmations), This is one of the yoga practices that is in my “to-do” list. I’ve always found it intriguing, but haven’t tried it yet!
   • Kundalini is a different type of yoga which is more spiritual and requires some self-reflection. Poses are called kriyas (instead of asanas). Kriyas are set series of poses that has a specific breathing technique specific to the purpose of the kriya. Each kriya pertains to a specific chakra. The teacher will choose the kriya for the chakra that needs opening (depending on the students needs).
   • Benefits: Helps to reduce stress and anxiety, improve your mood, and flexibility.
7. Yin Yoga
   • Yin yoga helps with lengthening the deepest tissues in our body (connective tissues: ligaments, joints, bones, & deep fascia). This is done by doing a series of poses or active stretches that are held for a long period of time (usually 2-4 minutes or even more for advanced yogis). For the most part, the poses are passive, (although some can have a little movement). This type of yoga is great for beginners and advanced yogis alike.
   • When practicing yin yoga, you move slowly into the pose looking for the “edge”. This is the point where you feel intensity, but not pain. You need to be able to find stillness in the pose and avoid moving or shifting positions. This is my favorite type of yoga to do when I’m stiff and worked out a lot! Makes me feel like Jell-O.
   • Benefits: Improves flexibility & circulation, helps to decrease stress/anxiety and calms the mind, releases the fascia, helps to deepen relaxation, & improves mobility.
8. Restorative Yoga
   • While Yin Yoga is slow and uses active stretching, Restorative yoga deals more with passive stretching and deep relaxation. This type of yoga is great for beginners through advanced students and focuses more on getting your body into a movement passively (with the use of props and held for an extended amount of time), to get into a relaxed state. If you are tired, not feeling well, or stressed, and need a super slow yoga to help you relax, then this is the yoga for you!
   • When practicing restorative yoga, you want to make sure you have “all the things”! This means incorporating bolsters, blankets, pillows, yoga blocks, and anything else your heart desires in order to feel comfortable when getting into the asanas. Personally, this is my favorite style when I’m sick and just feeling down. It helps to calm my mind and my body.
   • Benefits: Reduces stress and helps to calm the nervous system. Great for those in a high demand profession since this type of yoga helps to slow the body. It also promotes healing and recovery for those recovering from illness or burnout. Finally, it releases muscle tension and gently improves circulation.
9. Chair Yoga
   • This type of yoga is great for seniors or those that have balance/mobility issues. With chair yoga, the traditional asanas are modified so that they can be done on a chair for support.
   • Depending on the population, you can also stand and use the chair and do the asanas to help improve balance.
   • Benefits: Chair yoga is great because you can get the same benefits of yoga, but in a more accessible way. It can help improve flexibility, strength, and joint health. It can also help improve your balance, by holding the back of the chair when doing the asanas.
10. Pre-Natal Yoga
    • Just as the name suggests, this type of yoga is great for pregnant women. Yoga is wonderful for the body, and pre-natal yoga is modified so that expectant mothers can do it. It helps to support the body during pregnancy.
    • Pre-natal yoga involves gentle poses (a lot of times using props) and breathing techniques adapted for expectant mothers.
    • Benefits: Yoga is great for expectant mothers. It helps to reduce pregnancy discomfort, helps to improve strength and flexibility, the focused breathing calms the nervous system, encourages the mind/body connection (builds awareness of the changes in the body), and prepares the body for childbirth.

There are MANY other styles, but these are the more popular ones. If you have been thinking about trying out a yoga class, but are too nervous, don’t be! There is a yoga class out there for everyone. All you need is your body and a mat. Don’t be afraid to open the door and try something new! You just might feel AMAZING!!

Share your favorite style of yoga and why in the comments below!

🌒Blessed Be 🌘