Achieving Wellness through Yoga: The Eight Most Popular Yoga Styles
Skimming through your gym’s class schedule for a good yoga class is sometimes a feat. What makes Anusara different from Hot Yoga? Iyengar and Vinyasa? Here is a cheat sheet to the various styles of yoga practiced today.
ANUSARA
Developed by American yogi. Anchored on the premise that people all filled with an innate goodness, Anusara aims to use the to help students open their hearts and allow their inner goodness to flow through.
ASHTANGA
Ashtanga is inspired by ancient yoga teachings, but it was presented in the West by K. It’s a demanding style that adheres to a specific posture sequence and is like vinyasa yoga, with each style connecting each movement to a breath. The single difference is that Ashtanga is always performed in the same exact order for the the same exact poses.
BIKRAM
At least thirty years back, Bikram Choudhury built this 26-pose school of yoga, where classes were done in rooms with artificial heating. Similar to Ashtanga, a Bikram class always moves in the same sequence, although a Bikram sequence is most certainly distinct from an Ashtanga sequence.
HATHA
Hatha yoga is a general term that means any type of yoga that focuses on physical postures. Almost all types of yoga classes held in the West teach Hatha yoga. If you see an ad for a Hatha yoga class, that means they are teaching the most basic yoga postures.
HOT YOGA
In general, the one difference between a Bikram and a hot yoga class is that hot yoga departs from Bikram’s sequence in some minor way, and so it has to be called by a new name. The space will be heated and you will sweat profusely, so the mats and accessories to be used should be particularly intended for hot yoga classes.
YENGARIYENGARIYENGAR
Iyengar, this style of yoga is extremely precise, with great attention poured into finding the right alignment in each pose. An Iyengar studio helps student look for the proper alignment by stocking a whole range of yoga props, such as blocks, straps, bolsters and more.
RESTORATIVERESTORATIVERESTORATIVE
Restorative yoga is a nice way to relax and smoothen out your nerves. Also called yin yoga, restorative classes make use of bolsters, blankets, and blocks to assist students into passive poses, allowing the body to enjoy the benefits of a pose not having having to put in any effort. A great restorative class is more revitalizing than a nap.
VINYASA
Vinyasa classes are known for teaching fluid and movement-packed techniques. Vinyasa teachers ensure classes include smooth transitions between poses, and the intention is to connect breath to movement. It certainly gets puzzling to select the best yoga class when there’s a ton of options available to you. However, when you understand each one of them, and your own needs, it should be easier to make a decision.