The best-known and most popular types of yoga at a glance
Would you like to start a yoga practice but don't really know which type of yoga is right for you? That's understandable. There are so many different types of yoga. Accordingly, it can be quite difficult for beginners to find their way in the yoga jungle. This article presents the most popular and well-known directions to give you an overview. But remember: Yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory. So try different styles and find out which types of yoga do you good.
Bikram Yoga
If you like to sauna, you will love Bikram Yoga! Bikram Yoga (also known as Hot Yoga ), is practiced at a room temperature of 40 degrees Celsius and 40% humidity. So get ready for an intense sweating session with a strong cleansing effect. Bikram consists of only 26 yoga poses, which are repeated twice, with a strong emphasis on correct posture. For this reason, this style is great for beginners!
Hatha Yoga
Hatha Yoga is the origin of the various yoga styles. Most of the yoga forms that exist today are derived from Hatha Yoga. It is a classic approach to yoga practice and often serves as a foundation before a specific direction is taken for deepening. In a "Hatha Yoga" class, you will learn many asanas (yoga poses) that you have to hold a little longer. And the transition between exercises is gentle and slow. It is an overall calm practice that is great if you want to wind down in the evening. Definitely one of the most relaxing types of yoga.
Anusara Yoga
Anusara Yoga was founded in 1997 by John Friend in the USA. It is therefore a young and very popular movement among yoga practitioners. This school, like Iyengar Yoga, belongs to the purist form of yoga. Anusara Yoga differs from other styles in its focus on the heart. Therefore, many "heart-opening" asanas are performed. These include, above all, backbends such as the camel, the cobra, the bow, and many more. The effect: Anusara brings self-love and love for others, as well as acceptance into your everyday life!
Jivamukti Yoga
Jivamukti Yoga was founded in New York in 1984 by Sharon Gannon and David Life. This style is also one of the young movements and has found more and more resonance in the yoga community in recent years. The term "Jivamukti" means"liberation while living," which includes this type of yoga. This yoga style belongs to the Vinyasa Yoga school and is accordingly dynamic and physically challenging. Furthermore, Jivamukti is very spiritual. Therefore, in such a yoga class, you may encounter mantra chanting. It is truly a yoga style for the heart!
Vinyasa Yoga
Vinyasa Yoga (also known as Flow Yoga or Vinyasa Flow) is one of the most popular types of yoga. Why? Because no yoga session is exactly the same as another. With each teacher, you will learn different sequences.
This style is very dynamic and physically demanding.You will be in constant motion, gliding from one pose to the next. At the same time, you synchronize your breath with each movement, creating a flow that takes you mentally and physically from the stressful everyday life into the here and now.
Iyengar Yoga
Iyengar Yoga is a yoga school founded by B.K.S. Iyengar. In an Iyengar class, you will learn to pay close attention to your posture. No other yoga style is as focused on posture as Iyengar. You will practice with many supports, such as yoga blocks, cushions, belts, and straps. This allows the body to be ideally supported and relieved. This style is therefore very suitable for people with physical ailments.
Ashtanga Yoga
This style is commonly also called Power Yoga . Ideal for advanced practitioners,this yoga school is physically very demanding. Ashtanga consists of six very strenuous yoga sequences. The practitioner starts with the first sequence and progresses to the next one depending on their progress. The movements are performed dynamically and in sync with the breath, creating a so-called "flow." Want to push your body to limits you didn’t know before? Then Power Yoga is just right for you!
Kundalini Yoga
The Kundalini practice consists of many dynamic and invigorating poses.These aim to awaken the Kundalini energy that every person has in their body. Imagine Kundalini as a source of power, coiled like a snake in the lower part of your spine. Through yoga practice, this energy is supposed to wake up and rise up along the spine to the crown and be released. The Kundalini practice has an immediate and strong impact on your well-being. Just a single class can have a wonderful, positive impact on your mental and physical well-being.
Yin Yoga
Yin Yoga is a calm and meditative form of yoga.It is often referred to as Taoist yoga. This style focuses on a deep stretch of your body and is meant to balance Yang yoga, i.e., muscle-building forms of yoga such as Anusara, Ashtanga, Iyengar, and others. What is special about it: Yin poses are passive.This means you get into an asana and can completely relax and let go. Gravity does the rest. A welcome side effect: since the exercises are very long, you learn patience!
As you can see, there is a wide variety of different types of yoga. Try it out and see which one works best for you. We wish you a lot of fun with your yoga practice!
Elisabeth Naschberger-Mauracher
Elisabeth Naschberger-Mauracher is the managing director and Ayurveda expert at the European Ayurveda Resort Sonnhof in Thiersee, Tyrol. Since 2019, she and her husband have jointly managed the Ayurveda resort, which has received numerous awards, including: Global Winner: Detox Program, Best Medical Spa Award, and World Luxury Hotel & Spa Award.
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Hatha Yoga: All about the yoga style and the best exercises
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Yoga Nidra
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