Much like a family name carried by many family members, “Yoga” is a name that encompasses many different types of disciplines and practices.
Before you choose between yoga disciplines, it is important to consider the reasons you wish to begin practicing, and to be informed about all of your options.
So, why do you want to practice yoga? Is it for physical issues or pain relief? Is it body shaping and flexibility? Or perhaps aiming to find inner peace and quietness?
With that in mind, we invite you to take a look at the following list of the most formal and popular methods of yoga learned in the West today.
Hatha Yoga
Hatha Yoga is the classical yoga, and the basis for all other more current types. Slow, quiet and meditative, the focus in Hatha is on breathing exercises, posture, and body awareness.
Vinyasa Yoga
A physical, flowing and dynamic practice, which emphasizes the synchronization between movement and breath.
Iyengar Yoga
Based on the classical Yoga and a restorative background, Iyengar Yoga is characterized by holding positions for some time, using accessories for the practice, and going deep into detail in order to achieve a precise level of performance.
Shadow Yoga
A method which combines poses and breathing exercises with elements from the fields of martial arts and dance.
Ashtanga Yoga
Widely popular in the West, Ashtanga is constructed of 6 fixed series of postures, practiced in a highly intense pace and is physically challenging.
Vijñāna Yoga
Founded in 2003 by Orit San-Gupta, the practice consists of meditation, breathing exercises, postures and study of yogic texts.
Bhrigu Yoga
An ancient discipline of the Raja (Royal) Yoga path. A psychological approach which focuses on concentration exercises and meditation, as well as yoga postures & breathing exercises.
Yin Yoga
A practice that draws inspiration from restorative yoga and is characterized by passive poses, which are easier to hold for several minutes and thus focuses on relaxation, and direct work on fascia, ligaments and tendons.
Bikram Yoga
Yoga practiced in a heated studio of 38-40 degrees Celsius and 60% humidity! Although mentally challenging and allows deeper stretch, it can actually be very dangerous for some people to practice in these conditions.
Kundalini Yoga
A practice that aims to stimulate and awaken the energy at the base of the spine by concentrating on intense breathing/movement exercises. The method is a sub-stream of Tantra Yoga.
Power Yoga
A method developed in the United States in recent years, characterized by dynamic training and intense physical work (leaving much less time for relaxation, introversion and personal inquiry).
We hope this article helps you in the process of choosing the right yoga practice for you. For more information and exercises, please contact us.
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