Author: Mandi

What kind of Yoga is right for YOU?

There are many types of yoga in today’s economy.

To determine what kind of yoga is right for you needs, wants, goals, and your body you need to answer a few questions for yourself.

Am I looking for a quick fix for therapy or restorative purposes?

Do I have some specific goals I want to meet?

Am I looking for a new fitness program?

What characteristics am I looking for in a yoga class: to relieve stress, increase balance, gain more peace, etc.

If your unsure then it would seem best to try different classes.

I always tell new students or first-time yogis three things:

1: Never judge Yoga by your first class. Each class, theme, and styles are different. Same concept as if you went to a gym, hated the treadmill and decided the entire gym was ‘not for you’ and you never returned.

2: Never judge Yoga by your first teacher. There are many different kinds of teachers, personalities, experience, attitudes, and the list always continues. Some people just ‘click’ as they say. Sometimes you may join a class and you love everything about it and other times you don’t.

It’s okay to attend several classes. It’s okay to like several teachers.

This is YOUR journey, YOUR decision, land you can determine where you go and what you like.

Who wants to attend a class they hate? Not me and I am sure you don’t either.

3: Never compare yourself to others and their journey. Your day 1 may be different than someone else’s. Your goals and experience will be different too. What may be your day 1 may be their day 1000. You want to go for YOU. Don’t compare yourself to others and be in an environment you can be yourself and enjoy yourself.

Click on the link on the homepage “11 Common Types of Yoga” to gather a little bit of information.

This is not all the information about each one. The information below is a mere highlight of some of the areas.

These are just 11 different types you may come across. There is much more information about each one. This is just a mere introductory guide. Looking for new information and classes can be overwhelming sometimes.

Remember this is YOUR workout, YOUR time, and YOU get to choose. Don’t be afraid to try several kinds of classes until you find the right class for you and your body.

You may be surprised you may find more than one class you love and attend regularly.

Good luck and have fun on your new journey!

11 Common Types of Yoga

1. Ashtanga
   1. 6 series of specific moves that moves with breaths
   1. Hands-on adjustments
   1. Work at your own pace/advancement
   1. Very routine
   1. Great for someone who does not like a lot of change and wants to measure their advancement using the same poses and strengths
2. Yin
   1. Slower style
   1. Postures are held for 1 minute and advances to 5 minutes or more
   1. May use a lot of props and focuses more on lower body
3. Hatha
   1. Gentle
   1. Focuses on poses with breaths
   1. Meditation
4. Kundalini
   1. More traditional style regarding spiritual heritage: singing & chanting
5. Vinyasa
   1. ‘Flows’ (movements) with breath
   1. Not routine necessarily
   1. Will be moving more than being still and holding poses
   1. May use props, classes may be similar or each one different depending on teacher
   1. Great for someone who likes to mix things up and does not like constant routine
6. Iyengar
   1. Uses props and focuses on ideal alignment with holds
   1. Great for someone who likes and pays attention to very fine details
7. Bikram
   1. Most commonly known as Hot Yoga
   1. Mostly a series of certain poses in a sequence. (26 poses)
   1. Poses usually use two breaths each.
   1. Temperatures elevated above 92. Intensity level depends on the teacher.
   1. Not for individuals who have difficulty breathing in hot and humid environments.
   1. Great for those who love to sweat in hot and humid environments.
8. Aerial
   1. A style with a partner.
   1. Known as anti-gravity yoga
   1. Great for someone who loves fun workouts and inversions.
   1. Can also be for couples wanting to increase trust and intimacy, but also fun for two friends to overcome fear by the anti-gravity off the ground movements.
9. Power
   1. Roots with Ashtanga yoga
   1. May be hot temps or may be intense faster movements, this will depend on the teacher
   1. This would be good for any individual who is looking for a good workout to build strength and overall workout.
   1. Tends to be more physical and less spiritual (if any)
10. Restorative
    1. May be temporary class for injury or recovery
    1. May be permanent for ongoing ‘off’ or ‘relax’ days to recuperate between intense workouts
    1. Classes may be focused on certain areas such as lower back, neck and shoulders, knees, etc.
    1. This class would be for individuals looking to heal or focus on strengthening a certain area.
11. Prenatal
    1. Classes would most likely focus on stretching and movements that would not be too intense for mom or baby.
    1. Classes would focus on encouraging movement and breathing.
    1. Great for moms who are pregnant or for moms who are recovering from a pregnancy.