Popular Types of Yoga

Norma asks,  what are different types of yoga and what kind

is prefered?

Masso Answers,

Goals for Your Yoga Style

The word yoga implies as "union," "yoke," or "balance. Yoga practice will bring overall balance into your life.

To decide on the yoga style that's right for you, ask yourself three simple questions. The answers will help you clarify your goals in beginning yoga. more

1.  Yoga for fitness and to get in shape as well as to explore the mind-body connection; Choose a more vigorous yoga style like Power Yoga, Ashtanga yoga, or Bikram yoga. All three styles combine an athletic series of poses into a vigorous, total-body workout.
2. Starting yoga with an injury or a chronic medical condition; Or  older and out of shape person; Start with a slower, more alignment-oriented class like Iyengar yoga, Kripalu yoga, or Viniyoga. All three focus on finding the safest, most precise alignment for each student in every pose.
3. Meditative and spiritual aspects of yoga as  primary goal; Yoga styles that include plenty of meditation, chanting, and the philosophic aspects of yoga, you might try Kundalini yoga. Iyengar yoga. Detail-oriented and slow-paced, Iyengar yoga is an excellent beginning class. Analytical in its approach with a constant attention to detail, Iyengar yoga is great for learning the subtleties of correct alignment in each pose. The use of props -- belts, blocks, and pillow-like bolsters --  supported yoga help beginners get into poses with correct alignment, even when they're new to the poses, injured, or simply stiff. Worldwide, there are over 2,000 certified Iyengar teachers. That makes this style of yoga one of the most popular. B. K. S. Iyengar, who developed this style of yoga and  turned 90 in December 2008, still teaches in India. Similar styles include Anusara yoga and Viniyoga.

Ashtangayoga. Ashtanga yoga is another traditional style of yoga. It offers a highly vigorous, nonstop series of poses. The idea is to create heat inside the body to burn off toxins, release tight muscles and joints, and focus your mind. Six formal "series" of poses, beginning with the Primary series, increase in difficulty as you master each level. Unique to ashtanga yoga is its focus on a specialized breathing technique. Called ujjai breathing, it sustains heat in your body. Ashtanga yoga also used bandhas, or energy locks, in each pose. Originally developed by yogi master Pattabhi Jois in India, ashtanga yoga in the West now has many spin-offs, including Power Yoga.

Power Yoga. Power Yoga is hugely popular in health clubs and among athletes. It is one of the most athletic forms of yoga. Based on the sequence of poses in Ashtanga yoga, Power Yoga builds upper-body strength as well as flexibility and balance. Teachers lead classes that flow from one pose to the next without stopping to talk about the finer points of each pose. That way, students come away with a good workout as well as a yoga experience. If you're new to yoga, it's a good idea to take a few classes in a slower style of yoga first to get the feel for the poses. That's because there's less individual attention and more focus on moving through the Power Yoga class. Some studios call Power Yoga by different names: flow yoga, flow-style yoga, or vinyasa flow.

Bikram yoga. Bikram yoga is the favorite of anyone who loves to sweat. It was created by Indian yogi Bikram Choudhury, in the early 1970s, long before yoga was a trend. He designed a sequence of 26 yoga poses to stretch and strengthen the muscles as well as compress and "rinse" the organs of the body. The poses are all done in a heated room to facilitate the release of toxins. Every Bikram class you go to -- from Manhattan to San Diego -- follows the same sequence of 26 poses. Some beginning yoga students find this reassuring. Bikram teachers even call out the same verbal instructions for the poses. Be prepared to sweat: Bikram studios are heated above 100 degrees F. Check with your doctor if you have a medical condition like hypertension or diabetes before starting this "hot" style of yoga.

Kundalini yoga. Kundalini yoga is more spiritual and philosophical in approach than other styles of yoga. It has a reputation for being esoteric -- and a slightly shadowy reputation for being about sex. That's because this yoga style is designed to awaken kundalini energy in the spine. That's a practice that can also be used to awaken sexual energy and to practice tantric sex. Kundalini yoga classes include meditation, breathing techniques such as alternate nostril breathing, and chanting as well as yoga postures.

Hatha Yoga. "Hatha yoga" originally meant the physical practice of yoga. It meant doing the pose, vs. doing the breathing exercises called pranayama or following the philosophical or ethical practices of some styles of yoga. Hatha yoga now has become a somewhat meaningless, over-generalized term that usually means a teacher has combined a few different yoga styles to create a simple class that's good for beginners learning to do basic poses.

Integrative yoga therapy. This style of yoga adapts a gentle series of poses to people with specific medical conditions. It's designed for people with conditions ranging from AIDS to depression and heart didsease. Teachers emphasize the mind-body connection, self-acceptance, and the calming effects of yoga, as well as the physical poses themselves.

Viniyoga. Viniyoga is another gentle style of yoga. It focuses on how your breath moves through your body and affects each pose. It does this rather than emphasizing the precise execution of each pose. The long, deep stretches of this style of yoga are ideal for beginners and people who want to focus on flexibility, injury recovery, body awareness, and relaxation. Viniyoga was created by Indian yogi T. K. V. Desikachar and popularized by the American Gary Kraftsow. It adapts a series of poses to each individual student's physical needs, goals, and limitations.

Other Styles of Yoga

There are several other styles of yoga you may encounter as you explore your options. They include:

• Jivamukti yoga. This style was co-founded by David Life and Sharon Gannon in 1986. It's hugely popular in New York City. This style of yoga combines yoga poses with meditation, chanting, and a broad yoga education with contemporary and traditional philosophy.
• Anusara yoga. Anusara yoga was founded by American John Friend. It is a gentle, awareness-based style of yoga. Anusara yoga is as much about the philosophy of yoga as the physical biomechanics of poses.
• Kripalu yoga. This style originated at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in the Berkshires in Massachusetts in the 1970s. It begins with gentle, slow movements that rarely create a sweat. It then progresses through three levels of deeper mind-body awareness.
• Ananda yoga. This style of yoga is unique in its use of specific mental affirmations for each physical pose. It's ideal for linking mind and body in a positive experience of yoga for beginners.
• Sivananda yoga. This style is famous for its yoga camps in the Bahamas and elsewhere. Sivananda yoga teaches five areas of the yoga lifestyle: exercise, diet, proper breathing, relaxation, and positive thinking.