You’ve likely heard of yoga, but maybe you’ve never considered it a form of exercise for your body. It’s a misunderstood form of exercise, and there are many different types if you’re interested in a unique way to move around that isn’t walking a mile or doing jumping jacks.
If you’re curious about the various types of yoga available, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading to learn more about several of the most popular forms, each with different benefits to the person in the practice. The more you know about the varying formats of yoga, the easier it will be to select the right one for your life and body.
Vinyasa
First on our list of various styles of yoga is vinyasa yoga. This version is frequently known as the most athletic version of the practice, pushing individuals to coordinate their breath with their motions as they move from one item to the next. It requires strength and stability to achieve fluidity in the movements.
Vinyasa first appeared as an adaptation of Ashtanga yoga in the 80s. Since that time, it’s become one of the most popular styles. Different teachers will adopt varying poses to put into sequences for their students to learn and follow.
Related: What is Yoga?
Iyengar
Next up is Iyengar. This version of yoga comes from the influential teacher, B.K.S. Iyengar, famous for using blocks and other tools in various routines. These assist users by helping them push into the proper position, building strength until they can take them on without the blocks.
Iyengar Yoga places emphasis on body alignment, allowing beginners to access the movements without putting too much stress on their bodies. It’s one of the best forms of yoga for beginners and is an excellent place to start for those new to the scene or with low strength.
Hatha
Next up is Hatha Yoga. When considering Hatha vs. Vinyasa, you’ll notice that Hatha is a much more relaxing yoga. It’s much less vigorous, focusing on all the key elements of yoga and providing beginners with the foundation necessary to push into much trickier forms of this movement.
Even though Hatha Yoga is slower, all forms of yoga provide mental and physical benefits to some capacity. If your body isn’t ready to take on a faster-paced yoga right off the bat, Hatha is one of the best places to begin your journey.
Ashtanga
Next up is Ashtanga Yoga. This form of yoga works to pull together postures, breath, and gaze points through various Ashtanga yoga poses to create a flowing movement to raise heat inside the body. The sequence is the same every time, whether you have an instructor leading you or are performing it by yourself with video guidance.
If you want to pick up a little sweat and move your body, Ashtanga is the way to go. It’s excellent for calming the mind and building strength simultaneously, which makes for a unique combination as far as exercises go. It’s also ideal for those who like things that stay the same every single time.
Kundalini
Kundalini Yoga focuses on chanting mantras while working through meditation and movements with clear breathwork attached. Throughout a class in Kundalini, you practice “kriyas” to build strength, create mental endurance, and bring the nervous system to life in a powerful way.
Once upon a time, the main goal of Kundalini was to benefit the flow of energy throughout the body. It’s excellent for improving general intuition and willpower, all while creating strength in the practitioner’s spiritual abilities. If you’re feeling mentally and physically drained, Kundalini is for you.
Yin
Yin Yoga is designed to lengthen the muscles and connective tissue in the body, allowing improvement to the flexibility of the body and improving mobility for the individual performing the stretches. Most poses in Yin Yoga are held for two to ten minutes, allowing rooted tensions to slowly release from the system.
If you are having trouble with sleep, Yin Yoga will release your muscles at any point in the day to lead to a deeper night of rest. It will improve flexibility and mobility in the limbs, making your life less painful and improving even the connective tissue between vital muscle structures.
Bikram
Yoga has the potential to improve heart-related functions, and Bikram Yoga is an excellent way to add this workout routine to your life. It’s a form of hot yoga, which means you will follow a series of poses in a room that is 105 degrees and set to 40% humidity. It’s meant to make you sweat as you move through traditional yoga poses.
Bikram Yoga involves a series of 26 poses that never shift, allowing you to practice from wherever you are. They typically focus on proper alignment for the body, allowing the user to pull together their limbs effectively. If hot yoga sounds relaxing, many studios offer classes for interested users of all ages.
Restorative
Restorative yoga uses different poses, each held for a very long time, with the intent to relax the body. It’s effective for winding down, especially if you’ve had a long day and need to settle your mind. Restorative yoga is an excellent way to clear your mind of items you don’t need while freeing your thoughts simultaneously.
In restorative yoga, you will find you complete fewer poses while spending more time on each of them. Many of the poses receive modifications to make them much easier and use props to help the participant sink into relaxation rather than focusing on the difficulty of the regular positions without the prop assistance.
Anusara
Anusara Yoga is essentially a more modern version of Hatha Yoga. It keeps an eye on alignment for the body, but also focuses on the connection between the mind, body, and heart. It’s a little more advanced than the traditional Hatha Yoga, but it’s worth it if you’re willing to learn.
Much of Anusara Yoga works with spirals and dictates how the body should progress through the motions. It focuses on heart opening, which often results in stopping mid-class for the instructor to break down each critical aspect of a pose.
Jivamukti
Jivamukti Yoga has been around since the 80s and is essentially a class in the Vinyasa Yoga teaching with various Hindu elements mixed in for a complete experience. Its goal is to connect to the earth as a sort of living entity, allowing a unique connection between the self and the world around you.
Many classes of Jivamukti involve chanting at the beginning, then poses that work around the five tenets of the Jivamukti system. Participants in Jivamukti often adopt a vegetarian diet for the complete experience.
Power
Power Yoga is a powerful form of yoga that emphasizes strong movements from one position to the next. It focuses on the strength and endurance of the performer and happens to be one form of yoga that burns the most calories. It’s something to try if you’re interested in something a little more hardcore than other yogas.
Technically, Power Yoga is a version of Vinyasa Yoga. The poses that participants move from are meant to be connected, rather than separate, like in other formats. It’s fast-paced, intense, and requires endurance to perform the switches successfully and effectively.
Sivananda
Sivananda Yoga is a spiritual yoga system that is based on the teachings of an individual named Siwanda Sivananda. Its core comes from Hatha Yoga, focusing on the overall well-being and health of the participant. There are various periods of relaxation and breathing throughout each session.
Most classes using Sivananda Yoga are slow-paced and easy to complete for any age and experience level. Rather than speeding through positions, Sivananda focuses on exercise, breathing, relaxation, a vegetarian diet, and positive thinking mixed with meditation.
Integrative Yoga Therapy
Last up is Integrative Yoga Therapy. It’s a form of treatment that uses a unique mixture of modern medicine and yoga to help the yogi feel better. Yoga therapists will administer the treatment, working through poses and meditation along with medication to help with an injury or illness.
Integrative Yoga Therapy is excellent if you have an injury or disability of some kind. It’s a very Westernized form of the routine.
Final Thoughts on Yoga
Overall, yoga is an excellent way to move your body while providing other benefits, such as a simple way to modify based on injury and lowering the risk of heart disease. Whether you think you can move around a lot or want to take it easy, there is a form of yoga that will work for you.
There are instructors and yoga professionals all over the country, ready to adapt to whatever situation you are in and whatever your body is capable of in yoga. It’s an exciting movement that works for individuals from all walks of life, so there is no need to worry about your age inhibiting you!
Think yoga might not be the best choice for you? Tai Chi is another form of exercise that can be fun for all ages. Learn more from our Tai Chi Beginners Guide.
