I’m going to actually do what I promised in the first blog and explain some of the more frequently advertised types of yoga. The explanations will be brief so I hope you will want to do your own research and find out more. If I run out of ideas of what to write in the future I might come back to these with more details and introduce you to other styles. Are you sitting comfortably...?
The styles of yoga are often borne from yoga philosophy or have evolved over time as different cultures adopted yoga. It’s been around for over 4000 years so it’s not surprising it’s evolved!
Hatha
In Sanskrit it means ‘force’. Asanas (postures) are a channel for energy. It involves physical postures and breathing techniques. For Hatha yoga you would be taken through asanas you would see in other styles but it can be slow(ish)
Vinyasa
Vinyasa means ‘to place in a deliberate way’. It is the way we connect breath and movement. Vinyasa classes tend to flow with the breath and the transitions from one posture to another connect.
Slow flow
To my mind this is like Vinyasa but slower so the transition might not be rushed and you may stay in a pose for more breaths.
Ashtanga
This has a fixed sequence with the idea that if we do it every day we can be aware of how we feel. If the practice feels different from last week what is that telling us about our state? It’s dynamic and more athletic than the others cited so far. It will make you sweat!
Iyengar
This yoga involves precision when doing the asanas. Alignment is considered important and there is more of an emphasis on where you might place hands and feet. B.K.S Iyengar was a fascinating character by the way!
Restorative
Arhhhh there’s a clue in the name. This often involves using props to support you in the asanas so you are still stretching and flexing but with blankets or a bolster for support. It is restful and slow.
Chair
A genius idea where yoga asanas are practised using a chair for support. All asanas can be accessed and it can be slowed down but it is possible to work up a sweat.
Yin
An interesting newish yoga (1970s) where poses are held for several minutes and even up to 5 minutes. It stretches and flexes! As a physical practice it literally gets under your skin to deep connective tissues, ligaments and joints.
This is the top of the ice-berg! To give you an idea of how far things go, naked yoga is a thing and a friend of mine found a niche book on kilt yoga! But there are things they have in common including the actual asanas, breathing and connection!
Please add a comment if you have any questions, something to share or just want to say hi!
Phew…after all that I’m going to drape myself over a bolster and breathe!
Love
Karen x
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