5 Different Types of Yoga and Which of Them Is Ideal for You
Ashtanga, Bikram, Vinyasa… Just what you need to know about the most popular types of practices in the world of wellness and fitness.
There is a very wrong idea about yoga. Most people think there is only one type, which is usually slow and not intense, and aerobic enough. But boy are they wrong.
The reality is that there are many types of practices that range from more intense to more relaxed, but no less effective. If you have ever gone to a yoga studio and seen names like Bikram, Ashtanga, Hatha, Kundalini, and Vinyasa, without having a clue what they mean, it is time for you to discover that they are indeed types of yoga, what is it that they entail, and which of them is ideal for you.
Vinyasa
This practice focuses on doing various poses at a constant, fast pace, which makes for perfect cardio and full-body technique. The key is to flow and link your breath to movement.
Ideal for those who want yoga to be their only workout.
Hatha
It could be said that Hatha is the basis of all other types of yoga, from it all others are born. It is the basic practice. It’s a combination of poses and breathing exercises that aren’t exactly the most advanced, but they do have a huge impact on your health.
Ideal for those who are new and beginning to discover yoga.
Bikram
This is a very rigorous and particular version of “hot yoga”. Classes last 90 minutes and consist of a repetitive sequence of 26 poses. The rooms are heated to 40 degrees Celsius and the ideal is that you do not stop unless your body demands it.
Ashtanga
It is similar to vinyasa in that it links breath to movement and flows through different poses, only Ashtanga focuses on six specific pose sequences. You don’t go from one to the other until you’ve mastered the previous one, and they aren’t easy at all.
Kundalini
This type of yoga is based on the belief that we all have divine energy concentrated in the lower part of our spine, and it must be released through chanting, breathing, and movement. A true connection between body and mind.
