Types of yoga - Elaine Clara Mah | YOGI TIMES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A wise man once said, “There’s no right answer to a wrong question.” These words echo each time someone asks what style of yoga I teach. I usually explain, “Style is ‘a fixed, recognizable form or manner,’ while yoga is a fluid, adaptive healing art.”

The questioner, expecting a one-word answer such as kund-ashtang-usara, begins to glaze over and fidget impatiently. At the risk of creating an army of glazed, fidgety readers, I will continue.

Yoga is a holistic system of self-care, one of the six formal darsanas (philosophies) extracted from the ancient Indian Vedas.

This elegant spiritual psychology offers profound insights and numerous strategies for reducing the duhkha (discomfort) that accompanies daily living.

Yoga’s foundation text, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, maintains that suffering is universal, created by the mind’s clinging to fixed patterns, habits and beliefs, misperceiving the nature of things and ultimately confusing reality’s changing—though solid—form with its ever-enduring—albeit ethereal—essence.

Nowhere in the Sutras is there mention of styles of yoga. On the contrary, Sutra III: 6 uses the word viniyoga, or special application, to describe the need for individual adaptation and modification.

The Roots of Style

Historically, the whole notion of fixed-form styles is a very recent invention. Traditionally, the closest concepts were yoga’s four general approaches: Siksana, Raksana, Cikitsa, and Adhyatmika.

Siksana Yoga

Siksana is yoga for healthy children and young adults. Usually taught in groups, this approach emphasizes vigorous, athletic asana to strengthen the physical body and increase stamina.

To improve mental focus, Siksana employed fixed sequences and/or precise classical form. T. Krishnamacharya, the great yoga master, introduced this largely asana-based approach to the young BKS Iyengar and K. Pattabhi Jois. Siksana yoga, though limited in depth, scope, and subtlety, is totally appropriate for the still-developing body and simpler mind of a young person.

Raksana Yoga

Raksana yoga is for healthy adults. Presented in the context of a dedicated student/teacher relationship, this approach is best taught one on one. Raksana is a more holistic, interactive yoga, which respects the student’s age, health, occupation, needs, goals, strengths, and weaknesses.

The highly individualized, prescriptive practice employs the full range of yoga’s tools, including asana, pranayama, sound, gesture, visualization, reflection, meditation, ritual, counseling, etc., all integrated into the student’s daily regimen. To remain effective, the practice is continually adapted to accommodate life’s changes and reflect the progress it is helping to create.

Rather than perfection in posture, the more sophisticated Raksana is aimed at enhancing the adult student’s relationships and quality of living. As the majority of yoga practitioners fall into this healthy 20- to 60-year-old category, Raksana is the appropriate style for most modern students.

Cikitsa Yoga

Cikitsa is yoga therapy. Based on a multidimensional model, such as the five mayas (illusions) or seven chakras, Cikitsa uses the interconnections between the body, breath, mind, personality, and emotions to promote wellness.

Cikitsa yoga integrates highly modified asana with pranayama, visualization, sound, ritual, and prayer, as well as diet, herbs, massage, and many other tools commonly perceived as Ayurveda. Cikitsa’s aim is to treat specific health problems by increasing the student’s sraddha (confidence) and overall vitality.

Adhyatmika Yoga

Adhyatmika is for students wishing to experience the highest truth or meaning of life. Taught largely to elders and others free from normal daily responsibilities, this approach is deeply contemplative and emphasizes study, reflection, meditation, prayer, and ritual to achieve inner peace and self-realization.

Recognizing the Difference

Although these traditional focuses could be called styles, they are fundamentally different from the styles practiced today.

The classical approaches were functional and fluid, changing shape as needed to achieve a specific goal while exhibiting the deepest respect for the needs of the individual. Modern styles, defined by appearances, promote standardized methods (heated rooms, pre-set sequences, or a reliance on props and jargon), and require all students to conform to the style to achieve the benefits.

To refine modern yoga’s perception in this area seems a formidable task. As yoga becomes more commercial, an identifiable style is equivalent to a copyrightable brand name.

High visibility is an unquestionable advantage in a marketplace brimming with uninformed neophytes seeking easy answers and a quick fix. So seductive are brand-name styles that viniyoga, the word T.K.V. Desikachar once used to explain the yogic principle of appropriate application, has itself been perceived as yet another style of yoga.

But the shift to a richer, more fluid understanding of yoga is essential and inevitable. Practitioners worldwide are finding that fixed styles of yoga may provide short-term relief but can ultimately deepen the tendency toward physical degradation (thousands of students reporting yoga-related injuries, long-time teachers needing knee surgery and hip replacements, etc.), factional, dogmatic thinking, and emotional rigidity.

The attachment to fixed-form styles, ironically, increases the very duhkha (restriction) yoga was designed to reduce.

Choosing the Right Type of Yoga

It’s important to choose a yoga style that matches your goals and fitness level. Here are a few things to consider when making your choice:

Fitness level and goals: Are you looking for a rigorous, physically demanding practice or something more restorative? If you’re after strength and stamina, Ashtanga Yoga or Vinyasa Yoga could be the answer. On the other hand, if you’re seeking relaxation and recovery, styles like Restorative Yoga or Yin Yoga may be more appropriate.
What you want to achieve: Yoga is personal. Do you want to build flexibility, reduce stress, or focus on spiritual growth? There’s a style for every goal.
Research and try: Look into different yoga classes and experiment with a few styles. Most yoga studios offer introductory classes, so you can find what resonates with you before committing.

Major More Recent Types of Yoga

Hatha Yoga

Unlike the first three types of yoga on this list, Hatha yoga is a slower paced and gentler type of yoga making it the perfect type of yoga for beginners who are just starting out with their yoga practice.

Often referred to and viewed as “General Yoga”, it offers an easy-to-follow introduction to yoga’s basic postures and movement. Since Hatha yoga offers a more flexible practice, you will be able to choose the pace of your session according to your own flexibility and capabilities.

Key Benefits: Improves flexibility, balance, and overall physical and mental well-being.
Who It’s For: Beginners and experienced practitioners alike.
Class Style: Slower-paced, making it perfect for learning foundational yoga postures.

Vinyasa Yoga

Vinyasa yoga is a series of poses that will move you through the power of inhaling and exhaling. Also a Sankrit word, Vinyasa translates to “breath-synchronized movement” due to its movements that are smoothly flowing and almost dance-like. This is why it is sometimes referred to as Vinyasa “Flow” yoga.

Derived from Hatha yoga, Vinyasa yoga differs in some important ways from its predecessor. Vinyasa yoga is often faster paced, and the assanas (postures) are linked together in a series of movements that are synchronized with the breath. Much emphasis is placed on the breath and the transition in and out of the assanas.

Though it falls under active yoga category, this particular type of yoga is suitable for both beginners and advanced yogis as one can vary his/her pace and there is not one particular sequence that one is required to follow.

Key Benefits: Enhances cardiovascular health, strength, and flexibility.
Who It’s For: Suitable for those who enjoy an active, flowing practice.
Class Style: Often fast-paced with transitions between yoga poses that are linked with breathwork.

Iyengar Yoga

Founded by a renowned yoga pioneer, B.K.S Iyengar, what distinguishes Iyengar yoga from other yoga styles are its the very high degree of attention paid to the body’s alignment. Props increase awareness and make the poses accessible.

Sometimes, poses are held longer (1 minute or more) than what yogis might be used to in a flow-style yoga class like Vinyasa yoga.

Key Benefits: Improves alignment, strength, and balance while deepening your understanding of the body.
Who It’s For: Those who want to perfect their technique or are recovering from injuries.
Class Style: Slower-paced, with long holds in each posture to focus on alignment.

Ashtanga Yoga

With its name derived from the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit, Ashtanga has a literal translation of “eight limbs.” This fast paced, active and sequence-style of yoga focuses each of its movements to breaths mostly focusing to the 8 important points of the body.

The breathing technique performed with Ashtangayoga is called ujjayi which translates to “victorious breath” that consists of puraka (inhalation) and rechaka (exhalation).

Unlike many other yoga styles that are flexible in its sequences, Ashtanga requires poses to be done in a specific order without any breaks in between. The combination of poses and breathing technique in Ashtanga yoga is designed to center the mind while enhancing flexibility and strength.

Ashtanga is typically popular amongst those who are already deep into their yoga practice as it can be quite rigorous, physically demanding and requires a committed, daily practice.

Key Benefits: Builds strength, flexibility, and stamina. Great for practitioners looking for a consistent and rigorous practice.
Who It’s For: Experienced practitioners who enjoy physically demanding routines.
Class Style: Set sequences of postures practiced in the same order every time, without variation.

Other Types of Yoga

Hot Yoga

Hot yoga refers to any type of yoga done in a heated room. However, the most popular hot yoga tends to be Vinyasa Flow yoga where yogis follow a specific series of linked poses. Rooms used for hot yoga are usually maintained at a high temperature (95-105 degrees Farenheit) to promote profuse sweating and elevate the body’s temperature.

The purpose of the heat is to encourage flexibility of the muscles and detoxification of the body.

Although the accuracy of this belief remains very much debatable, many believe that elevated perspiration encourages the body’s natural ability to push out toxins as a result, helping the cleansing process.

Key Benefits: Enhances flexibility, boosts metabolism, and promotes weight loss.
Who It’s For: Those looking to sweat and detoxify, or who enjoy a physically intense practice.
Class Style: Heated rooms with a fixed sequence of postures.

Restorative Yoga

Like its name suggests, Restorative yoga seeks to restore the balance of your mind, body and soul. With this particular yoga style, props are used to support the body so that yogis can hold poses for a longer time, allowing them to open their body through passive stretching.

Classes are usually very relaxing which makes it a great complementary yoga style to the more active yoga practices. Its slower pace and soothing movements are likely to result in a refreshing, open feeling after the end of each session.

Key Benefits: Promotes deep relaxation and recovery. Reduces stress and helps with mental clarity.
Who It’s For: Perfect for anyone looking to slow down, de-stress, and rejuvenate.
Class Style: Slow-paced with long holds in supported poses.

Yin Yoga

Yin Yoga is a practice developed by yoga teacher, Paul Grilley, to find a way to better stretch the body’s connective tissue, particularly around the joints. In other words, its moves have been specifically designed to increase circulation in the joints and improve the body’s flexibility.

Grilley developed this unique yoga style to find more comfort during meditation when he is seated for prolonged periods of time. In this style of yoga, it is typical that each pose is held for 5 minutes or longer. For experienced yogis, the practice of Yin Yoga makes a great addition to their more active yoga practices.

Key Benefits: Increases flexibility, reduces stress, and improves joint mobility.
Who It’s For: Great for people who want to focus on flexibility and enjoy a slow-paced style.
Class Style: Slow, with long holds in passive poses.

Kundalini Yoga

If you are seeking to deepen your spirituality – body, mind and soul – through yoga, Kundalini may just be what you are looking for. With emphasis on exploration of the effects of the breath, its purpose is to enhance your mind and body awareness. Kundalini practice also seeks to free energy in the lower body to move it upwards by directing energy flow towards the poses.

This type of yoga also enables you to effectively calm your mind as the combination of meditation, breathing techniques and chanting which is included along with the poses, are focused to increase a sense of roundedness.

Key Benefits: Deepens spirituality, enhances self-awareness, and promotes mental clarity.
Who It’s For: Those seeking a deeper spiritual connection and personal growth.
Class Style: Often involves dynamic movements, breathwork, chanting, and meditation.

Prenatal Yoga

Prenatal Yoga is specifically designed for pregnant women, offering a gentle and modified practice that promotes relaxation, flexibility, and strength during pregnancy.

Key Benefits: Supports overall health during pregnancy and helps prepare for childbirth.
Who It’s For: Expectant mothers in all stages of pregnancy.
Class Style: Gentle with modified postures, breathing exercises, and meditation.

Anusara Yoga

Anusara Yoga focuses on alignment and the mind-body connection, blending physical postures with emotional awareness.

Key Benefits: Enhances flexibility, strength, and emotional awareness.
Who It’s For: Practitioners seeking spiritual and emotional growth along with physical exercise.

Class Style: Emphasizes heart-opening postures and alignment principles.

Jivamukti Yoga

Jivamukti Yoga integrates Vinyasa flow with teachings from Hindu philosophy, focusing on the connection between the individual and the Earth.

Key Benefits: Builds physical strength, spiritual awareness, and promotes a connection to nature.
Who It’s For: Those looking for a spiritual and physically engaging practice.
Class Style: Combines Vinyasa flow, chanting, and philosophical teachings.

Tantra Yoga

The traditional version of Tantric yoga is usually used as a medium that enables those who practice it to widen the scope of their vision, understanding and opinion of their lives and the world that they live in.

There is also an American version of this Tantra yoga which due to its name, most would mistakenly connect it to sex and/or sexuality, however, this particular yoga style does bode well for couples as it incorporates techniques that allows them to work together in pairs and in return, fostering better communication and deeper connection.

Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra is a sort of guided meditation. To understand what Yoga Nidra is, let’s link it to the definition of yoga.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, (written between 500 BCE and 400 CE AD), explains that the practice of yoga is to connect the body, mind, and spirit in a harmonious connection. In doing so we eliminate the disturbances of the mind and arrive at a state of Awareness called Samadhi, or Oneness.

Yoga Nidra is a gentle approach to this practice, allowing the body, mind and spirit to experience full relaxation. Essentially, Yoga Nidra trains you to be less reactive.

Scientific Benefits of Yoga

Scientific research backs many of the benefits of yoga. For example, studies show that yoga can help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease, making it an excellent practice for heart health. Additionally, yoga has been shown to improve digestion, which can be especially helpful for those dealing with stress-related digestive issues.

On the mental health side, a recent study found that regular yoga practice can help alleviate depressive symptoms, offering a natural way to support your emotional well-being.

Tips for Choosing a Yoga Style

Here’s how to make sure you’re practicing the yoga style that’s best for you:

Consider your goals: Do you want to build strength, improve flexibility, or simply de-stress? There’s a yoga style for everyone.
Try different classes: Explore a few different classes to find the right fit and see how you prefer to practice yoga.
Listen to your body: Yoga is about honoring your body’s needs. Don’t be afraid to modify poses or rest when you need to.

Conclusion

Choosing the right yoga style can feel like a daunting task, but it’s all part of the journey. Whether you want to sweat it out in a Vinyasa class, find deep relaxation in Restorative Yoga, or challenge yourself with Ashtanga Yoga, there’s a practice for you.

The most important thing is to stay open, listen to your body, and enjoy the process.

Yoga offers a path to greater physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, and by exploring the different types of yoga, you can create a practice that truly fits your life. So, what’s stopping you from unrolling your mat and getting started today?

Here is an exhaustive list of the yoga teacher training online and the best yoga streaming videos to enhance your yoga practice.

FAQs

What are the 10 types of yoga? The 10 types of yoga include Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Hot Yoga, Iyengar, Kundalini, Yin, Restorative, Power, and Tantra Yoga.
What is the hardest type of yoga? Ashtanga Yoga is often considered one of the most physically demanding types of yoga due to its rigorous, fast-paced sequences and daily commitment.
How many styles of yoga are there? There are many styles of yoga, with the most well-known including Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Iyengar, Kundalini, Yin, and Restorative Yoga.
What is the most popular type of yoga? Vinyasa Yoga is one of the most popular types due to its dynamic flow and accessibility for both beginners and advanced practitioners.
What is the best type of yoga for beginners? Hatha Yoga is often recommended for beginners because of its slower pace and focus on foundational postures.
What is the most relaxing type of yoga? Restorative Yoga is considered the most relaxing type of yoga, as it focuses on deep relaxation and healing through supported postures.