If you feel drawn to the path of yoga, be advised that there are a wide variety of schools and approaches to this art and science, and each path is infused with particular practices that bring about specific effects to the body, mind, and spirit of the practitioner, so the first questions to be pondered are: “What am I looking for?” What do I want and need from yoga?”
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Yoga For?
Many aspirants in the modern western world are drawn to practice yoga exercises to:
- Increase flexibility along with mental and physical strength
- Release their body from stress, accumulated tensions, and mental/emotional anxiety
- Prepare for childbirth
- Recover from accidents and injuries
- Master painful medical conditions
Proficiently performed yogic exercises can indeed facilitate these desires, and aspirants will experience a variety of additional benefits depending on which style of yoga they practice. While there are veins of yoga that are known to enable levitation and other mystical experiences, for the purposes of this article we’ll explore styles of yoga that most people seek in the western world.
Vinyasa Yoga
Commonly known as “Vinyasa flow” or “flow” yoga, this style will keep you moving and flowing from one pose to the next. This is an intuitive style, so after beginning your set with a sun salutation, the instructor will attune to the needs of the class and move with a “stream of consciousness,” and no two classes will be alike. Vinyasa yoga is a very popular style of yoga in America.
Iyengar Yoga
Iyengar yoga utilizes props such as blocks, booster cushions, harnesses, and straps. This style focuses on body placement and alignment, so Iyengar is many times recommended for beginners and for practitioners who are looking for physical therapy and rehabilitative benefits.
Ashtanga Yoga
Ashtanga yoga is also known as “power yoga.” Ashtanga is physically demanding, and it is enjoyed by intermediate to advanced practitioners who are comfortable with yoga body placements. It’s appropriate for aspirants with a degree of physical fitness and body awareness including athletes, dancers, gymnasts, and those who are looking to push their bodies.
Hatha Yoga
Hatha yoga emphasizes incorporating breath with slow and gentle movements. This is an optimal style of yoga to reconnect with your energy flow and encourage relaxation of the body and mind, for meditation, and to wind down at the end of your day.
Prenatal Yoga
Gestating mothers are greatly benefited by prenatal yoga as they learn to develop strength and attunement with their inner-core muscles and their breath in preparation for childbirth.
Unless you’re looking to yoga for help with rehabilitation from an injury or medical condition, or you’re preparing for childbirth, it’s wise to take a bit of time to experience a variety of styles before committing to a particular path.