YogTaara

Hatha Yoga

Hatha is a Sanskrit word that means force. It usually includes the physical aspects of the practice. The word “Hatha” is a combination of two Sanskrit terms, “Ha” (sun) and “Tha” (moon), symbolising the union of opposing energies. It is the mother of all the yoga practices. All the other subgroups fall under this category.

Hatha Yoga class is usually a slow-paced one and usually does not follow a flow. This class is also perfect for beginners as it gently inducts you into yoga. If you are a seasoned Yogi, this class is great to understand postures and get into deeper asanas. A Hatha Yoga class teaches you how to breathe; it teaches you the postures, meditation and relaxation techniques as well.

If you are new to yoga, you should probably enroll yourself in a Hatha Yoga class to begin with.

Hatha yoga benefits: This yoga style is a great starting point for beginners. It focuses on building strength, flexibility, and mindfulness. The slow-paced nature of Hatha allows practitioners to cultivate a deeper mind-body connection, reduce stress, and improve overall relaxation.

Ashtanga Yoga

Ashtanga Yoga is one of the most structured and physically demanding forms of yoga. It was developed by Shri K. Pattabhi Jois in the early 20th century, drawing from his guru and ancient yogic texts. Jois taught his Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga system throughout his life, attracting students from all over the world.

The practice follows a specific sequence of postures, known as the “Primary Series”, “Intermediate Series”, and “Advanced Series”, which are practiced in a flowing, sequential manner. In the traditional way of practicing, you must master each posture before you can advance to the next, and subsequently, you must complete each series before you can graduate to the next.

This form of yoga also interlinks movement with breath. A specific Pranayama called Ujjai accompanies every movement within this series.

You start with the Primary series, and once you have mastered it, you graduate to the next level. It takes years to advance, but the focus is always the postures and not the progression. The beauty is you do not have to worry about what comes next, the sequence is pre-defined.

If being in a structured, power-packed practice is your thing, this style is for you. Unless Ashtanga is the only form you want to master, this class style is more suited for intermediate practitioners who have had some experience in Yoga and understand the basic postures.

Ashtanga yoga benefits: This vigorous form of yoga builds stamina, tones muscles, and purifies the body through sweating. Ashtanga fosters discipline and self-awareness while promoting detoxification and cleansing.

Iyengar Yoga

This style of yoga focuses on alignment. You deepen your body awareness and understand the working of limbs and joints. This style of yoga works with a whole lot of props, like straps, blocks, blankets and such.

For those who like to go into the details and feel and learn the pose intensely, this is your pick! This class also works great for those who have injuries and chronic problems. This style tends to accommodate all limitations, and in turn, makes you stable, flexible, and strong.

If you want to strengthen your Yoga basics and foundations or if you have physical limitations or ailments, this would be your pick. Iyengar yoga, however always needs to be started under supervision.

Iyengar yoga benefits: This yoga style helps improve body awareness and posture, increase strength and flexibility, enhance balance and stability, reduce stress, and has therapeutic advantages for various health conditions. It also helps with mental clarity and focus, increased energy, and better breathing through pranayama.

Vinyasa Yoga

Vinyasa literally means to Flow. This style of yoga requires you to coordinate your breath with movement, and emphasises on creating a flow of postures, with smooth transitions from one to the next. You need to connect your movements with an inhale, or an exhale.

You are constantly moving from one pose to another in a Hatha Vinyasa class. The flow is based on the teacher’s creativity, and it does not have a hard and fast structure. Sometimes, spirituality is incorporated in these courses, with a dash of meditation and chanting. Other instructors believe in keeping it athletic.

This category can be slow and gentle or fast and intense, depending on your level. As a beginner, you should look for a slower class initially, and then graduate to a fast-paced one. A foundation of Hatha Yoga works wonders for those wanting to learn Vinyasa.

Vinyasa yoga benefits: Vinyasa builds cardiovascular strength, enhances flexibility, promotes mindfulness, and makes you sweat. It also makes you agile as you required to constantly transition from one pose to another.

Restorative Yoga or Yin Yoga

This style of yoga is slow paced. You are expected to hold each pose for at least five minutes. It is said that in doing so, you stress the connective tissues in the body, and that helps in increasing circulation and flexibility. This style of yoga is supposed to improve the qi (life energy) in the body. As the name suggests, it restores you; improves your life energy and exhilarates you.

Yoga of this kind is for those who want to inculcate stillness within the postures. You will become more patient, and focus on your breathing in a thoughtful way. This style of yoga is incredibly relaxing.

This style is great to practice if you want to unwind or slow down a bit.

Yin yoga benefits: This gentle practice improves flexibility, releases tension, and stimulates energy flow throughout the body. It helps with stress reduction, relaxation, improved sleep quality, enhanced flexibility, pain relief, mindfulness, emotional well-being, and support for chronic health conditions. It balances the nervous system, encourages breath awareness, and fosters a deep mind-body connection.

Kundalini Yoga

The term “Kundalini” refers to the dormant spiritual energy located at the base of the spine, which, when awakened, can lead to spiritual enlightenment. The aim is to awaken the Kundalini energy and channel it upward through the chakras, or energy centers to attain higher levels of consciousness. It includes dynamic movements accompanied with breathwork. The practice is known for its emphasis on the use of breathwork, called “Breath of Fire,” which is believed to purify the body and balance the mind.

This form of yoga finds its roots in the Chakras. It focuses on core work and breath, i.e. pranayama. It aims at opening up the mind and making you more aware of your mind and body.

This is one of the spiritual styles of yoga that also includes a significant amount of meditation. Chanting, meditation, mudras, and breathing form the foundation of this Kundalini Yoga. This class tends to be physically demanding. It is also mentally challenging. But once you get into the groove, Kundalini Yoga is sure to change your life.

Kundalini yoga benefits: This spiritual practice encourages self-discovery, emotional balance, and spiritual growth. Practitioners claim it can reduce anxiety, enhance intuition, promote a sense of interconnectedness, and elevate consciousness.

Ariel Yoga

Aerial yoga, also known as anti-gravity yoga or flying yoga, was pioneered by Christopher Harrison, a former acrobat and gymnast, in the early 2000s. It’s a style that incorporates the use of a suspended fabric hammock to support and elevate people off the ground. The fabric is anchored to the ceiling or a sturdy structure, allowing practitioners to explore traditional yoga poses and sequences while suspended in the air.

Aerial Yoga combines elements of traditional yoga, pilates, and aerial arts to enhance strength, flexibility, and balance. The hammock provides added support, making it accessible for individuals with limited mobility. It includes inversions and flowing movements that enable practitioners to experience a sense of weightlessness and decompression of the spine.

This yoga type is ideal for individuals seeking a unique and engaging approach to their yoga practice. It requires strength, especially upper body strength and core stability. Ariel Yoga, like Iyengar Yoga, always needs to be started under supervision.

Aerial yoga benefits: This type of yoga offers numerous benefits, including decompression of the spine, increased flexibility, improved core strength, balance, and coordination. It promotes mindfulness, stress reduction, creativity, and body awareness while providing a joyful and playful experience of floating and flying in the air.