Many different styles of yoga have evolved over the years to deliver the benefits of yoga to individuals with different needs and levels of experience. Yoga is a highly beneficial form of exercise whether you are looking to build strength and energy or simply relax and de-stress.
Hatha Yoga
Yoga as we know it in the Western world is based on the practice of Hatha yoga, which uses different postures to prepare your body for meditation and reach an enhanced state of enlightenment. Hatha yoga classes are typically suitable for all levels and focus on proper alignment. Hatha classes may also incorporate the use of props, such as straps or blocks, to help you safely access postures.
Vinyasa
A vinyasa class is one that uses a sequence of postures, or asanas, to build heat in your body and help eliminate toxins. Vinyasa yoga, also often referred to as Vinyasa Flow, is typically fast-paced. Previous yoga experience is recommended but not necessarily required.
Ashtanga
Ashtanga yoga refers to a type of Vinyasa class that promotes internal cleansing through a vigorous physical practice and synchronized breathwork. According to the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute, Ashtanga yoga is effective in building strength, improving circulation and removing toxins from your internal organs.
Power Yoga
Power yoga was originally developed to make the practice of Ashtanga yoga more accessible to Westerners. "Most people wouldn't take a class called Ashtanga Yoga, because they had no idea what it meant," says Beryl Bender Birch, author of "Power Yoga." "Power Yoga, on the other hand, was something Americans could relate to and know that they'd get a good workout." Like Ashtanga, Power yoga emphasizes strength and endurance through a vigorous series of asanas. Unlike Ashtanga, however, postures are performed in no particular order. In Power yoga, there is less emphasis on the subtleties of each posture.
Hot Yoga
Many yoga studios offer hot yoga classes, which are held in a heated room to promote increased flexibility. The heat also generates more sweat, which helps remove toxins from your body. Bikram yoga is a type of hot yoga that uses a patented series of 26 postures created by Bikram Choudhary, a National India Yoga Championship winner who began practicing yoga at the age of four. Bikram designed his yoga series to deliver an intense workout that he believed provided the greatest benefit to the muscles and internal organs.
Restorative Yoga
Restorative yoga uses props such as blankets or blocks to create soothing, well-supported postures that are held for several minutes. Classes are concluded with a lengthy corpse pose--up to 20 minutes--to promote a deep state of relaxation. According to Yoga Journal, Restorative yoga can help give you relief from insomnia, asthma, migraines and chronic pain.
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