How many types of yoga there are depends on whom you ask. For example, the Mind Body Green website mentions 11 different ones, while Mats.com goes up to 19. Numbers vary widely because some forms of yoga are traditional, while others have evolved throughout the years to meet specific needs or as a combination of different yoga forms. Not all are recognized by traditional Yoga practitioners or schools.
Bikram Yoga
Bikram yoga is also known as hot yoga and is practiced in a room set up at a temperature of between 95 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit and 40 percent humidity. Bikram yoga is often used for detoxification purposes, according to Best Health Magazine. Because it induces sweating, hot yoga can open up pores, flush toxins out of the skin and elevate the heart rate, producing a more intense workout. Heat also relaxes the muscles and promotes relaxation and flexibility.
Hatha Yoga
Hatha yoga is a basic form of yoga suitable for everybody, from beginners to well-trained advanced practicants. While other forms of yoga put an important emphasis on the body, Hatha incorporates meditation and Pranayama, or regulated breathing, to the basic postures and movements. Hatha yoga is a popular way to battle stress and to wind down at the end of a difficult day, according to Mind Body Green. Hatha yoga focuses on right body positioning when doing the asanas, or postures, even if it means slowing down and repeating the forms over and over until learned properly.
Kundalini Yoga
Kundalini yoga is all about awakening and balancing the body's energy flow, according to Yogi Bhajan. Aside from asanas and breathing techniques, the practice of Kundalini yoga also includes chanting, meditation and the practice of stillness, which involves sitting in a single position for a long period of time while chanting, praying or repeating a steady pattern of sounds. Kundalini yoga works on awakening the inner self, according to Yogi Bhajan. This yoga modality is rarely found in gyms and more common in yoga or spirituality centers.
Combinations
Of the new types of yoga being practiced, most have a specific goal in mind. For example, power yoga focuses on strength training and involves movements that resemble push-ups and handstands, according to Mats.com. Power yoga is aerobic and helps build muscle and burn calories. Restorative yoga is another common form of modern yoga in which muscles are stretched and postures maintained for long periods of time to help the body relax and gain flexibility. Finally, prenatal yoga is used to strengthen the core, or back and abdominal muscles, and help with breathing.
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