Yoga Journal reports that yoga has become a popular form of exercise that also leads to mental clarity, peace and spiritual enlightenment. Popular yoga classes generally teach one of several types of hatha yoga, which is a physical discipline that consists mostly of asanas (poses) and breathing exercises. You can try various yoga classes to find the right match for you.
Vinyasa Yoga
Vinyasa-style yoga classes incorporate a set of flowing postures with rhythmic breathing styles to create an intense physical and mental workout. One type of vinyasa yoga is ashtanga. Ashtanga is based on a system of six asana series that keep getting more challenging, enabling you to work at your own pace through the series. Jivamukti is another type of highly meditative yet physically challenging yoga practice. Jivamukti classes combine vinyasa-style asanas with meditation, chanting, readings and music.
Iyengar Yoga
Iyengar yoga allows you to penetrate deeply into the experience each asana has to offer. This type of yoga enables you to pay careful attention to the precise skeletal and muscular alignment each position requires. Iyengar yoga also uses props such as chairs, belts, blankets and blocks to help people who have injuries.
Integrative Yoga Therapy
This style of yoga helps treat the specific health issues involved with a particular disease or disorder. It aims to heal patients on a physical, emotional and spiritual level through using asanas suitable for a variety of health conditions. It also employs imagery for the circulatory and respiratory systems and meditation that emphasizes healing your heart.
Bikram Yoga
You can expect to sweat in a Bikram yoga class. Each Bikram yoga studio heats up the temperature in the class to around 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. This style of yoga emphasizes sweating as a way to eliminate toxins from your body.
Sivananda Yoga
This type of yoga helps you answer the ancient philosophical question "Who am I?" The system of yoga Sivananda offers is based on that of Swami Sivananda, a doctor who dedicated his life to teaching yoga. It consists of proper exercise (asanas), breathing, relaxation, diet, positive thinking and meditation.
Integral Yoga
Integral yoga uses asanas, which are intended to be performed as meditation, balancing relaxation with physical effort. Integral yoga classes include a gentle asana practice, breathing practices, guided relaxation and silent meditation.
Kundalini Yoga
Kundalini yoga was once a secret practice known to a select few. The practice of Kundalini yoga now incorporates asanas, dynamic breathing techniques (a greater variety than found in other types of yoga) and more chanting and mantras than are found in other forms of yoga.
Kripalu Yoga
The three stages of Kripalu yoga practice include willful practice (emphasizing your breathing, alignment and the presence of consciousness), surrender (holding poses to your tolerance level and beyond) and meditation in motion (a complete trust in your body's wisdom to do the poses necessary to enter deep meditation).
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