There are many different types of yoga. And there's a ton of information on the Web about all of them. If you've checked it out, you've probably found heaps of material and may even be feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Deciding which of the many types of yoga is the right one for you, can be one of the most difficult tasks you face. Especially starting your yoga practice.
All the different types of yoga provide you with benefits in all three areas of body, mind and spirit. However, different types of yoga focus more on different areas. Where one may focus on the body, another will focus on the mind and yet another will focus on the spirit.
The following is a quick outline of the more popular types of yoga that also describes where their focus lay:
Body-focused types of yoga:
Ashtanga yoga is a body-focused style that concentrates on smooth, powerful movements that develop muscular strength. It is often referred to as "power yoga".
Bikram yoga is a body-focused style that is practiced in a hot room that encourages perspiration to aid in detoxification. The heat also helps to promote increased flexibility. Because of how it is practiced, it is often referred to as "hot yoga".
Iyengar yoga is a body-focused style that concentrates on balance. It requires you to actually balance physically but also stresses balancing your breathe.
Vinyasa yoga is a body-focused style that focuses on moving and breathing in unison. It's aim is to develop muscular tone through this unison of breathe and motion.
Mind-focused types of yoga:
Bhakti yoga, often referred to as "devotional yoga," is a mind-focused style that focuses on self-surrender in the face of the Divine.
Mantra yoga is a mind-focused style that attempts to clear the practitioner's mind. It uses repetitive sounds or chanting to give the individual a way to "let go" and quiet the normal mental chatter.
Raja yoga is a mind-focused style that focuses on meditation. It develops the ability to concentrate intensely and promotes all the benefits of meditation.
Viniyoga is a mind-focused style that uses breathing and motion to concrete your focus. Typically, it customized to each practitioners needs and level of skill.
As you may have noticed, all the different types of yoga provide you with benefits to body, mind and spirit. They all use concentration, breathing and movement. However, the proportions of each vary between the different types of yoga.
The great thing about having many different types of yoga is that everyone should be able to find a style that fits their needs and goals. Your yoga practice can be customized to match your personality and level of skill. Namaste.
