Whether you ’re look to build strength , ameliorate flexibility , or learn the dainty artistry of Om - ing , making yoga a regular part of your agenda is a impertinent idea . But if you ’re new to the exercise , it can be punishing to know where to unroll your mat for the first metre — or how to decode the language that describes the classes on offering at your local studio or gym . What ’s the difference between " hatha " and " ashtanga " ? Is " Bikram " a person , a brand , or both ? How hot is a " hot yoga " stratum ? Here ’s the rundown of the most common yoga style on offering in the West , and what they mean to you as a unexampled scholarly person .
1. HATHA
Strictly speaking , just about any yoga class is hatha yoga ; the word roughly translate from the Sanskrit as " emphatic , " and look up to the physical praxis of yogaasana(postures ) andprana(breathing ) . But in advertising - speak , you could expect category described as " hatha yoga " to be canonical , gentle , and relatively generic . You wo n’t be climbing into your own bellybutton or balancing on your elbow for hours , but you ’ll make out away with a estimable beginner ’s foundation in yoga , a few new Sanskrit vocabulary words , and a sense of the room classes are typically structured .
2. ASHTANGA
If you want a serious workout with solid ethnic roots , consider this tight , intensely strong-arm style of yoga that opens and close with a traditional Sanskrit chant . Usually find at yoga studios devote entirely toashtangapractice , class will take you through multiple sunlight salutations followed by a series of sequenced affectation ( Primary , Intermediate , or Advanced ) . Ashtanga practice is gamy Energy Department from start to finish , so be ready to exploit — and to be inspired by the modern students performing each familiar campaign with gravity - refuse acrobatic grace of God .
3. YIN YOGA
If you ’ve ever assumed that a slower - paced yoga grade must also be easy , allowyin yogato disabuse you of that notion . You ’ll do few poses in a yin form , but you ’ll admit them for an eternity … or at least , that ’s what it find like after a full 60 second in side angle . Most yin yoga is advertize as such , but when in doubt , look for keywords like " profoundness , " " stillness , " " quiet , " and " long delay . " You ’ll also get more out of these classes if you already have a working noesis ofasana , prana , andmudra(engagement ) , so if you ’re brand new to yoga , consider getting your base pixilated in another style before you tackle yin .
4. BIKRAM
This is the ideal style of yoga for those who like it hot , and then some . Bikram is a branded yoga praxis in which students run through 26 distinct poses , always in the same succession , in a elbow room stir up to a muggy 112 ° F . No surprises here : You ’re going to perspire a mint .
The intense hotness can be a blessing to scholarly person who sputter with flexibleness — but a danger to newbies who do n’t have it away their limits and are at risk of overstretching to the level of hurt , so beware . And if you want to try this particular yoga style , you ’ll only retrieve it at a studio behave the Bikram name ( which , er , might be intimate if you ’ve been watching the intelligence recently ; Bikram Choudhury , founder of Bikram yoga , was lately ordered to pay$6.5 million in damagesin a intimate harassment lawsuit ) .
5. VINYASA
Vinyasa is the Sanskrit word for " catamenia , " and that ’s what you ’ll do in these yoga classes that focus on extendedasanasequences with fluent transition from airs to pose . If you ’re practicing yoga at the gym , this is most likely what you ’re getting — and classes can execute the gamut from mellow to vigorous , so read the descriptions cautiously . Words like " power " or " energetic " indicate a serious bodyweight workout , while " aristocratic " or " meditative " signify a quieter division with less sleeve reconciliation and more seated postures .
And keep an eye out for a number attach to the class name ; a grade II or III designation mean a faster pace and more in advance poses . Finally , unlike Bikram or ashtanga yoga , the sequencing of vinyasa is entirely at the discretion of the someone running it — which means that a dear instructor can really make the difference of opinion between an amazing yoga class and an awkward , tire one .
6. HOT YOGA
The heat of Bikram , the versatility of vinyasa : Hot yoga compound the two into a very sweaty class experience . The only remainder between veritable vinyasa and raging vinyasa : The latter takes place in a room heated to ( approximately ) 95 ° F . But at 25 degree above room temperature , it ’s a big difference .
7. IYENGAR
identify after the tardy B.K.S. Iyengar , this style of yoga is determine by its direction on alinement . If you ’re taking classes at an Iyengar studio apartment , expect each pose to be accompanied by detailed instruction and corrections if you ’re not quite getting it right . ( If you ’re not at a studio , you may still be able to descry an Iyengar - take instructor at your gym thanks to his or her extremely specific adjustments . ) Although not everyone loves the prescriptive , accurate nature of Iyengar , it can be especially useful for young yogis who need a clangoring course of action in anatomy and aware body positioning .
8. RESTORATIVE YOGA
Do n’t expect a workout in this slow , meditative course . In fact , you might not even stand up . Where a distinctive yoga praxis involves active , vivid stretch , restorative yoga uses blocks , bolsters , mantle , and the force of gravity to lightly relax and open up the body , usually from a seated or prone position on the floor . But if you do n’t beware a quieter brand of yoga , restorative course of study can be wonderfully refreshing — and if you ’re exhausted or stressed out , some mindful hush might be just what you postulate .
9. NAKED YOGA
count on where you know , you may have access code to nude yoga — and yep , it ’s just what it sound like . These vinyasa class are just as serious as any other yoga class , and most of the studios keep their addresses under wraps and screen their students to weed out the pervs … but if you ’re so confident in your pattern that you ’re ready to do it in the nude , in public , you likely knew that already .
