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Choosing the Right Type of Yoga
Learn The Types & Styles of Yoga Yoga
Information, Resources & Techniques by
Marianne Woods Cirone, M.S., R.Y.T., Certified Yoga Teacher
For
those who are interested in practicing Hatha Yoga (the physical form of
yoga), there are a many of types of yoga which range from the most
restful and gentle forms of yoga to vigorous and athletic
versions. Depending on your own physical condition and
experience with yoga, as well as your own goals and desires, one
of these types of yoga will be most appropriate for you. A
listing of the major yoga styles with links to descriptions and
corresponding resources are provided below. A
type or style of yoga is defined as the particular form the practice takes, as
well as the manner in which the practices are performed. These
categories are not clear-cut and are subject to interpretation.
There is overlap between the styles, but the object and purposes are
closely tied. Just as dance takes many forms such as the precision
of ballet, the energy of tap, or the expressiveness of jazz, yoga too has
many expressions.
The
styles of yoga that are described in this website include the following
(click
on any link for more information):
Classical
or Traditional Yoga
Gentle
Yoga
Iyengar
Yoga
Restorative
Yoga
Ashtanga
Yoga
Kundalini
Yoga
Bikram
Yoga
Meditative
Yoga
Various
styles of yoga have been specifically targeted to certain populations of practitioners, such as Pregnancy
Yoga, or to achieve correct specific problems,
as in Therapeutic
Yoga, and are addressed in the section Yoga
Applications.
The
following are good resources with provide an overview of the various
styles of yoga.
A
simple yet informative basic resource on various styles of yoga is
the KISS (Keep it Simple System) Guide to Yoga
by Shakta Kaur Khalsa. This book is a practical guide to the
history and practices of many styles of yoga with colorful photos
and simple explanations. I recommend this book as a resource
for beginners developing a hatha yoga and meditation practice as
well as those who are looking for more perspective on the various
schools of yoga.
As
you increase in your experience with yoga, you may want to explore
multiple styles of yoga, and choose different types for different
purposes. Also,
because hatha yoga is about balance, the type of practice toward which you
are naturally inclined, may not be the optimal type to practice at that
time for you. If you are a very active, busy person, and more
quieting practice may be more beneficial to you than one which is active
and vigorous due to your needs for balance.
The book shown above,
Yoga for Your Type : An Ayurvedic Approach to Your Asana Practice,
helps each person determine the type of yoga which is best for
themselves based on their constitution, physically, mentally and
emotionally.
A
newer book which provides excellent information on the history and
practices of many types of yoga is The
Spirit of Yoga, by Kathy
Phillips. One of the best features of this book is a timeline/tree
which gives the history of the roots of yoga and how each of the
schools of yoga branched out. This visually beautiful
hardcover book
is so artistically done that it would make an excellent gift or
coffee table book. While
the types of hatha yoga listed above are by no means all-inclusive, they
represent a majority of the types that you will see taught at yoga
studios or written about in the U.S. Some of these types of
yoga have been personalized or adapted by certain teachers who
have given the style its name, and some of the styles have developed subsets. All
of these styles have elements of similarity and of contrast, and have been
adapted to focus of specific aspects of yoga practice. It is not
uncommon to see yoga practitioners use various styles of yoga throughout
their lifetimes, often starting with a vigorous, physical practice when
young, and changing to a quieter, more meditative practice when growing
older. On the other hand, some people are drawn to yoga's healing
benefits, and start their practices with a restorative practice as they
regain their health and then continue with a more challenging practice.
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