Understanding the 8 Types of Yoga for Choosing the Right Practice

Understanding Yoga to choose the right form of exercise will help your body and mind feel lighter, more comfortable and at peace. Join Olaben to learn 8 main types of yoga!

Yoga is a discipline that unifies body, soul and mind into a perfect whole, connecting and understanding each other. Yoga has many genres, each one suitable for the ability and condition of each person. You can try all types of yoga, then choose the best yoga to practice intensively, improve your abilities and embrace more positive changes with each exercise.

Hatha Yoga

Most of the types of yoga that most yogis practice today are classified as hatha yoga. The main feature of this yoga type is the focus on the external physical connection and the inner breathing technique to bring peace and comfort to the body and mind. In fact, ashtanga, vinyasa, iyengar and power yoga are also seen as hatha yoga but the speed of traditional hatha yoga will be slower.

Hatha yoga is a form of yoga suitable for beginners because most of the postures in hatha yoga are gentle, slow so you can focus more on breathing and relaxation. One study also showed that people who practice hatha yoga 1-2 times a week reduce stress faster than those who do not.

Iyengar yoga

Iyengar yoga is a variation of hatha yoga and was developed by BKS Iyengar, a leading yoga teacher in the world. This type of yoga focuses on accuracy, consistency and detail of each movement. During the exercise, you will hold the same position for a long time, sometimes incorporating support tools such as training belts, exercise bricks, and pillows. The purpose of these props allows the Yogi to perform the postures (asanas) accurately while minimizing the risk of injury, and making the postures accessible to all ages from young to middle aged. and seniors.

Iyengar yoga has the effect of increasing strength, flexibility and stability of the body. In addition, this type of yoga is also effective in treating certain diseases, helping to recover from an injury or the body cannot move flexibly

Because it is a highly precise type of yoga, when you practice Iyengar yoga, you must pay attention to every movement of the instructor and follow so that the coach can correct in time when you make a mistake. 

The movements in Iyengar yoga should be held longer. At the same time, after each breath, you force the movement a little deeper. During the exercise to make sure you follow the correct posture and movement. Because it is a highly precise type of yoga, when you practice Iyengar yoga, you must pay attention to every movement of the instructor and follow so that the coach can correct in time when you make a mistake. 

Kundalini

.Kundalini is a type of yoga where you must combine both mental and physical activity at the same time. That means you have to do the poses at the same time with breathing techniques, meditation and chanting to increase the vitality of the body. This type of yoga is also considered to have the effect of releasing the "trapped" energy in the lower spine.

It can be said that kundalini is a type of yoga that focuses more on spirituality and meditation than any other yoga lineage. It focuses on breathing, chanting, meditation and hand gestures. Therefore, exercises are mainly performed in the sitting position.

Kundalini is a way to help you "clear" your mind. This is a way to refresh yourself after a stressful day or manage temporary worries. Kundalini helps balance your energy and calms your mind so you can control your emotions better.

Kundalini is suitable for those who love meditation, love to discover their energies, intuitions and thoughts. If you want to learn and explore the limits of yourself, you can consider choosing Kundalini yoga.

Ashtanga Yoga

Ashtanga yoga in Sanskrit means 8 steps or 8 branches of yoga. "Asht" means 8, "anga" means body or part of the human body. The eight branches of Ashtanga yoga include yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi. These 8 branches of yoga will help yoga practitioners have a more disciplined life.

Ashtanga is a set of powerful yoga poses focused on unifying breathing with rapid movements, cleansing and circulating blood, relieving stress and enhancing vitality.

The purpose of ashtanga yoga is to control breathing and create meditation on the go. The set sequence of this type of exercise is a consistent flow of motion designed to stretch, increase strength and breathing, and make it easier for energy to circulate in the body.

Usually there are 6 levels of ashtanga yoga. Ashtanga yoga beginners will start from the basics, then gradually level up to the highest level. If you practice ashtanga yoga regularly, you will see your body improving and changing a lot. Ashtanga yoga is suitable for those who are addicted to practice, especially those who are always looking for fun in sports.

Vinyasa yoga

In the Indian language, the word "vinyasa" means to connect. Therefore, Vinyasa is a type of yoga that combines movement and breathing, forming a series of gentle transitions with each inhalation, exhalation and ending with a resting position.

If you are active and do not like to follow the path, vinyasa yoga is the right choice. Vinyasa yoga is usually faster-paced than other genres with a liberal style. The movements in vinyasa yoga are usually not too strict or have a certain framework, the movements will be combined into a series of movements depending on the trainer. Depending on the level of the coach and the exercise series will be logically created and have the individual style of each coach. You will always be amazed and excited by this new, unique yoga move.

Bikram Yoga

Bikram Yoga is this type of yoga that was formed in the early 1970s and was initiated by Mr. Bikram Choudhury, a yoga master in America. The basic feature of bikram yoga is the practice in a sauna-like room with temperatures up to 36-40 ° C with 40% humidity.

Bikram yoga exercise consists of 26 postures, 2 breathing techniques and lasts from 60-90 minutes. The heat from the gym warms and expands the muscles, ligaments and joints of the body. To get certain benefits, you need to reconcile movement, mind and breath with the temperature of your environment.

Bikram yoga is considered a form of yoga exercise to lose weight quickly, detoxify the body very well because the hot environment stimulates sweating. Bikram yoga has a variety of training levels from moderate to heavy that require a lot of effort by the practitioner. Because of the form of intense weight loss yoga, Bikram Yoga is quite "picky" for practitioners. However, for those who maintain it for a long time, exercise will bring many significant benefits.

Yin yoga

Unlike the active yoga types above, Yin Yoga mainly focuses on passivity. Yin Yoga is a school of gentle and slow yoga developed by Paulie Zink, a professional yoga teacher and martial arts expert, inherited from hatha yoga combined with qigong, based on the concept of yin and yang (yin yang's doctrine).

If yang yoga focuses on motor movements, muscle tension postures, muscles to improve muscles, yin yoga focuses mainly on deep connective tissues (ligaments and tendons).

Yin yoga exercises typically involve relaxing, relatively passive poses that have to be held for 3-5 minutes or more and mostly work in the lower body - hips, pelvis, inner thighs, spine. , puts more pressure on connective tissues, improves circulation and respiratory system. Yin yoga is most suitable for those who are persistent, calm and very beneficial for restoring energy, increasing quality of sleep.

Prenatal Yoga

Prenatal Yoga is also known as a yoga designed specifically for pregnant women to help mothers keep their body slim and relaxed after giving birth. In particular, yoga during pregnancy not only helps pregnant women have a good health to adapt to the changes of the body, but also helps the spirit to relax, happier and happier. In addition, yoga also helps babies receive more nutrients and oxygen to grow and develop in the best environment.

Even if you are a seasoned yogi, be very careful when practicing Prenatal Yoga because this is a special type of yoga, different from other common types. But in return, if you have experience, you will also be much more knowledgeable about the postures as well as the effects of the postures on different parts of the body. That's one of the reasons why it's so essential to adjust to your regular yoga routine.

Also, although you can start with prenatal exercises as you like, you still need to consider your current condition before doing the exercises. Some women may experience physical, emotional and mental problems during the first trimester that prevent them from reaping the full benefits of prenatal yoga. Therefore, it's best to consult an expert to know if you are suitable for starting out. The same goes for women who have just given birth.

Above are the popular types of yoga that you can consider. In addition to these schools, yoga has many other types because over thousands of years of development, this discipline has been replicated and increasingly popular in the world with many different branches.