Yoga is an ancient sport that originated in India more than 5000 years ago. Along with the passage of time, the types of yoga are also increasingly diverse. This gradually becomes a challenge for practitioners when it comes to choosing the right type of yoga for themselves.
Yoga is not only a physical practice, yoga is also a way for us to unify our body, mind and soul. There are many types of yoga, and each type will suit the needs and fitness of each person. easyhealthylive.com will introduce you to 8 popular types of yoga for you to have a more comprehensive view of this subject and find the type of yoga that is best for you.
Yoga is truly a miracle therapy for health
Types of yoga you should try once in your life
Here are the popular types of yoga that you can consider choosing:
1. Hatha yoga
Most types of yoga that most people practice today are classified as hatha yoga. The main feature of this type of yoga is the focus on physical alignment and breathing techniques that bring peace to the mind and body. In fact, ashtanga, vinyasa, iyengar and power yoga are also considered hatha yoga but the pace of traditional hatha yoga will be slower.
Hatha yoga is a type of yoga suitable for beginners. Because most of the poses in hatha yoga are gentle, slow, relaxing so you can focus more on breathing and relaxing. One study even showed that women who practice hatha yoga 1-2 times a week can reduce stress faster than those who don’t.
2. Iyengar yoga
Iyengar yoga is a type of hatha yoga developed by BKS Iyengar, a leading yoga teacher in the world. This type of yoga focuses on precision, uniformity, and detail of each movement. During the exercise, you will hold a position for a long time or sometimes combine it with supporting equipment such as exercise belts, exercise blocks, exercise pillows.
Iyengar yoga works to increase strength, flexibility and stability of the body. In addition, this type of yoga also works to treat certain diseases. Iyengar yoga is suitable for people who are recovering from an injury, unable to move flexibly or who are having joint problems who need light but challenging exercises.
3. Kundalini
Kundalini is a type of yoga where you have to combine both activity and mind at the same time. That means you have to perform poses at the same time as breathing techniques, meditation and chanting to increase the vitality of the body. Not only that, this type of yoga is also considered to have the effect of releasing energy that is “trapped” in the lower part of the spine.
It can be said that kundalini is a type of yoga that focuses on the mind and meditation more than any other yoga. It focuses on breathing, chanting, meditation, and hand gestures. Therefore, the exercises are mainly performed in a sitting position.
Kundalini Yoga is suitable for those who love to meditate, like to explore their own energy, intuition and thoughts. If you want to learn about yourself, you can consider choosing Kundalini yoga.
4. 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. Ashtanga is a set of powerful yoga poses that focus on unifying the breath with rapid movements, clearing and circulating blood, relieving stress and increasing vitality.
Ashtanga is a collection of powerful yoga poses with quick movements
Ashtanga yoga is a very dynamic, intense and athletic type of yoga. In this school of yoga, you will be instructed to practice a series of continuous movements. Ashtanga yoga is suitable for people who are “addicted” to practice, especially those who always find joy in sports.
5. Vinyasa yoga
Vinyasa is a type of yoga that combines movement and breath, forming a series of gentle transitions. In the Indian language, the word “vinyasa” means “to connect”. Each movement will be rhythmically combined with each inhalation and exhalation.
Vinyasa yoga is usually faster paced and freestyle. If you are an active person and do not like to follow the path, vinyasa yoga is the right choice. You will always be surprised and excited with the new, unique movements of this type of yoga.
6. Bikram Yoga
This type of yoga was formed in the early 70s of the last century and was initiated by Mr. Bikram Choudhury, a yoga master in the US. The basic feature of bikram yoga is the practice in a sauna-like room that reaches 40°C with 40% humidity.
Bikram yoga exercise consists of 26 poses, 2 breathing techniques and a sequence of 90 minutes. Practicing Bikram yoga regularly is very good for the cardiovascular system.
In addition, bikram yoga also has the effect of helping to lose weight, detoxify, tone the body, reduce stress. Therefore, this type of yoga is very suitable for office workers and people who have to work with high pressure.
7. Yoga for pregnant women
This is a type of yoga designed specifically for pregnant women to help mothers have a slim body and a relaxed mind. In particular, practicing 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 be more relaxed, happier and happier. In addition, practicing yoga also helps babies receive more nutrients and oxygen to grow and develop in the best environment.
Yoga is a very good support for the process of “birth” of pregnant mothers
8. Yin yoga
Contrary to the types of active yoga above, yin yoga focuses on passivity. This is a slow and gentle yoga style developed by Paulie Zink, yoga teacher and martial arts expert.
With this school, the postures are held for a long time about 3-5 minutes to put pressure on the connective tissues, enhance circulation and respiratory system. Yin yoga is most suitable for people who are persistent, calm and very beneficial for restoring energy, increasing sleep quality.
Above are the popular types of yoga that you can consider choosing. In addition to these schools, yoga has many other forms because over thousands of years of development, this discipline has been replicated and increasingly popular in the world with many different sub-branches.
Any type of yoga can bring great health benefits. However, it is important that you practice the correct posture to get the best results. If you do not have time to attend classes, download easyhealthylive.com immediately and invite a private yoga teacher at home for detailed instructions.
Reference source
11 Types Of Yoga: A Breakdown Of The Major Styles https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/the-11-major-types-of-yoga-explained-simply Accessed: 2/18/2020
John Alen was born in 1971 and is a doctor in the healthcare and psychology fields with many years of experience. He is currently working at easyhealthylive.com, a leading health and psychology blog. Having studied at Y1 National Medical University named after IM Sechenov, John Alen is using his knowledge and experience to help improve the physical and mental health of people in the United States.
