subject: Know The Different Yoga Styles That Meet Your Requirements [print this page] Know The Different Yoga Styles That Meet Your Requirements
Traditional yoga styles like Ashtanga, Lyengar and Shivananda are already known to regular practitioners. However, the newer styles like TriYoga or Viniyoga would still confuse many people as to which would serve fitness or spirituality needs. Being informed on which style serves fitness needs or spirituality is going to be useful.
Hatha Yoga is the mother of all' yoga styles since current styles have evolved from this. Simultaneously, it is performed by a combination of the asanas with breathing exercises and cleansing practices (pranayama and shatkriyas) and meditation and deep relaxation. Customarily, the postures are kept for long times and in a meditative atmosphere.
Anusara Yoga emphasizes an attitude that affirms life and grounded on the heart. This style is based on the principle of proper alignment and that a joyful and receptive performance enhance the positive outcomes of the asanas.
Ashtanga-Vinyasa is a dynamic and forceful style emphasizing breathing techniques, composed of six particular strings of poses with some elements of movement by which each pose progresses from the stationary traditional poses.
Bikram Yoga is made of a series of 24 positions and two pranayamas or breathing techniques intended to improve strength, balance and flexibility. A particularity of this style is its locale of a heated room up to 40 degrees Celsius to generate additional sweating to detoxify the body. Thus, the term 'Hot Yoga' became the common identification for this style.
Integral Yoga is a mixture of asanas, breathing techniques, deep relaxation and meditation as a comprehensive practice with a spiritual orientation.
Iyengar Yoga is among the popular and widespread styles, known for wide usage of props like belts, chairs, blocks and attention to detail and centralizing on proper alignment. Newcomers are instructed in detail and also provided with basic information as to its health benefits.
Jivamukti Yoga comes from the Sanskrit definition of jivamukti, "liberation of the soul." A spiritually-oriented and more traditional style, jivamukti is done with particular series of asanas that are maintained for a long time, connected to each other in a vibrant and smooth way. It also encourages a vegetarian lifestyle and environmental consciousness.
Kripalu Yoga, or its alternative term, Amrit Yoga is a mutually healing and mystical style. With the objective of bringing the mind to serene stillness and a non-critical perspective of self and self-practice, this style is placid and temperate in relation to others.
Kundalini Yoga is a very active and intense style which goal is to rouse the power of the serpent Kundalini which is located at the base of the spinal column. This style also holds the asanas for long periods and emphasizes breathing techniques.
Power Yoga is a easy, dynamic and precise offshoot of Ashtanga style. Its objective is to cultivate stamina, vigour and health. It's said to be about feeling good, not just looking good.'
Sivananda Yoga brings together the principles of exercise (asana), breathing (pranayama), relaxation (savasana), vegetarian lifestyle and meditation.
TriYoga combines asanas, pranayama and mudras (the sacred hand gestures) and smooth progressions of asanas.
One healing style is Viniyoga, focusing on breathing-movement harmony. The asanas, which are maintained for long periods, are also adjusted to the practitioner's age and health status.
Vinyasa Flow is done with short-term asanas that are connected in a particular smooth movement that is combined with breathing. These flows' are designed for better vitality and flexibility, putting the mind at rest and creating spiritual awareness and healing. Ashtanga-Vinyasa styles are the origin of this newer style.
