Confused about the multitude of Yoga classes and what they can do for you?
Here are some of the basic types of Yoga that you can pick and choose from before you come up with your own hybrid version.
Ashtanga Yoga
This yoga is sometimes called ‘power yoga' and rightly so - because more often than not it involves classic strength and stamina routines such as lunges and push ups. Ashtanga is probably best suited to an already athletic person who wants to add a bit more concentration and balance into their daily training.
Bikram Yoga
This yoga is also known as ‘hot yoga' because it's performed in very warm room. As a result of this heat, your muscle tissue can stretch more easily, enabling you to increase your flexibility. People with any sort of cardiovascular disease should not try this type of yoga due to the extra stress and strain it can put on the body. Probably most useful in countries like England where the weather can often make it difficult to ‘sweat it out'!
Viniyoga
This type of yoga uses flowing exercises to link your breathing and movement together. It can be easily adapted for most people and can be quite exciting because - other than the salutation asana in the beginning (Suryanamaskar) - no two classes are ever the same. These classes are great for beginners looking to explore as much as possible and can be especially useful to those with neck injuries or back problems.
Iyengar
This style of practice is most concerned with bodily alignment. Iyengar practice usually emphasizes holding poses over long periods versus the flowing and constantly changing movements as seen in Viniyoga. So, if you get bored easily this may not be the yoga for you. Iyengar also encourages the use of props such as yoga blankets, blocks and straps in order to achieve perfect allignment.
Kundalini
The emphasis in Kundalini is on the breath in conjunction with physical movement - with the purpose of freeing energy in the lower body and allowing it to move upwards. Obviously all forms of Yoga lay emphasis on breath control but in Kundalini exploring the effects breath has on the posture is a primary focus.
Bhakti yoga
This type of yoga is often called devotional yoga, and can be quite spiritual: focusing on self-surrender to the divine spirits. So if you're looking to explore your spiritual side Bhakti yoga might be the one for you.
Mantra yoga
Often called ‘yoga of potent sound', this practice uses sound techniques to acquire liberation through mental and verbal repetition of strong sounds. The class words used are ‘Om', ‘Ram' and ‘Hum'. The focus here is not just on physical growth but the equally important spiritual, energetic and mental wellbeing.