What Are The Styles of Yoga?
STYLE GLOSSARY: See below for detailed descriptions of our different styles of yoga and meditation.
Vinyasa Flow:
The Sanskrit word Vinyasa (pronounced “vin-yah-sah”) means “to place in a special way”. In Vinyasa Flow this idea translates as linking breath to movement. This style of class which has its roots in the tradition of Ashtanga will be uniquely sequenced depending on the instructors individual style and creativity. As the name suggests, get ready to flow from posture to posture.
Power:
Is an active and athletic style of yoga which focuses on building strength by holding postures for long intervals. Just as Vinyasa Flow, it has evolved out of the more rigid tradition of Ashtanga yoga and allows for each individual instructor to infuse their own unique sequencing and style.
Hatha:
Hatha yoga is a more general term that refers to a variety of yoga styles that focus on physical postures. When a class is defined as hatha, it generally means that there won’t be as much flow or cardio but can still be quite challenging and strengthen by getting and keeping you deep into the postures.
Yin:
A quiet, meditative yoga practice, also called taoist yoga. Yin focuses on lengthening connective tissues and is meant to complement yang yoga—your muscle-forming Anusara, ashtanga, Iyengar, or what have you. Yin poses are passive, meaning you’re supposed to relax muscles and let gravity do the work. And they’re long — you’ll practice patience here too.
Restorative:
Restorative yoga is a delicious way to relax and soothe frayed nerves. Restorative classes use bolsters, blankets, and blocks to prop students in passive poses so that the body can experience the benefits of a pose without having to exert any effort. A good restorative class is more rejuvenating than a nap. Studios and gyms often offer them on Friday nights, when just about everyone could use a little profound rest.
Less work, more relaxation. You’ll spend as many as 20 minutes each in just four or five simple poses (often they’re modifications of standard asanas) using strategically placed props like blankets, bolsters, blocks, and soothing lavender eye pillows to help you sink into deep relaxation. There’s also psychic cleansing: the mind goes to mush and you feel brand new. It’s something like group nap time for grownups. It’s better not to fall asleep, though.
Kundalini:
The practice of kundalini yoga features constantly dynamic & invigorating poses. The fluidity of the practice is intended to release the kundalini (serpent) energy in your body. Weren’t aware you had any? Well, just think of it as an energy supply, coiled like a sleeping snake at the base of the spine, waiting to be tapped; the practice aims to do just that — awaken and pulse the stuff upward through the body.
Meditation:
Meditation is a practice in which an individual trains the mind or induces a mode of consciousness, either to realize some benefit or as an end in itself.
The term meditation refers to a broad variety of practices (much like the term sports) that includes techniques designed to promote relaxation, build internal energy or life force (qi, ki, prana, etc.) and develop develop a deeper sense of compassion, love, patience, generosity and forgiveness. A particularly ambitious form of meditation aims at effortlessly sustained single-pointed concentration meant to enable its practitioner to enjoy an indestructible sense of well-being while engaging in any life activity.
Ashtanga:
Ashtanga is based on ancient yoga teachings, but it was popularized and brought to the West by Pattabhi Jois (pronounced “pah-tah-bee joyce”) in the 1970s. It’s a rigorous style of yoga that follows a specific sequence of postures and is similar to vinyasa yoga, as each style links every movement to a breath. The difference is that ashtanga always performs the exact same poses in the exact same order. This is a hot, sweaty, physically demanding practice.
Six established and strenuous pose sequences — the primary series, second series, third series, and so on — practiced sequentially as progress is made. Ashtangis move rapidly, flowing from one pose to the next with each inhale and exhale. Each series of poses linked by the breath this way is called a vinyasa.