Which Yoga?
Yoga is a complex system. It encompasses a physical practice of postures, which is what most of us associate yoga with. But it also involves things like meditation, breath work, philosophy, and even principles by which to live your life. At this point you’re probably thinking “hey, I just want to be a bit more flexible and ease my lower back pain” - I hear you and I started there too! But the physical practice of yoga exists on a spectrum. A very broad spectrum.
You can lie on your mat supported by cushions in various shapes - that is yoga.
You can do handstands, backward somersaults, and arm balances - that is also yoga.
So then what actually is yoga and how do I find that right style for me? Let’s break it down.
Yoga
The word Yoga comes from a root word meaning to connect or join. What are we joining? Well we link our attention into our breath, and we link our breath with movement. The movement we take in yoga classes can be very different: in some it’s very gross, and in others it’s very subtle. It’s actually the more subtle movements that are more difficult to observe as there is not much going on and you must pay closer attention!
A long time ago, a sage called Patanjali devised the Yoga Sutras. This is the most well known Yoga text. In it he defines Yoga as a state in which the contents of the mind cease to fluctuate. Essentially, he is referring to our thoughts not jumping around - thinking about a conversation that happened yesterday or an event that is going to happen tomorrow. A state in which the mind can settle and focus on the present, and not be carried away following a story.
The goal of Yoga is a state of being, the physical practice is a tool to get there.
Now “enlightenment” or mental clarity do not have to be reasons you practise yoga - they certainly weren’t for me! You may find, however, that by moving your body mindfully and focusing on your breathing, that you start to notice these benefits or shifts. But even if you don’t, it doesn’t matter - people practise yoga for different reasons, they have different goals, and seek different benefits. But which style of yoga will suit you best? Let’s dissect some of the main styles that are practised.
Hatha
Now you may have noticed that many yoga styles have names that are in Sanskrit. I know what you’re probably thinking: “Why make things more complicated by using an ancient language?”. I get it. But you’ll see that it shouldn’t put you off!
Hatha is composed of ha and tha - which means sun and moon, or hot and cold. Essentially it is like yin/yang, a balance of opposites. In terms of yoga styles, hatha actually is an umbrella term that refers to physical yoga practices. Technically, ALL the yoga styles I mention here will be Hatha Yoga. But that is not how it is used to describe modern yoga.
A modern Hatha Yoga class is usually a slower paced class, performed with minimal props, and is balanced between standing and seating postures. While many people think of yoga as a flexibility practice and not a strengthening practice, just imagine taking a long lunge position with your front knee bent over your ankle and your hands reaching up toward the ceiling. Now think of standing there for 1 minute. Because Hatha Yoga is slower, there is a lot of opportunity to build strength, and to focus on your alignment and breathing. In contrast, seated postures give you time to lengthen out and release. This is a great class for all levels as it can be easily modified and is not very dynamic, allowing beginners time to explore and become acquainted with the postures, and more advanced students time to go deeper and challenge themselves.
Vinyasa/Flow
This style of yoga is more dynamic - sometimes moving with breath between linked postures in a sequence and usually involving sun salutations. While sun salutes can also feature in a hatha class, the structure of the class is not usually built around them, as occurs in a flow class. A sun salute moves you from standing to down dog through several transitions all linked with breath. They require strength throughout the body and core, as well as coordination and mobility.
What does vinyasa mean? Well this one can also be broken in two: vi-nyasa. This means specific-placement. Literally it means sequence. This refers to the ordering of postures in a purposeful way, as well the linking of each movement with breath.
Vinyasa lends itself to being more challenging than hatha in that it is just as much about transitions into and out of postures as it is staying in postures. This requires more body awareness, movement efficiency, core strength, and attention to the breath. You can see why yoga is a physical tool for the body to still and focus the mind - there’s so much to think about in your body that there isn’t room for much else!
Ashtanga Yoga
Vinyasa yoga is very much influenced by Ashtanga Yoga (which is also called Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga). Ashtanga is a set series of postures. There are actually five series, but beyond the second series it is essentially gymnastics or Cirque du Soleil. It starts with sun salutations, then moves into standing and balancing postures, seated postures, backbends, and inversions. The postures are always the same. Traditionally, it is taught on an individual basis and the next posture in the sequence would be given to the student once they had “mastered” the prior pose.
Most people will only carry out the primary series, which involves a lot of hamstring stretching, but not much hip flexor opening. This is a shortcoming that is significant in modern life, as we sit in chairs so often and need to stretch the hip flexors. There is also little opportunity to strengthen the lower body, while the shoulders can be overburdened through the sequence. While this style could be practised by anyone when done individually under the guidance of a teacher (Mysore style), as a group it is best suited for people who have had some yoga experience or who feel confident in their strength and endurance.
Iyengar Yoga
This form of Yoga is very different from the first three. It is a yoga of alignment rather than of movement or even breath. Using many different props like chairs, blocks, blankets, bolsters, walls, straps and wall ropes, students are held in positions in a way that allows them to create a lot of length while completely aligning the body. Postures can be held for a longer time to allow for integration and understanding, and are often repeated to consolidate the learning and experience. The detail provided in cueing is quite exquisite and you are taken on a journey into the depths of your tissues. You can end up feeling like you have been to a chiropractor, however there is not much potential for strengthening in these classes.
Restorative Yoga
In this style of yoga we shift a lot of the focus to the nervous system and assist the body to recover. This style can encompass several different methods, including myofascial release, supportive gentle stretches, and slow low-intensity movements to help free up and rehydrate tissue. Here we have A LOT of time to observe the sensations in the body, and it is a fantastic opportunity to adopt a very introspective practice and allow for meditation.
The breath can slow down, and the nervous system can down-regulate, shifting more toward the parasympathetic nervous system - rest and digest. This is great for other body systems like the immune system and digestive system. The less the mind has to focus on (like in a more “complex” yoga class) the more opportunity it has to bounce around from thought to thought. This offers a great mental challenge to keep the attention focused within the body and on the breath - also a fantastic exercise for cognitive and neurological health.
Physically this practice rejuvenates the muscles, but specifically targets the fascia - connective tissue wrapping around and through muscle. This tissue can become dehydrated and adhered, leading to poorer muscle function - including both mobility AND strength.
Yin Yoga
Yin is very similar to restorative however only involves long holds of gentle postures that are very much supported with props. It targets meridian lines through the body - energetic lines according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. These lines corroborate with energetic organ functions and affect the distribution of Qi (energy) in the body.
I hope you have gained some clarity around different yoga styles and that you have a better idea of which type of yoga would be more suitable to your needs and goals. If you would like to try out some classes, have a look at my online yoga classes. Enjoy your yoga practice and enjoy connecting to you!
Namaste.
