What kind of yoga do you do? How to choose your yoga style.

When you enter the world of Yoga, it is sometimes difficult to understand all the words that are used to describe the different classes...

“What kind of yoga do you do?” is often a question that two yoginis ask each other when they meet.

Power Yoga, Kundalini or Vinyasa seem to us to be just as improbable and abstract names, so much so that it is difficult to find one's way around! Let's try to clarify all this a little...

Everyone seeks their practice, their yoga, whose rhythm, intensity and sequence of postures would be most appropriate for their personality, physique and endurance.

Yoga (which etymologically means "unifying discipline" in Sanskrit) can be practiced in different ways: as fitness training, as a sport, as a body-focused therapy, as a complete lifestyle or as a spiritual discipline.

Practicing "asanas" (postures) and pranayamas (breathing exercises) are just two of the eight pillars defined in the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, the founding text of Yoga.

There are two "official" branches of yoga: Ashtanga (dynamic yoga) and Hatha (a gentler yoga), but within these two lineages there are different forms of yoga, not to mention newer practices that are emerging like Bikram.

The most widely practiced variants to date are:

for the more dynamic:

• Hot Yoga, or also Bikram. Synthesized in Hollywood by the famous star teacher Bikram Choudury, Bikram Yoga is also a modern style, and particularly physical. Hold on tight, the session lasts 90 minutes in a room heated to 40°C, and practitioners lose between 2 and 7 liters of sweat at each session! It is composed of 26 Hatha postures. The high temperature causes significant cardiovascular work, an increase in blood pressure, a relaxation of the muscles and the elimination of toxins
• Power Yoga, is a yoga that comes to us from California quite close to Vinyasa and fitness. We find specific yoga breathing with dynamic and static postures. All this to music. It is suitable for students in good physical condition.
• Ashtanga, developed in the 1940s by the Indian master Pattabhi Jois, Ashtanga is a dynamic yoga whose first series includes a sequence of 40 postures to be performed in a very specific order while following the rhythm of one's breathing. The repetitive aspect gives a meditative character to the practice. Once the positions have been assimilated, the practitioner can practice these sequences "Mysore style" , that is to say independently and under the supervision of a teacher. As you will have understood, Ashtanga is a demanding Yoga that combines strength and flexibility, stability and posture work, for practitioners who are looking for a supple and toned body.
• Vinyasa, this dynamic yoga is a variation of Ashtanga. The postures are taught at a rather sustained pace and it includes breathing exercises. It develops strength and endurance.
• Prana Vinyasa, or prana flow, this practice is closer to dance. Developed by Shiva Rea in California

for the sweetest

• Iyengar is a discipline that emphasizes alignment, technique and precision of postures. Very demanding, it is suitable for perfectionists. Accessories (bricks, blankets, straps, etc.) and supports are used in order to get as close as possible to perfection.
• Hatha, encompasses all yogas, it includes meditation, breathing exercises, the execution of static and dynamic postures in coordination with the breath and at varying levels of difficulty.
• Viniyoga, developed in India by Krishnamacharya and his son Desikachar. Viniyoga is characterized by the autonomy of the practitioner. "It is not the person who must adapt to Yoga, but Yoga which must adapt to each person".
• Yin Yoga developed by Paul Grilley, this technique consists of working on postures on the ground for a long time (2 to 6 minutes). It is a therapeutic and relaxing yoga that works the muscles in depth. It is intense in "energy".
• Kundalini, founded by Sikh Yogi Baham, mantras, meditations, breathing exercises and static postures are the program of this yoga. It stimulates the Kundalini energy so that it rises in the 7 chakras.
• Niddra, or regeneration yoga, developed by the Indian master Satyannda. The technique consists of consciously visualizing one's body in order to bring it to a deep relaxation. It is performed with the help of accessories and teaches how to let go.

To learn more about Yoga, Tayrona recommends that you buy the special issue "Spécial Yoga de Psychologies magazine" from May-June 2016.

@Katy Misson @Patrick Uberti @Yoga Searcher Hossegor

And you, what do you think? What style of Yoga would suit you best ?