As yoga has recently gained much popularity in mainstream fitness and wellness regime, there has emerged many different variations and styles of yoga. All these yoga styles have different variations, techniques, and focus points, giving different benefits. With so many options available it is always better to first question yourself about what benefits you want to gain in yoga practice.
There exist many different styles of yoga depending on the different techniques involved during its practice. So, it becomes difficult to choose which style is most appropriate for your body type and which style will give you the desired results you want to achieve through yoga practice. Yoga provides various physical and mental benefits such as improving your immunity, and flexibility, reducing stress and anxiety and improving overall physical fitness, and mental health. Still, all these styles are somehow interconnected and there may exist diversity in teaching approaches within each discipline.
Top 5 styles of yoga with their significance and benefits
1) Hath Yoga
Hatha yoga is traditionally associated with the Nath Sampradaya in India. In Sanskrit the word “Hatha” means the force, thus involving a system of physical techniques. Its practice involves body, mind, and breath. This style of yoga concentrates on the practice of postures( Asanas) & breath control( pranayama) to energize subtle channels( nadis). It is a complete set of asanas, pranayama or breathing exercises, mudras and hand gestures, and meditation for personal and spiritual growth. Today, Hatha yoga is widely recognized both as a physical and spiritual practice for mind-body healing.
Benefits:
Hath yoga is beneficial in Stress and anger management, generating mind & body awareness, beats depression, and improves sleep. Helpful in inducing healthy living habits, treating menopause symptoms, and relieving muscle pain, and arthritis symptoms.
2) Iyengar Yoga
One of the foremost yoga teachers in the world B.K.S. Iyengar is the founder of this yoga style. It is designed to be suitable for all ages and abilities. It is the purest form of yoga combined with pranayama where the precision is given to the body alignment. Iyengar yoga is the world’s most well-known and most practiced style of yoga. Yoga props are always useful here to attain the final posture in asana. Though it is far slower-paced than the other forms and styles of yoga, still you need to work hard.
Benefits:
- It Improves body posture and gives a good stretch to your whole body. Tones the muscles and improves blood circulation. Encourages you to focus on your body during practice and is thus good for improving concentration. It enhances the functioning of digestion, and the nervous and lymph system.
3) Ashtanga yoga
This style of yoga is energetic and involves the synchronization of breath with body movements. “Ashtanga” in Sanskrit literally means the eight limbs- mentioned by Patanjali sutras as Yam, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi. It is a modern approach to classical Indian yoga. It is an intensive athletic practice, dynamic, physically demanding practice collaborated with breathing techniques producing an internal heat, that purifies the body. It is great for toning your body and especially strengthening the core build. Ashtanga yoga style is known for quick transitions and challenging poses. The students need to transition from one pose to another at a quicker pace and holding time is also less than the Hath practice.
Benefits:
Known to increase flexibility over time, and build strength by toning muscles and reducing fat. Also helpful in lowering blood pressure, reducing stress, and improving focus and concentration.
4) Kundalini yoga
It is a divine form of yoga, that stimulates your feminine energy based at the base of the spine, at Muladhara. It incorporates movement, dynamic breathing techniques, meditation, and chanting of mantras. It gives you a feeling as if you have gone to the therapy, and had an awesome workout, allowing the person to achieve their maximum creative potential.
Benefits:
Helps to develop inner guidance, and establish a deep inner connection. Increases positive energy, a feeling of well-being, and mindfulness. Helps to gain control over emotions.
5) Vinyasa yoga
Vinyasa is generally referred to as the “flow”, from one form to another. Vi, meaning the ‘variation’, and Nyasa suggesting- ‘within prescribed parameters. It is a modern style of yoga with an asana movement like a fluid, doing them one after the other like a flow of a fluid combined with controlled breathing. Vinyasa yoga is often non-repetitive with each class having different sequences each day. T Krishnamacharya has the largest influence on how the vinyasa style of yoga is performed today. There are many ways to vinyasa from rapid to slow.
Benefits:
It improves endurance and strength training and increases flexibility. Induces proper breathing, helps with body detoxification, and cardiovascular benefits.