Types of Yoga – Guide to the 10 most popular Yoga Styles
Have you ever had the burst of motivation to sign in on a Yoga class, typed it into your browser and ended up completely confused? Hatha, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Yin… There are many different types of Yoga. But what is the difference between them? What is the best type of Yoga for you?
Don’t worry, I got you. In this article I will give you a brief and compact overview over the 10 most common Yoga Styles:
- Hatha Yoga
- Ashtanga Yoga
- Vinyasa Yoga
- Yin Yoga
- Restorative Yoga
- Kundalini Yoga
- Iyengar Yoga
- Other Yoga Types (Bikram/Hot Yoga, Sivananda Yoga and Power Yoga)
How to know which type of Yoga is for you?
Yoga is a really ancient practice from India. It was first written about in the Vedas, the ancient texts of Hinduism from about 1500 BC. There are some indications of Yogic position even 3000 – 5000 years BC. Yoga actually means “union”. Yoga is a practice to gain union between the mind, body and soul.
Since Yoga has been brought to the West, many different Yogic Styles have sprung to life. The essence of Yoga remains the same, but different yoga types accentuate different aspects of Yoga.
We often think Yoga is only about the body postures (asanas), but it really is not. The Asanas are one part of it. Yoga is also about meditation, breath work, a way of life and working with energies (chakras, gunas, mudras).
To know which type of Yoga is for you, get clear on what you want from your yoga practice. Then, try some different styles and find what resonates.
Keep in mind that picking a type of yoga is not a one-way street. You can practice many forms of Yoga, depending on what you need right now. I usually practice Hatha-Yoga, especially in the morning. One some days, when I feel like a lot of energy needs to be released, I engage in a two-hour Ashtanga-Yoga session. When I feel playful, I like to do some Vinyasa-Yoga. In the evenings, I usually do some Yin-Yoga to prepare my body for sleep.
1. Hatha Yoga
Hatha Yoga is the basis of all Yoga types. Out of Hatha-Yoga, all other Yogic styles evolved. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Svatmarama is traditionally considered to be the founding of physical Yoga. It consists of 15 Asanas, Pranayama (breath work), Mudras (gestures), Shat Kriyas (cleaning exercises) and Bandhas (locking energies).
Ha means Sun, Tha means Moon. This is what Hatha Yoga stands for – a marriage of the masculine and feminine energies inside of us, a balance of hard and soft, day and night.
Since Hatha is the basis of Yoga, almost all Yoga classes are labelled as Hatha Yoga. Even though Hatha Yoga traditionally has very specific methods and rules to it, it is nowadays often used as a broad term that combines pranayama (breath) and asanas (postures).
Hatha Yoga is often labeled as Yoga for beginners. That’s because most Hatha-Yoga classes are specifically constructed for beginners, even though Hatha Yoga is a challenging Yoga form for all kinds of practitioners.
A typical Hatha Yoga class will consist of some breathwork and a good balance of hard and strength-focused asanas as well as soft, restoring and stretching asanas.
Is it for you? If you are looking for a way to ease into Yoga, learn some basic postures and breathwork, Hatha-Yoga is for you. It is calm and powerful at the same time, it will strengthen and also stretch out your body. Different studios have different focus (some focus more on breath, some more on meditation, some more on energy), so try out different teachers until you find what fits you!
2. Ashtanga Yoga
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga was brought to life by Pattabhi Jois, a student of Hatha. It is a physically very demanding Yoga Type that I would not recommend for beginners.
Ashtanga Yoga consists of a fixed sequence of demanding asanas that are combined through Vinyasas (specific sequences of movement). All this is closely linked to a specific type (Ujjayi) and rhythm of breath.
Traditionally, a student of Ashtanga practices a series that takes about two hours every morning in front of a teacher for one to two years (sometimes longer). After this time and if the student is ready (the sequence is “mastered“), they will move on to the next series and start this process all over again. In total, there are 6 series, each one building on the previous one and becoming more and more physically demanding.
Ashtanga Yoga can be very challenging for the neck. A friend of mine used to get migraines from practicing Ashtanga. The first few times I did the beginner series, I had a headache that lasted for two day. If you just start out practicing Yoga, I would not advice Ashtanga. You need to have built a good knowledge of the asanas to practice them safety, as well as some foundation in strength and flexibility.
Is it for you? If you are practicing Yoga for a longer time and looking for something physically and mentally more challenging, Ashtanga Yoga is for you. Because of it’s demanding nature and the routine of the series I personally think it is a great way for deepening your spiritual praxis as well.
3. Vinyasa Yoga
Vinyasa Yoga derives from Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. The asanas of Hatha Yoga are fluidly combined through breath in a flow. Each breath is one asana, the next breath another.
Vinyasa Yoga is one of the most common taught Yoga classes in the West. It is both suited for beginners and those practicing for years. Oftentimes, Vinyasa Yoga classes are taught with music. The rhythm of a certain flow can have a really calming and meditative effect on the nervous system and mind.
Vinyasa Yoga is challenging, as you are moving continuously. But the postures in and of themselves vary between demanding and relaxing.
Is it for you? Vinyasa Yoga is suited both for beginners and long-term yoga practitioners. It is a great way to calm your mind and center If you have a racing mind. If you want more movement and less stillness, this one is for you.
4. Yin Yoga
Yin is linked to the feminine, cooling and inward-oriented energies. Yin Yoga is very slow paced. The postures are held for at least a minute (mostly longer!), making it a very quite and patient type of practice. This style roots in martial arts as well as it does in yoga.
Yin Yoga is mostly focused on relaxing postures, increase circulation and improve flexibility. The postures very rarely are activating muscles in a way that you have to use strength. Instead, the effect of the postures is achieved by letting gravity do its work and aided through yoga blocks, blankets or bolsters.
Whilst most yogic styles work a lot with major muscle groups, Yin Yoga focuses on your hips, lower back and thighs. It targets your body’s connective tissues and really stretches those parts.
Since the poses are held for a long time, Yin Yoga is a great way to practice stillness. In my opinion, it is also a great way to balance out some more demanding (on the body) Yoga like Hatha or Vinyasa. Practicing Yin Yoga is also very beneficial after a work-out, or generally If you are someone that participates in a lot of strength training.
It took me a long way to love Yin Yoga. This type of still practice can be very challenging If you have a lot of thoughts going around in your head. I personally grew to love Yin Yoga a lot (I even now do my second Yoga teacher Training in Yin Yoga) and I can really recommend you try it out sometime.
Is it for you? Yin Yoga is for Yoga practitioners of all levels. If you are looking for a calm, slow-paced practice or a good stretch and counterbalance to intense workouts, this is for you. Also, If you are trying to practice more stillness, I highly suggest you give it a try.
5. Restorative Yoga
Restorative Yoga is very similar to Yin Yoga, but even more focused on completely relaxing your body and mind. Walking through a Restorative Yoga class, you might even think those people are all soundly asleep.
A pose in restorative Yoga is held for at least five minutes, but mostly longer. Sometimes, you might only do a handful of different postures and that is perfectly fine.
The poses in class are some usual asanas, but sometimes they are modified specifically to be more comfortable and restful. Tools like blocks, blankets and pillows are often used in Restorative Yoga.
Some teacher’s even guide you to Yoga Nidra, the Yogic Sleep. In Yogic Sleep, you rest in a state between wake and sleep. This can be very restorative and restful for the mind, body and soul.
Is it for you? Restorative Yoga is for practitioners of all levels. If you are looking for something to specifically focus on relaxation, this one is for you.
6. Kundalini Yoga
In the late 1960’s, Yogi Bhajan brought Kundalini Yoga to the West. This type of Yoga is a very ancient and powerful spiritual practice that I personally would advice to approach with caution.
Kundalini is an energy that is coiled at the base of the spine. Kundalini is sanskrit for “life force energy”, also known as prana or chi. This energy can be awakened by drawing it up the spine through the seven chakras. This is called a Kundalini awakening, which can be an exhilarating but also dangerous experience If one is without a competent teacher or spiritually not yet practiced well enough.
A Kundalini class typically involves chanting, meditation, mudras (hand gestures) and bandhas (closures of energy). The asanas are taught in specific, often repetitive series paired with breathwork and oftentimes chanting.
Is it for you? If you are looking for are more spiritually complex and rich practice that involves more than just breathwork and asanas, this type of Yoga is for you. But please keep in mind that Kundalini energy is a very powerful force, so make sure your teacher is competent and to not practice this without them.
7. Iyengar Yoga
This type of Yoga is named after its founder, B.K.S. Iyengar. He focused a lot on the right alignment and bodily aspects of the poses. To become a teacher of Iyengar Yoga, a high level of training and knowledge on using assistance tools is needed.
“It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self, and intelligence.”
B.K.S. Iyengar
This type of Yoga is more static and focused on the right execution of the poses. Poses are also held longer than in most Yoga classes. It also oftentimes includes a very resourceful use of props like chairs, blocks, walls or straps.
Usually, Iyengar Yoga is less intense than other types of Yoga, but this depends on the teacher. It is a great Yoga style for learning proper body form, growing a founded feeling for yourself and to practice If you have any physical limitations.
Is it for you? Iyengar Yoga is for practitioners of all levels. If you want to get a founded knowledge of the postures and right alignment, want to deepen your relationship to your body or have physical limitations, this type of Yoga is for you.
8. Other Yoga types
In this post, I only gave a brief overview over the types of Yoga I personally practiced and gained some practical knowledge of. Of course, there are many other types of Yoga. To make this post really beneficial for you, I have a short summary of 3 more very common Yoga styles:
- Bikram Yoga: Also called Hot yoga, invented by Bikram Choudhury (I recommend you check out the Netflix Documentary Bikram). Each class is 90minutes, room temperature of 40,5°C, 40% humidity and 26 asanas with 2 breathing exercises in a fixed order. This is for you If you want more physical exercise and flexibility, to stretch more effectively and If you like routine.
- Sivananda Yoga: This is a more holistic type of yoga class that tries to incorporate all aspects that are, traditionally, Yoga (Hatha, Raja, Jnana, Karma and Bhakti Yoga). This is for you If you want to have a more spiritual type of praxis. It combines classical Hatha Yoga with Meditation, Pranayama (breathing exercises) and Mantras and a long end relaxation.
- Power Yoga: This is a more fast paced and physically demanding type of Yoga. It is in a way similar to Ashtanga, but without the fixed structures and rules behind sequences. This if for you If you want something less spiritual but physically challenging, without the rigorous structures of Ashtanga.
Final Words
The essence of Yoga is always the same: Reaching a union between your body, mind and soul. Since Yoga is a word that encompasses a variety of things, many different styles have evolved that focus on different aspects of it.
There is no right or wrong Yoga to practice. What matters is your intention behind practicing yoga, and that should be to take some time for yourself. Don’t practice Yoga to gain anything. Flexibility, peace, clarity of mind and strength are all beautiful side effects of a regular Yoga practice that will come by themselves.
For starting out, pick a Yoga class that resonates with you and try it out. I advise you also try some different studios and teachers, as I found this as actually more important than the type of Yoga itself. Every Yogi has their own style to it, what one absolutely loves could for another just not feel right. Trust your gut.
The practice of Yoga is a life-long journey. Just keep going with the flow and with time, you will learn more and more what suits you and what not. Picking a type of Yoga is never the be-all-end-all. You could absolutely love Hatha Yoga for months, and then switch to Vinyasa because now, this is what you need.
I practice many different Yoga styles depending on what I need at that moment. Try to not put a label on it or follow a specific path that worked for someone else, because this journey is uniquely your own.
Also, don’t consider anything as fixed. In the beginning, I did not like Yin-Yoga at all. Now my next Yoga teacher training will be Yin-Yoga because of changes I’ve undergone. I grew to love stillness, which a few months ago, I couldn’t imagine for myself.
Most importantly: Have fun with it. Yoga can be one of the most awesome and rewarding experiences of your life. Leave all the pressure outside your Yoga journey and go into it open-minded and without expectations.
“Yoga does not just change the way we see things, it transforms the person who sees.”
I.K.S. Iyengar
