Yoga have spread all across the world and is no longer the domain of the niche community of Gurus and sadhus of India who developed these Asanas (Yoga poses) a few centuries ago.And like all other things adopted by pop culture, ancient Yoga too have got a facelift and evolved into different ‘styles’ and ‘expressions.’ Here are a few popular ones.
Ashtanga
Ashtanga vinyasa yoga is what many consider to be the modern form of classical yoga. The name is a reference to eight limbs used to do it and this discipline itselfis very good at building core strength and tone up your body other than relieving stress. Ashtanga yoga essentially is a set sequence of asanas practiced in the same order with a heavy emphasis on your breathing. This style of yoga was founded by K. PattabhiJois and is ideal for people who are prone to sedentariness and are looking for a fast paced and physically challenging class.
Iyengar
Developed by B.K.S. Iyengar in the sixties, the Iyengar school of yoga are for those who want to focus more on alignment and posture. Use of props like blocks or blankets to perfect your poses is what sets this school apart. The Asanas includes a combination of standing and seated postures with or without props. The immediate benefits of Iyengar yoga are more muscular power and range of motion.
Hatha
Hatha yoga is one of the oldest branches of yoga, written about it first in the fifteenth century by Swami Svatmarama. Hatha, which means ‘force’ in Sanskrit is a grounded form of yoga that focusses on standing poses and developing awareness and involves slow paced classes with sometimes, physically demanding poses. Many other popular yoga form like Iyengar and Ashtanga are offshoot of Hatha yoga. Hatha yoga calms the body, mind and spirit in preparation of a meditative state.
Kundalini
Kundalini yoga arouse your six chakras along your spine and the crown (head) and thus rectifies channel and awakens the Kundalini shakti at the back of the spine. In more worldly terms, it is a physical form of yoga that incorporates repeated movements, dynamic breathing techniques, mantras, meditation and chanting. Kundalini yoga is ideal for those looking for a physical as well as a spiritual practice.
Yin
This form of yoga requires you to sit longer, in a more meditative space, while working out the connective tissues around your joints. A Yin yoga class will typically be a slow-paced class where you will have to hold anasana for anywhere between thirty seconds to a couple of minutes. It is ideal for those who wants to slow down or are living with chronic pain, tight muscles or stress. Yin yoga is also a great way to round up an intensive workout routine as it is known to release tension and restore range of motion to muscles and connecting tissues.
