Find the right class for you
When you’re trying to determine which of the different types of yoga is best for you, remember that there is no right or wrong. But find a class that makes you excited to go. May our guide to the common types of yoga can help you decide whether you’re in more of restorative yoga or a power yoga kind of mood, or anything in between.
Hatha Yoga
Hatha yoga derives its name from the Sanskrit words for sun and moon, and it’s designed to balance opposing forces. The balance in hatha yoga might come from strength and flexibility, physical and mental energy, or breath and the body. “Hatha is a blanket term for many different ‘styles and schools that use the body as a means for self-inquiry.
To be considered Hatha, classes must include a mix of asana (poses), pranayama (breathing exercises), and meditation, so other types of yoga-like Iyengar, ashtanga, or Bikram — are technically considered to be hatha yoga as well.
Ashtanga Yoga
Ashtanga yoga consists of six series of specific poses taught in order. Each pose and each series are “given” to a student when their teacher decides they have mastered the previous one. This is a very physical, flow-style yoga with spiritual components.
Ashtanga vinyasa yoga is often taught as “led” classes in the West, where the first or second series is taught from start to finish over 90 minutes to two hours. There is no music played in ashtanga classes.
Yin Yoga
Yin yoga is a slower style of yoga in which poses are held for a minute and eventually up to five minutes or more. It is a type of yoga with roots in martial arts as well as yoga, and it’s designed to increase circulation in the joints and improve flexibility. The practice focuses on the hips, lower back, and thighs and uses props like bolsters, blankets, and blocks to let gravity do the work, helping to relax. While other forms of yoga focus on the major muscle groups, yin yoga targets the body’s connective tissues.
Iyengar Yoga
Named for its founder, B.K.S. Iyengar, who developed his classical, alignment-based practice in India. This type of yoga became popular in the US in the 1970s. Iyengar yoga is known for the high level of training required of its teachers and for its resourceful use of props. While considered optional in many practices, multiple props are used in Iyengar classes — including chairs, walls, and benches, in addition to more common ones like straps, blocks, and bolsters.
Power Yoga
Like vinyasa yoga, power yoga traces its roots to ashtanga but is less regimented and is more open to interpretation by individual teachers. “Power yoga is generally more active and is done at a quicker pace than other styles of yoga”. “Power yoga strengthens the muscles while also increasing flexibility. The variation of sequences keeps the brain engaged while you work all muscle groups in the body.”
Sivananda Yoga
Sivananda yoga is a form of hatha yoga based on the teachings of spiritual teacher Swami Sivananda. Classes are generally relaxing: while most yoga classes end with savasana (a final relaxation/corpse pose), Sivananda starts with this pose, then moves into breathing exercises, sun salutations, and then 12 basic asanas.
Restorative Yoga
If you walked by a restorative yoga class, you might think everyone was taking a nap on their mats. This form of yoga uses props to support the body. The goal is to completely relax into poses, which are held for at least five minutes but often longer. This means that you might only do a handful of poses in a class, and it’s perfectly acceptable to drift into sleep during them.
Some teachers might even lead you through yoga Nidra – a guided meditation that allows you to hover blissfully between sleep and wake. One hour in YogaNidra is said to equal a few hours of shuteye, and while that can be a good self-care tool, it can’t replace a healthy night’s sleep.
Though all different types of yoga can aid stress relief and brain health, restorative yoga places its focus on down-regulating the nervous system. Restorative yoga can benefit those who need to chill out and de-stress, and it can also be used as part of your rest-day self-care.
Prenatal Yoga
Yoga can be a wonderful workout for moms-to-be. It often focuses on easing pains associated with pregnancy, such as sore hips or an aching low back. Prenatal yoga provides stress relief, exercise, and self-care in one session, and the breathing exercises can come in handy during labor and delivery.
Since this is a practice designed specifically for moms-to-be, it excludes poses that might be too taxing or unsafe for the changing body. (But make sure you check in with your doctor before beginning a yoga practice, if you are pregnant.) Yoga for pregnancy, such as the Active Maternity series on Beach Body On Demand, also often includes plenty of exercises to prepare your body for delivery, like squats and pelvic floor work.
Vinyasa Yoga
Vinyasa yoga is also called “flow yoga” or “vinyasa flow”. It is an incredibly common style. It was adapted from the more regimented ashtanga practice a couple of decades ago. The word “vinyasa” translates to “place in a special way,” which is often interpreted as linking breath and movement. You’ll often see words like slow, dynamic, or mindful paired with vinyasa or flow to indicate the intensity of practice.
“Vinyasa flow is a style of yoga where the poses are synchronized with the breath in a continuous rhythmic flow. “The flow can be meditative in nature, calming the mind and nervous system, even though you’re moving.” Vinyasa yoga is suitable for those who’ve never tried yoga as well as those who’ve been practicing for years.
Aerial Yoga
Aerial yoga — sometimes called anti-gravity yoga — is relatively new, but quickly catching on. It involves traditional yoga poses with the added support of a strong, silky hammock that hangs from the ceiling. The hammock is used as a supportive prop in poses like pigeons or downward dogs and helps you more easily perform inverted poses (like headstands and handstands) that might be beyond your abilities or comfort levels. It’s also used for a cocoon-like savasana (the final resting pose at the end of a yoga class). Classes can be either physically challenging or relaxing.
Acro yoga
Acro yoga takes familiar yoga poses — like downward dog or plank — and makes them double the fun (and sometimes double the work) by adding a partner. One partner serves as the “base” on the ground, while the other is the “flyer” who contorts themselves on the soles of the base’s feet. (A spotter should always be involved for safety). “[Acro yoga] allows people to break from the rectangular confines of their yoga mat and find a connection with their fellow practitioners.”
This type of yoga helps you playfully explore your mind-body connection, develops effective communication skills with a partner, and aids in setting appropriate boundaries. “Exploring these skills through Acro yoga can translate to strengthening these skills in all our other relationships in life,” he says.
Kundalini Yoga
Yogi Bhajan, teacher, and spiritual leader brought this style of yoga to the West in the late 1960s. “Kundalini” in Sanskrit translates to “life force energy” (known as prana or chi in the yoga community), which is thought to be tightly coiled at the base of the spine. These yoga sequences are carefully designed to stimulate or unlock this energy and reduce stress and negative thinking.
This is accomplished by challenging both mind and body with chanting, singing, meditation, and kriyas (specific series of poses paired with breathing work and chanting). You might notice everyone is wearing white, as it’s believed to deflect negativity and increase your aura. Typically, a kundalini class starts with a mantra (a focus for the class), then includes breathing exercises, warmups to get the body moving, increasingly more challenging poses, and a final relaxation and meditation.
Yoga offers many things to different people at many different levels. Whatever they aspire for: union with the cosmic consciousness, physical health, mental clarity, emotional stability, spiritual ecstasy,and all this is part of yoga.
The Aarya Yoga offer Personal Yoga, Group Yoga, Power Yoga, Corporate Yoga, Kids Yoga, Therapy Yoga, Pre Natal & Post Natal Yoga, and Elderly Yoga session in more styles like Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Props/Iyengar Yoga, Sivananda Yogaas per our client’s flexibility. Apart from this,we are conducting regular Yoga workshops, Yoga Teacher Training Courses, and Yoga Retreats.
Note that additional batches might be introduced in near future.
All our classes are conducted by well-trained yoga teachers with good experience in the field. They are also trained in anatomy and know the basics of yoga therapy. We make sure that any member who joins us is relieved from his/her existing pains. We guide them as per Yoga and Nature care guidelines.