No matter what Yoga style you choose, whether Bikram Yoga or Kundalini Yoga, Hatha Yoga or Vinyasa Yoga, you will experience the benefits of strength, flexibility and mental calm if you practice consistently.

2. Which Yoga Style is right
for you?

4. No matter what Yoga style you choose, whether
Bikram Yoga or Kundalini Yoga, Hatha Yoga or
Vinyasa Yoga, you will experience the benefits of
strength, flexibility and mental calm if you practice
consistently. However finding the right fit can be the
difference between looking forward all day to your
practice versus Yoga becoming just another healthy
chore. Here are some tips to guide you on the
journey of picking the right style for you:

5. 1. Know the two broad divisions: Hatha Yoga and
Vinyasa Yoga
All the bewildering names and styles of modern Yoga
fall under only two broad categories:

6. Hatha Yoga: The traditional style practiced by Yogis
in 10 B.C. In Sanskrit, Ha means “sun”, “Tha” means
moon, Yoga means to yoke or unite. Hatha Yoga
unites the sun & the moon, a metaphor for uniting the
pair of opposites—joy and sorrow, life & death, heat
and cold etc.—to give the practitioner a glimpse of
the unchanging essence within.

7. Vinyasa Yoga: The more dynamic style initiated by T.
Krishnamacharya in the early 1900’s for Indian kings
and princes to get more physical than spiritual
benefits from the practice. Vinyasa derivatively
means “movement linked to breathing”. Consciously
integrating the body’s movement with breath leads to
higher awareness in every moment.

8. 2. Select which broad division is right for you
Both Hatha Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga have spiritual
realization as their objective, however the way to get
there is different:

9. Hatha Yoga: Emphasis on stillness, repetitive poses,
and holding them for longer. For instance, even today
Indian Yogis hold only one pose for hours in their
practice. Their daily routine consists of holding a
headstand for half-an-hour or sitting in siddhasana
for two hours, no other poses. Highly recommended
if: You want Yoga to be a spiritual practice and like a
consistent, predictable routine.

10. Vinyasa Yoga: Emphasis on movement and pushing
the body physically. Poses are typically held for
lesser time and transition quickly. Highly
recommended if: You want Yoga to be an intense
physical work-out and are already quite flexible.

11. 3. Now, select the right style: a short overview of
Hatha Yoga styles
Within Hatha Yoga, a short personal review of the
most prevalent styles:

12. Iyengar Yoga: The most traditional Hatha style with
extraordinary emphasis on perfect alignment. I’m a
huge fan of Mr. BKS Iyengar and have devoured all
his books multiple times but the style itself was too
rigid for me. I wish I liked it more because Mr. Iyengar
is the rare real deal.

13. Sivananda Yoga: This is what I practice every day.
Also traditional Hatha with a series of only twelve
poses practiced again and again in every class, it’s
gentler and works very well for people with low-
medium flexibility(like me!).

14. Bikram Yoga/Hot Yoga: Although the poses itself are
rooted in Hatha Yoga principles, to call Bikram Yoga
“traditional” would be incorrect. No ancient Yogi had
access to a 105° F artificially heated studio! Nor I suspect
would they have wanted one. I practiced Bikram Yoga for
a few months. While the physical benefits were obvious,
the whole sweating, shouting-on-the-microphone, people
in swimsuits dynamic is the antithesis of the mental calm
and enhanced physical awareness that Hatha Yoga offers.

15. Kundalini Yoga: More holistic than just a physical
practice, Kundalini Yoga seeks to awaken the
mystical dynamic energy locked at the base of spine.
A typical class includes chanting, meditation and
breathing practices beyond the physical poses. Give
it a go. Personally, I find talk of kundalini and Sanskrit
chanting in the West a bit of a parody.

16. 4. Now, select the right style: a short overview of
Vinyasa Yoga styles

17. Ashtanga Yoga: The original Vinyasa. High on
movement and physically demanding. Works
wonders for the athletic and the flexible. Highly
recommended—if you can handle it.

18. Power Yoga: An even more modern, intense version
of the above.
Vinyasa Flow Yoga: Combines the principles of
Vinyasa movement with an ever-changing series of
poses so you always stay present. Each class is
different from the others. I attend Vinyasa classes
from time to time to keep my practice fresh but it’s a
little tough for me to incorporate as an everyday
routine. It seems to work wonders for more flexible
folks.

19. 5. Practice Consistently Whatever style you choose
above, I would recommend practicing three or more
days a week to fully realize the life-changing benefits
of Yoga.

20. Are there popular styles I missed? How would you
describe them? I look forward to your thoughts.
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