Yoga Break Down - Yoga Styles and Links

For beginners, it's easy to get confused with all the different styles of yoga that are offered. Below is an overview of the most popular yoga styles to help alleviate any confusion.

HOT YOGA (a.k.a. Bikram Yoga)
Hot Yoga was founded in Los Angeles by Indian-born, Bikram Choudry, and is taught in studios heated to around 37 degrees Celsius. Our skin in the biggest detoxifying organ in the body, and sweating is one of the best ways to cleanse our system. The heat also helps students work deeply and safely to strengthen and lengthen their muscles and connective tissues. A bottle of water and a towel are essential- and be prepared to sweat! To learn more, visit: www.BikramYoga.com.

ASHTANGA YOGA
As taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in India, Ashtanga Yoga is a set series of postures linked together by vinyasas (flowing movements connected by breath). Traditionally, classes are taught in a "Mysore style" which means students self practice, and a teacher helps and adjusts as needed. In Ashtanga, breath, bandha (internal locks), and dristi (point of focus for the eyes) are the most important elements while practicing asanas. Pattabhi Jois says, yoga is "99% practice, 1% theory." To learn more, visit www.ayi.org.

POWER YOGA
Power Yoga was born out of the Ashtanga Yoga tradition, and many beginners find this modern style more accessible than its parent. Power classes tend to be very athletic and dynamic as students flow in and out of postures that are carefully coordinated with the breath to help maintain internal heat, sustain the heart rate, and increase strength and flexibility. To learn more, visit www.PowerYoga.com or www.BaronBaptiste.com.

YIN YOGA
Yin Yoga is a slower, gentler practice developed by American yogi, Paul Grilley. In Yin-style classes, postures are held for three to ten minutes, and students are taught to relax their muscles in order to access the body's connective tissues. Because a calm, focused mind is necessary to remain still and allow the body to move deeper, many students find this practice very meditative. For more information, visit www.paulgrilley.com.

ANUSARA YOGA
Anusara was developed by American yogi, John Friend, in 1997, and classes focus on what he calls "the 3 A's": Attitude, Alignment, and Action. This uplifting style of yoga is fun and playful while at the same time athletic and challenging. Anusara's Universal Principals of Alignment help students learn classic yoga postures in much deeper, more integrated way. To learn more, visit www.Anusara.com.

IYENGAR YOGA
Indian yogi, B.K.S Iyengar, is one of the most influential teachers of our times as his books and methodology influence nearly every instructor and practitioner worldwide. Iyengar-style classes primarily focus on the precise way in which the body should be positioned (often called alignment) in each asana in order to obtain maximum benefits and avoid injury. Props such as blocks, straps, and bolsters are often used, and asanas are usually held for long periods so that students can carefully and consciously experience their effects. To learn more, visit www.BKSIyengar.com.

JIVAMUKTI YOGA
Jivamukti means "liberation while living," and this school of yoga was founded by American yogis, David Life and Sharon Gannon in 1986. This distinct style integrates chanting, asanas, music, meditation and devotion into a vigorous physical practice. Jivamukti teachers incorporate these five tenets into each class:

Scripture: study of the ancient yogic teachings and Sanskrit chanting.
Bhakti: acknowledgment that God realization is the goal of all yoga practices.
Ahimsa: a non-violent, compassionate lifestyle which emphasizes ethical vegetarianism and animal rights.
Nada Yoga: the development of a sound body and mind through deep listening.
Meditation: connecting to that eternal unchanging reality within.
For more information, visit www.Jivamuktiyoga.com.

INTEGRAL YOGA
Integral Yoga was brought to the United States in 1969 by Swami Satchidananda whose teachings and writings have had a huge impact on modern yoga practitioners. As the name suggests, Integral Yoga aims to integrate the various aspects of the body and mind through postures, breathing techniques, deep relaxation, and meditation. For more information, visit www.Yogaville.org.

SIVANANDA YOGA
Sivananda Yoga was founded in 1959 by the late Swami Vishnu-devananda who was a student of Swami Sivananda in India. In Sivananda-style classes, traditional yoga postures are taught just as they have been practiced for centuries in the Himalayas. This includes a series of 12 postures, breathing, diet, chanting, scriptural study, and meditation. For more information, visit www.Sivananda.org.

KRIPALU YOGA
Developed by Kripalvananda and his disciple Yogi Amrit Desai, this gentle style of yoga encourages students to use poses to explore and release emotional and spiritual conflicts. Kripalu Yoga has three stages:
Stage 1: Initially, postural alignment and coordination of breath and movement are emphasized while postures are held for a short duration only.
Stage 2: Later, meditation is included and postures are held for prolonged periods.
Stage 3: Finally, the practice of postures becomes a spontaneous "meditation in motion."
To learn more, visit www.Kripalu.org.

KUNDALINI YOGA
The word "kundalini" means awareness, and its purpose is to awaken the life force which resides at the base of the spine and to allow that energy to flow through the body. Previously a secret practice, Kundalini was brought to the United States by Sikh master, Yogi Bhajan, in 1969. This style of yoga combines classic postures with breathing, chanting, and meditation. For more information, visit www.Kundaliniyoga.com.

VINIYOGA YOGA
Inspired by the teachings of yoga master, T. Krishnamacharya, and his son, T.K.V. Desikachar, Viniyoga adapts practices to meet individual students' needs and to help them along the path of self-discovery and personal transformation. To learn more, visit www.viniyoga.com.

ANANDA YOGA
Founded by Paramahansa Yogananda who wrote the classic yoga text, Autobiography of a Yogi, Ananda practices consist of gentle postures combined with affirmations designed to prepare the body for meditation. To learn more, visit www.Ananda.org.

ISHTA YOGA
Ishta Yoga, (Integrated Science of Hatha Tantra and Ayurveda) is a physical and spiritual practice that addresses the individual needs of each student. Ishta's founder, Alan Finger, distilled 15 different forms of yoga and blended them into a versatile mix of postures, meditation, teachings and chanting that can be adapted to the skills and abilities of each student. To learn more, visit www.BeYoga.com.

Comments

[John Miller]

Viniyoga is not a style of Yoga it is a way of doing Yoga, matching the correct practice to the person using all the tools of Yoga, asana, breathing, meditation, lifestyle, chanting among others. And you do not mention that Pattabhi Jois and Iyengar were also influenced by T Krishnamacharya, he was their first teacher and the one who introduced them to Yoga, the way it has been done for thousands of years. I am a teacher in the lineage of Krishnamacharya, Desikachar and have studied under them for seven years now and am in a Yoga Therapist certification course in the lineage.

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