Yoga is one of the most popular physical exercises across the world and there are thousands of people who swear a positive effect of yoga on human body. The benefits of yoga are very broad, from improving your strength, flexibility, balance to a healthy, happy, and balanced mind. Regular yoga practice can also help to release stress, increase your mental clarity and boost your metabolism. There are a wide variety of yoga styles to choose from.

Hatha Yoga

Hatha yoga is a very general category that includes most yoga styles. It is an old system based on the practice of asana ( physical postures) and breathing exercises (pranayama). The hatha yoga practice of asana will help you build a healthy, strong, and flexible body, promote body fat reduction, and build your confidence. On the other hand, breathing techniques of hatha yoga will help to lose stomach fat, get flat belly,  build leaner body, and calm your mind . It can vary a lot, but generally, hatha yoga is a relatively slow-paced and gentle practice,  great for yoga for beginners or students who prefer a more relaxed style.

Ashtanga Yoga

Ashtanga yoga is a system of yoga transferred to the modern-day globe by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (1915-2009). Ashtanga yoga is very similar to vinyasa yoga,  both yoga styles connect breath to movement. This technique of yoga integrating the breath with a dynamic flow of poses, creating intense internal heat.  This profuse sweating detoxifies and cleanses the toxins from muscles, connective tissues, and organs. The result is improved flexibility,  lightness in the body, strong bones, defined muscles, and slim waist as well as a tranquil mind.

Vinyasa Yoga

Vinyasa yoga is a style of yoga practice characterized by a wide range of postures put into a quickly-paced upbeat fun yoga flow. Vinyasa exercises are a type of yoga class where the asanas combined with rhythmic breathing techniques and positive thinking to develop a much more balanced body and mind. Vinyasa yoga seamlessly connects yoga poses with strong abdominal breathing which creates powerful, very sweaty, fluid, and quickly paced yoga practice. This style of yoga is very athletic and burns a lot of calories so you will achieve your weight loss goal faster. Commonly described as “flow” creative yoga, and occasionally confused with “power yoga”.

Power Yoga

Power yoga practice is an effective approach to improving your body composition and get your stronger body quickly.  The best description of power yoga exercise is a vigorous, physically strong, commitment demanding, vinyasa-style yoga class. It is closely resembling ashtanga and vinyasa yoga styles. However, it is very different. It does not have a set series of yoga poses, set routines and really allows the instructors freedom to choose what they want to teach. Power yoga is a way to develop the highest degree of power, vitality, flexibility, and freedom of movement as well as all-natural growth and development for the mind. Attending power yoga class frequently will definitely make you feel slimmer, stronger, and more confident.

Iyengar Yoga

Iyengar Yoga, developed and named after  B. K. S. Iyengar. This style of yoga practice explained in his successful 1966  book Light on Yoga.  This type of yoga exercise has an emphasis on details, precision, control, and proper alignment as well as positioning the body efficiently to get the most therapeutic effect from yoga postures. Iyengar yoga classes generally using a virility of yoga props, yoga blocks, straps, bolsters, blankets, etc to assist each yoga student with correct, comfortable, and appropriate placement. This style of yoga is best for those with any type of physical injury or need to treat chronic condition.

Hot Yoga

Originally founded by Bikram Choudhury. There are so many different types of hot yoga classes. Hot yoga is an intense, strong, and demanding form of yoga practice. It is performed in a very warm and humid studio. Generally, during the hot yoga class, the room is heated to approximately 105 F (40 C) and has a humidity of 40 percent. Hot yoga programs include a series of different standing, kneeling, and balance yoga postures. These yoga poses require strength, flexibility, endurance, and sustained contractions of all major muscle groups. Vigorously demanding nature of the challenging yoga poses and the heat are designed to raise your heart rate, exercise your muscles, sweat, detox, and burn a lot of calories. Hot yoga classes are great for toxins to flush, weight management, and development of strength, endurance, and flexibility.

Kundalini Yoga

As reference from old manuscripts Hindu, kundalini yoga derives from kundalini, as energy that lies at the base of the spine until it is awoken and channeled upward the spinal column through the seven chakras. This style of yoga defined as spiritual growth and perfection through divine feminine energy. Kundalini practice focuses on repeated motions synchronized with the active breathing, along with chakra meditation and chanting the mantras.

Mantras play a big part in kundalini practice. Mantra like Sat Nam” (meaning “I am the truth”). Usually, kundalini yoga practice uses more simple yoga poses so it is easier to focus your energy on awareness of both body and mind.

Yin Yoga

Yin Yoga is a slow-paced style of yoga practice. This style of exercise, incorporating principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, with gentle yoga asanas that held for longer periods of time. Generally, for beginner yoga practitioners, asanas may be held from 45 seconds to two minutes.  More advanced practitioners may stay in one asana for 3-5  minutes or more. Yin Yoga is focused on good healthy alignments, awareness to the breath, mindfulness and longer asana holds. This type of yoga offers full body stretches to de-stress, calm, and restore your body and mind. Yin yoga practice will help you to improves strength, flexibility, and balance, heal old injuries and bring back vitality, joy, and easiness of the mind.

Restorative Yoga

Restorative yoga is a peaceful and relaxed way to exercise, move, and heal your body. This yoga style is healing, therapeutic and beginner yoga friendly. The certified yoga instructor will modify even simple yoga poses to make yoga classes easier, more relaxing, and promote the myofascial release. Like Iyengar yoga, restorative yoga flow uses many props, such as yoga blocks, blankets, bolsters, and eye pillows. Generally, restorative yoga class will include full body stretches, light twists, seated forward folds, and gently supported backbends.  Easy yoga asanas provide deep relaxation, lower blood pressure, restore hips, and ease lower back pain. Basic yoga poses is very effective to treat abdominal muscle spasm or any other sports injuries. Gentle yoga stretches will help to increase blood circulation, which in turn brings healing nutrients to the injured tissues.

Prenatal yoga

When you are pregnant you definitely need to stay relax and stay fit. But you might not know that prenatal yoga is a great way to prepare for childbirth. Gentle yoga poses will help you prepare for labor and promote your baby’s health. Medical research shows that prenatal yoga is safe and can have many positive benefits for pregnant women’s health. Basic yoga class for pregnant women encourages stretching, mental centering and focused breathing. Physical exercise of prenatal yoga will increase flexibility, endurance, and muscle strength needed for childbirth. Parental yoga class will help you to reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep, decrease lower back pain, nausea, and headaches.