6 Popular Yoga Styles

The practice of yoga is a popular form of exercise and meditation that grows in popularity every year, with roots dating as far back as the Bronze Age and the ancient Indus Valley. 

Here are some of the more common and popular yoga styles that you’re likely to encounter here in the West, and some that you’ve maybe never tried before.

6 popular yoga styles

Vinyasa

Vinyasa yoga is less of a specific kind of yoga and more of a style of yoga, as many other types of yoga could fall into the Vinyasa category. It was adapted from another kind of yoga, Ashtanga yoga, back in the 1980s and is considered to be the more athletic style of yoga. 

In Sanskrit, Vinyasa roughly translates to “to place in a special way,” referring to placing both the body and breath together in a meaningful and intentional way. Typical Vinyasa classes focus on completing a smooth sequence of poses linked carefully to the breath, emphasizing the flow of movement alongside careful breathing. 

Unlike its more structured predecessor, Vinyasa yoga flows differ from person to person with no set series of poses. 

Hatha

Hatha yoga has different definitions depending on the context of the conversation. 

Generally speaking, Hatha yoga refers to every physical yoga position under the sun. From the most basic of poses like Bridge Pose and Child’s Pose to the more advanced Peacock Pose and Firefly Pose, Hatha yoga covers it all. It’s important to note that this style of yoga focuses solely on physical poses and excludes any spiritual, emotional and mental practice.

Hatha yoga is also used to describe slower classes suited for beginners and those seeking a simple and classic approach to movement and breathing. These classes are great introductions to the many physical poses that exist in the yoga universe without being too physically demanding.

Bikram

Bikram yoga emerged in the early 1970s and was popularized by founder Bikram Choudhury and his high-profile clients in Los Angeles, California. Although Choudhury has since fled the country following a string of assault and harassment lawsuits, his intense yoga style has proved to be immensely popular across the globe.

Bikram yoga is a fixed series of 26 poses completed over the course of an hour and a half. Rooms are usually heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit with 40 percent humidity to imitate the climate of Choudhury’s native Northeast India. Though the official Bikram practice is slightly controversial nowadays in light of the founder’s scandals and trademarking of the sequence, many yoga studios offer Bikram-style yoga or hot yoga as an alternative while still building on the basic structure of the official sequence. 

Hot 

As mentioned above, hot yoga is usually loosely based on the structure of Bikram yoga, with slight differences depending on the studio. Most hot yoga classes are shorter than the 90-minute Bikram classes, and temperatures rarely go as high as the scorching 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

Although the exact poses differ from class to class and teacher to teacher, nearly every attendee can expect to sweat like never before, so make sure to hydrate well before the class and well after it, too! 

Also, bring a towel!

Ashtanga

Ashtanga yoga is the ancient ancestor of the modern Vinyasa yoga, though it was popularized in the mid 1970s by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, who brought the practice to the West from India.

Just like Vinyasa yoga, Ashtanga yoga focuses on linking breath and movement in a highly physical practice. However, Ashtanga yoga is a fixed practice with a specific series of moves.

Sessions are typically 90 minutes long, during which practitioners go through one of six series of movements, each including a specific sequence of poses. Once the teacher has deemed the student proficient enough in one series, the student is allowed to move on to the next. 

Students are also expected to memorize each sequence, as teachers do not lead the students through their series while classes are in session. Rather, teachers provide adjustments and support as the students move through the sequence at their own pace. The classes are not accompanied with music, allowing students to settle into a more spiritual mindset as they complete their sequences. 

Yin

Yin yoga is unique in the fact that it's much, much slower than most other styles, likened to more of a stretching practice than a workout. 

In Yin yoga sessions, students move through a series of poses that focus on stretching the connective tissues within the body. Props like blocks, blankets and straps aid in achieving deep stretches, and poses can be held anywhere from 45 seconds to 5 minutes, depending on the level of difficulty. 

The intent behind these longer poses is to provide stillness for both the body and mind to rest and recover.

So, there you have it! These are some of the more popular yoga styles that you’re likely to encounter today, so give each one a try and see which ones you enjoy!

Namaste!

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Featured photo courtesy Pixabay/AndiP