Yoga is becoming a more and more popular activity in the Western world today. With a choice of Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Power Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga and many more it can be easy to get confused.Hatha Yoga - in Sanskrit (an ancient classical language of India) “Ha” means “sun” and “tha” means “moon”. This kind of Yoga is somewhat gentle and slow paced, and is the right yoga to start with if you are totally new to Yoga and do not know any of the poses or asanas. Just like all the different forms of Yoga, Hatha Yoga intends to unite the spirit, body and mind.
Ashtanga Yoga - this kind of Yoga means “8 limbs” in Sanskrit. It is an intense and fast moving type of Yoga practice and is derived from a progressive sequence of poses, coordinated with the breath. This Yoga can be pretty physically demanding since you move constantly from one asana to the next in a sequence, thus you will find that it will develop your stamina in addition to your strength and flexibility.
Power Yoga - this is some kind of western version of Yoga and is derived from Ashtanga Yoga. Power Yoga might not essentially follow the exact order of asanas like Ashtanga Yoga, but it surely involves practicing a sequence of asanas without stopping and starting.
Iyengar Yoga - This kind of Yoga is founded on the teachings of B.K.S Igengar and works on the correct form and alignment of the body. Contrasting to Ashtanga Yoga, this yoga emphasizes on continuing with each pose for a longer time instead of moving continuously from one asana to the next. Iyengar Yoga makes use of props for instance straps and blocks to help support the body into the various poses.
Vinyasa Yoga - Vinyasa means synchronized movement of breath and is a differen and fast paced kind of Yoga, with a stress on breathing. A yoga practice usually begins with sun salutations and followed by excessive stretching. All through the yoga practice every pose balances with a counter pose.
