Yoga is a way of living that aims towards a healthy mind in a healthy body.
Yoga began in India about 2000 years ago as a series of spiritual breathing exercise, post-development it became an amalgamation of physical and spiritual healing. From losing weight, gaining strength to building endurance before childbirth there is nothing that can not be achieved with yoga.
Here are ten types of yoga that will help you attain a healthy lifestyle.
Take a look-
1. Hatha Yoga
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Consisting of 90 minutes of breathing, yoga poses and meditation, ‘Hatha’ yoga is one of the most practised forms. It helps reduce back and neck pain along with improvement in stress, anxiety, sleep body balance etc. Hatha is considered to be very gentle, it focuses on static poses and is the most suitable for beginners.
2. Bikram Yoga
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Developed by Bikram Choudhary, Bikram yoga is the ‘hot’ form of it, quite literally. Set in a heated room, it is designed to make you sweat. It consists of the same 26 poses and two breathing exercises done in the same order for 90 minutes every time. It shows improvement in lower body strength, lower and upper range of motion and balance in healthy adults.
3. Kundalini Yoga
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Spiritual leader/teacher Yogi Bhaja brought this form of yoga in the late 1960s. ‘Kundalini’ loosely translates to ‘life force energy and is looped at the base of the spine. It helps in reducing stress which helps in a positive elevation of your consciousness. Kundalini yoga is an amalgamation of chanting, singing, meditation and kriyas (specific poses with breathing and chanting).
4. Ashtanga Yoga
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Consisting of six series of specific poses, this flow-style yoga has both physical and spiritual components. Practised around eight spheres, Ashtanga yoga is an amalgamation of Yama, (moral code), Niyama (personal disciplines), Asana (postures), Pranayama (Yogic breathing), Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses), Dharana (concentration on the object), Dhyan (meditation), Samadhi (Salvation). Composed by Patanjali, it is s a powerful tool to tune the body. It improves focus, balance and coordination and instils a better sense of rhythm.
5. Power Yoga
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Power yoga is an active form and is done at a quicker pace than other styles. It strengthens the muscles while increasing flexibility. It is known to engage your brain while you work on all the muscles in your body. Power yoga is amped up, it has a hot environment to stimulate sweating and lots of movement with loud music playing.
6. Prenatal Yoga
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One of the best ways to prepare for childbirth is prenatal yoga. It encourages stretching, mental centring, and focused breathing. You might think of it as something risky to do while growing your baby inside you but it is exactly the opposite. It can prove to be very beneficial for the mother and the baby too. Prenatal yoga improves sleep, reduces stress, increases flexibility and strength. Believe it or not, it also helps you develop the endurance of muscles needed for childbirth.
7. Restorative Yoga
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Gentle, supportive, and therapeutic is what you can expect while practising restorative yoga. It is a practice of passive healing at its core. style of yoga “restores” the body to its parasympathetic nervous system function, which, in turn, helps the body rest, heal, and restore balance. In restorative yoga, there is a major use of props such as blocks, bolsters, or blankets. The props help you hold passive poses for longer without exerting or tiring out your muscles. It also allows you to feel comfortable and supported.
8. Vinyasa Yoga
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Vinyasa is a style of yoga characterized by stringing postures together so that you move from one to another, seamlessly, using breath. Referred to as flow yoga, it is very variable in nature. Vinyasa began with T Krishnamacharya, who has had the largest influence on how yoga in general is. Often equated with high-energy, there are many ways to approach Vinyasa from rapid to slow. Build strength, coupled with flexibility, by emphasizing and exploring slower options. Doing so will help you create a sustainable, life-long practice.
9. Iyengar Yoga
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Developed by BKS Iyengar, Iyengar Yoga focuses on three aspects, alignment, sequencing, and timing. Iyengar is a slow, gentle yet demanding practice that promotes holding on to the posture for approximately one minute. Because Iyengar engages the whole body, the attention goes not just to the main muscle, but to the muscles that are connected to other body parts too. Adding strength to muscles helps in regaining lost power.
10. Acro Yoga
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A mix of therapeutic release and acrobatic fun, it consists of three traditions, yoga, acrobatics, Thai massage. It’s a form of partner yoga but has a more advanced, deeper dimension of it. It brings in the playful, powerful, and technical influences of acrobatics, so there’s lots of lifting your partner, and the healing qualities of the massage are great. The philosophy of yoga embedded in it takes it beyond just a physical practice, it’s more than that.
