Anusara. Ashtanga. Kripalu. Lîla. Hatha. The numerous styles of modern yoga can seem daunting to even experienced yoga students. While all styles of yoga stem from the same ancient practices developed 5,000 years ago in India, it’s good to do some research to decide which style and class level is right for you before jumping in to a class. If the class is described as beginning, intermediate, or advanced, it’s still best to find out the teacher’s background, for every teacher is different. I know more than one student who dropped into a yoga class, saw people twisting their bodies in ways that seemed unimaginable, and slinked out, returning only many years later when they realized yoga is not about being a Gumby, but rather about getting to know your body as it is and gradually gaining strength and flexibility both in class and in daily life.
If you’re young and physically fit, more vigorous styles like Bikram, Asthanga, and Power Yoga will better suite your higher energy. If you’re dealing with an injury or chronic illness or are in your later years, restorative classes or yoga therapy might be more appropriate. Yoga classes specifically for depression and anxiety have been developed by such renowned teachers as Amy Weintraub and Bo Forbes, and some styles, such as Kripalu and Anusara, were developed for transformation and spiritual awakening. If you’re a stickler for detail, Iyengar Yoga might appeal to you. You’ll find that all styles incorporate hatha yoga, or the physical poses we’re most familiar with, along with varying amounts of pranayama (breathing techniques), shavasana (relaxation) meditation, and perhaps yantra (symbols) and mantra (hand gestures).
The following is a brief description of a few yoga styles. When choosing a class, try to sample a few styles—and teachers—then settle into the one that feels right to you. As you grow and change, you might decide that another style would be more appropriate. Always listen to your body first, and never strain or struggle in a yoga class.
Anusara Yoga is an integrated approach which blends precise physical biomechanics and spiritual elements. It is both physically transformative and therapeutically effective. This upbeat practice creates an attitude of opening to grace, integrates awareness of the entire body, and involves practicing postures as an artistic expression of the heart.
Ashtanga Yoga is a fast-paced demanding practice involving a progressive series of postures synchronized with the breath. Designed to produce intense internal heat and profuse, purifying sweat, this practice detoxifies muscles and organs, and is great for building strength and flexibility.
Kripalu Yoga uses classical hatha yoga postures and breathing techniques to help students enter a state of “meditation in motion.” The practice includes three stages: postural alignment and breath; longer posture holding and meditation; and spontaneous posture flows. This practice serves as a catalyst for physical healing, psychological and emotional development, and spiritual awakening.
Integrative Yoga Therapeutics™ combines the classical elements of yoga—therapeutic vinyasa, restorative yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises—with the latest advances in mind-body medicine to address issues such as anxiety, insomnia, depression, chronic pain disorders, fertility, and more.
Lîla Yoga™, known as a “philosophy in motion,” combines creative sequencing of postures (vinyasas) and complimentary yoga postures (asanas) into powerful patterns of movement to warm the body, focus the mind, and awaken a deeper sense of presence. The practice focuses on the power of the mind, energy patterns, trusting the intuitive, and living with more agility and grace.
© 2009 Shambhala Mountain Center.
Lori Batcheller is Shambhala Mountain Center’s senior editor. A certified 500-hour Kripalu Yoga instructor, she teaches yoga classes in Boulder, Colorado, and Introduction to Kripalu Yoga at Shambhala Mountain Center.