Variations of Yoga: Key Differences in 5 Types of Yoga Practice
Yoga Variations: A Concise Guide to Different Types of Yoga
Yoga is considered an ancient and historical practice that combines the betterment of both the physical and the metaphysical or spiritual self.
The art has been passed down through the generations, and many fitness enthusiasts have searched for ways to include the best practices in this art to extract long-lasting benefits.
However, yoga requires a great deal of meditative discipline that is often challenging to attain.
As you attain that discipline, you will find it easy to connect your mind, body, and soul in yoga practice and get fruitful results.
There are more than 70 different types of yoga, and with each variation, it is essential you know the differences so that you can harvest the results that you desire.
But knowing about the basic types of yoga is a great point to start for people who are new to this art.
1. Bikram Yoga
Bikram Yoga is most often practised in hot climates, where the temperature can go as high as 40 degrees Celsius.
The Bikram Yoga includes 26 yoga poses, which are ideal for people looking to lose a few pounds.
However, it is essential you dress in a proper manner with a fabric that is light and breathable.
If you are looking for an intense workout plan or if you want to build more strength and flexibility in your body, this yoga is the right one for you.
Doing this yoga in a hot environment will help improve your breathing, make your body get relaxed, and help you develop a better focus.
2. Hatha
Hatha Yoga is an ancient yoga practice dating back to the 15th century.
Unlike the other types of yoga, this type is practised at a much slower pace with a special focus on meditation.
The real reason behind doing this yoga is to introduce beginners towards the typical poses of yoga, including Asanas.
Moreover, it is aimed at bringing relaxation techniques to the forefront for people new to yoga.
As you engage yourself in this type of yoga, you will come to learn about the typical Asana poses such as the Gomukhasana, Ardha, Setu bandh, Chandrasana, and Dhanurasana.
3. Vinyasa Yoga
This type of yoga is also known as Ashtanga Yoga and is one of the yoga variations that can be performed in hot and humid environments.
Vinyasa or Ashtanga is aimed at increasing body core strength and helping to build lean muscle mass all over the body.
Different bodybuilders and athletes can take use this yoga type to get more muscle mass – all the major muscle groups of the body are stimulated in such a yoga, which helps in the flow of a continuous movement and in creating a balance.
The Surya Namaskar or the Sun Salutation pose is one example of such yoga, which is performed at the time of sunrise – it incorporates and helps a person reflect the sun's energy and develop inner mind awakening and enlightenment.
4. Kundalini Yoga
The Yoga of Awareness or the Kundalini Yoga is specifically aimed at connecting your mind to your spiritual reality.
This type of Yoga is focused on rhythmic movements along different spectrums of sensations like sound and breathing.
With the help of meditation, you help your body and mind get relaxed and restored for increased strength, endurance, and flexibility.
This type of yoga is directed towards providing you with strength in your endocrine system, nervous system, and helps in the detoxification of the blood.
Metaphysically, it helps in the awakening of the subconscious. This will result in an enhanced ability to choose how you react to your feelings and thoughts.
With practice, you are able to train the mind and the body from being reactive to being proactive, where you get yourself in a buffer zone and decide for yourself for the choices you need to make.
5. Anusara Yoga
Unlike other ancient yoga types, this one is a relatively modern form of yoga founded by John Friend in 1997.
It is considered to be one of the most spiritual types of yoga that puts all the focus to the subconscious and the soul. One can say it is a modified form of Hatha yoga that combines well with philosophical teachings.
Anusara Yoga is categorised further into three types:
Attitude
Action
Alignment
Yoga gets its name from the Sanskrit language, where it has the meaning of flow with grace.
The principle exhibits points that every living individual has an intrinsic good instilled in them. Practising this yoga helps an individual strengthen that goodness and relaxes the mind and the body.
There are a lot of health and fitness practices an individual can do to attain the desired physical goals.
However, this art collected well in different yoga variations is aimed at not only rejuvenating the best of the physical self but also helping in establishing a fulfilling connection among the mind, body, and soul.
These five yoga variations are not the only yoga types practised around the world, but these come with the idea of how beneficial it can be to include different types of yoga in your daily life and extract the best results from them.
Summing up These 5 Yoga Variations
If you want to attain complete transformation on a physical, psychological, and spiritual level, combining these yoga types in your life is a promising way to start.
However, knowing about different types of yoga and their corresponding implications is necessary, so you know which path to go to attain certain goals.
We hope this article gave you a comprehensive approach to how you can include different yoga styles in your life and expect highly fruitful results for your body, mind, and soul.
And if none of the above are quite doing it for you, you can also try naked yoga instead!
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