Yoga means “Union” … 

the connectivity of the human soul & universal spirit. Although developed in the East, yoga teaching & practice has grown dramatically & today there are many different styles, schools & beliefs in our Western society. Some of the more popular strains include:  Iyengar, Hatha, Ashtanga, Vinyasa and Bikrams.

Iyengar

Iyengar yoga concentrates on form. It is the most pedantic & conservative of the yoga schools. The Iyengar way teaches a strong foundation, how to hold a yoga pose & what specific corrections are required to obtain the greatest benefit from the posture. Iyengar yoga is definitive & focuses particularly on structure. You will also find it “stationary” in comparison to the dynamic flow of ashtanga or vinyasa. Postures are raised & held to enable the body to build strength & develop focus. Iyengar yoga is excellent for remedial work & rehabilitation, leaving the student centred & grounded.  Iyengar yoga also uses “props”.

Hatha

Hatha literally means “ha” – sun & “tha” – moon. Hatha yoga combines breath with posture to create balance and harmony within the body of its two juxtaposing energies; action & breath. While holding an asana or posture the hatha student is encouraged to maintain the breath. Although considered the easier of yoga styles, it is those most gentle postures when combined with the breath that show the greatest & most profound physical impact producing incredible shifts of perception, clarity & awareness. Hatha yoga develops life force, harmonizes male/female, enhances flexibility, reassures & removes stress.

Vinyasa

Vinyasa means ”flow”. It is a vinyasa style class that combines the elements of Iyengar & Hatha. In Iyengar we learn the basic postures or Asanas, Hatha teaches us balance & most importantly the power of breath, Vinnyasa creates a flow of movement from one posture to another using the breath to harmonise. There is a beauty in Vinyasa as the body settles into it’s natural rhythms & builds to a dance form.

Ashtanga

Ashtanga is the most dynamic form of Yoga. It is designed to raise the body’s internal fire, traditionally described as “stoking the fire within”. Ashtanga yoga involves a flow of a series of postures. The continual movement from posture to posture frees the body of blocks building strength & heat! Ashtanga yoga is a popular yoga style attracting large numbers of class participants, possibly due to the intense workout factor! The initial series is called the Primary series so when starting Ashtanga look for a class that teaches the first sequence.

Bikrams

Bikrams yoga was devised from Hatha yoga by Bikram Choudhury. It includes a series of 26 postures & two breathing exercises. The main difference between this & Ashtanga yoga is that classes are held in a heated room.  A Bikrams yoga  room is heated to between 30 & 34 degrees. The theory being that the muscles work best at a certain temperature allowing the body to reach its peak performance giving an intense but effective response. Since its conception in 2006 there are now over 1650 studios world wide.

Yoga is a personal thing. So don’t give up after one class, try the various styles as there is certainly something for everyone.