5 Popular Yoga Forms : Which One is Best Suited for You?
Yoga, as everyone knows, is a physical, mental and spiritual practice or discipline that originated in India. Not only is yoga great to keep you mentally and spiritually in tune, most importantly, it helps with mobility and balance. Mobility, flexibility and balance are integral aspects of fitness that are often over-looked and under-appreciated. Improving your mobility has significant benefits for your posture, lifting form and strength, while reducing injuries. Here are a few popular types of yoga along with its benefits: For Beginners – HATHA YOGA: Hatha yoga is great for beginners because it requires a lot of deep breathing and is focused on slow and gentle movements. In Sanskrit, “Hatha” means force. It describes the physical practice of yoga, so all other types of yoga fall under the category of Hatha. It’s an excellent practice to begin, as it’s great for all aspects of health like cardio, strength, flexibility and stress management. It’s the best type of yoga to wind down your day with because of its emphasis on breath work, meditation and relaxation techniques. Hot Yoga – BIKRAM YOGA:
As the name suggests, Brikram Yoga is practiced in a hot environment of 40 degrees Celcius with a humidity level of 40%. The Yogi Bikram Choudhry created Bikram Yoga in the early 1970s. It consists of a sequence of 26 poses to stretch and strengthen your muscles as well as compress and “rinse” the organs of the body (which is why its done in such a hot environment). Bikram Yoga also focuses on alignment, and the same 26 poses are practiced all over the world, which is great for beginners! Just don’t forget to replace the lost electrolytes (we suggest coconut water) after your workout! Spiritual Awakening – KUNDALINI YOGA: Kundalini Yoga class in Mumbai is designed to awaken the energy in the spine. Most often, this type of yoga focuses on your body’s core areas and on the breath. So expect to spend a lot of time on the ground for this one. “Kundalini” refers to the energy of the Root Chakra, which is the area around your lower spine and focuses on awakening the energy at the base of your spine and drawing it upward. The sequences in Kundalini yoga are done rapidly and repetitively. If you’ve been to a beginner class, and want to increase the intensity of your workout, you should consider trying Kundalini yoga, as its, overall, a spiritual and mental activity as much as it’s a physical one. Power Yoga – ASHTANGA YOGA: Ashtanga yoga is the name given to the system of yoga taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. This type of yoga is physically demanding and is best suited for the more athletically advanced. Ashtanga offers a series of poses, each held for only 5 breaths and punctuated by a half-surya namaskar. It’s made of six different sequences and each that increase in difficulty and you’ll be kept on the move, “flowing” through the poses. If you enjoy a more structured, powerful practice that focuses on the mastery of poses and the progression to more advanced levels, this is the style of yoga for you! Energy Flow – VINYASA YOGA: Vinyasa Yoga or commonly called, Vinyasa flow, focuses on the coordination of breath and movement and is a very active form of yoga. It began with Krishnamacharya who later passed it on to Pattabhi Jois (See Ashtanga Yoga). “Vinyasa” in Sanskrit means flow or connection. Vinyasa yoga focuses on the fluidity of movement where each movement connects with either inhale or exhale. There is no strict format or sequence of poses and it recommended for people who aren’t fans of routine and love to test their physical limits! Fiticket is a new kind of fitness membership that provides access to the best gyms and fitness classes in your city! Fiticket members can use multiple gyms and studios with just one monthly membership.