Hatha? Yin? Vinyasa? Iyengar? I know it's hard to get started when yoga classes have such unfamiliar names. One of the most common questions I get from students is about how to choose the right class. Hopefully this post will help you figure out how to choose a type of yoga that will suit you.

Yoga has been around for thousands of years and like anything it has evolved and changed over that time. At it's heart yoga can encompass any practice which unites mind, body and spirit. Or as it says in the Bhagavad Gita “Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.”

In practice there are lots of different ways of uniting mind, body, and spirit. For some people this will be a quiet meditative practice. Others will need something intensely physical to help them get in touch with their inner teacher. There is no right or wrong way to do yoga.

Most kinds of yoga have a name which reflects the nature of the practice or are named after the person who developed or popularised that approach. For example 'vinyasa' means 'to place in a special way' in Sanskrit. Meanwhile Iyengar yoga is named after the yogi B.K.S. Iyengar who developed this style.

Types of Yoga

Here are some common styles of yoga roughly ordered from most relaxing to most dynamic:

Restorative Yoga

As the name suggests, restorative yoga is about relaxation and stress relief. It is common to use props like chairs and bolsters to get comfortable as postures are often held for several minutes. The class might include a long guided relaxation called Yoga Nidra. Restorative yoga is great for deep relaxation and calming the nervous system.

Yin Yoga

Like restorative yoga, yin yoga is a very slow-paced class with postures held for several minutes. It is particularly focused on deeply stretching the muscles and connective tissues. It is also about learning to sit with and breath into discomfort to get a deeper stretch. Yin yoga can be great for anyone looking for a deep stretch, perhaps to balance other physical workouts, or those looking for a slower class.

Hatha Yoga

I am a hatha yoga teacher. Hatha is derived from the Sanskrit for sun and moon, and usually refers to a practice which balances movement and stillness, strength and relaxation, mind and body. Hatha is actually an umbrella term for any movement-based yoga practice, so in terms of what is taught in the UK, hatha is kind of 'generic yoga'. It is a good choice for beginners and anyone who wants a balanced practice.

Iyengar Yoga

Iyengar yoga is named after B.K.S. Iyengar who developed the practice in the 1950s and 60s. It emphasises very careful alignment of the body in yoga postures. Postures are then often held for quite a long time making classes slower-paced. Iyengar yoga is great for anyone looking to work on strength and posture. Beginners are encouraged to use props like blocks and straps to help make the postures more accessible.

Vinyasa or Flow Yoga

Vinyasa yoga co-ordinates movement and breath, and links postures together into a flowing sequence. Although the postures will be the same as you would find in a hatha class, they are held for a shorter time - often just one breath. As a result vinyasa classes are usually faster-paced and more physical than a hatha class. They are a good choice if you find a hatha or Iyengar class a bit slow.

Ashtanga Yoga

Ashtanga is a very physical and often challenging style of yoga. It was developed in the early 20th century by yogis Krishnamacharya and Pattabhi Jois. Every class follows a set sequence of postures known as the primary or secondary series. Ashtanga yoga is not suitable for beginners but can be great if you are looking for an intense workout.

I hope this is a useful overview and helps you figure out what kind of yoga might be right for you. This list isn't exhaustive - I haven't even mentioned kundalini yoga, hot yoga, ariel yoga, goat yoga...the list goes on! Truly, any deliberate attempt to still the mind is yoga. But if you turned up expecting acrobatics to find everyone lying around in savasana, or vice versa, perhaps now you understand why!

As previously mentioned - I'm a hatha yoga teacher so my classes are somewhere in the middle. Not sweaty power yoga, but not super-deep relaxation either (although I do run occasional restorative yoga classes). If that sounds like what you are looking for please check out my classes here.