Types of Asana Yoga

Asana is the Sanskrit word for body position or posture. Asanas are the physical practice of yoga as an exercise form, as opposed to yoga meditation which is known as yoga nidra, or to karma and bhakti yoga. Over the last century several types of asana yoga have found their way to the West. The most popular are: Hatha yoga, Ashtanga, Bikram or hot yoga, Vinyasa and Iyengar. All styles are based on the traditional Hatha yoga, however, each has its own variations in style.

  1. Hatha Yoga

    • The word hatha means a balancing of mental and physical energy. Hatha yoga comprises a series of asanas along with pranayama, or breathing techniques. A Hatha yoga class is generally slow paced, with lots of stretching and breathing and ending with a quiet period of meditation called Savasana, or corpse pose. At this point the body becomes relaxed, heart rate drops, blood pressure is often lowered and the mind becomes calm and relaxed.

    Ashtanga Yoga

    • Ashtanga is also sometimes known as power yoga as it is an intense workout and a fast-paced form of hatha. Ashtanga is a set series of exercises always performed in the same order and always constantly moving from one pose to the next. In Sanskrit, Ashtanga means the eight-limbed path as outlined in Patanjali's yoga sutras.

    Bikram Yoga

    • Also known as hot yoga, Bikram yoga is performed in a room that is heated to 104 degrees. It comprises 26 yoga postures and was developed by Bikram Choudhry from hatha yoga. The idea of the high temperature is that if the body is warm it can be more flexible and the more you sweat, the more toxins are released from the body.

    Vinyasa Flow

    • Vinyasa yoga classes are generally made up of a series of yoga asanas designed to flow together and often Vinyasa flow classes will include several sets of sun salutations. Also based on hatha, the word Vinyasa means breath synchronized movements. Vinyasa flow movements are linked to breathing and classes can range from gentle flowing movements to more rigorous routines, depending on the teacher.

    Iyengar Yoga

    • B.K.S Iyengar designed this specific style of yoga in the mid-20th century in India when he found many of his students unable to perform traditional asanas due to injuries or lack of flexibility. Iyengar yoga uses props such as blankets, blocks and belts to help the less flexible reach their goals and focuses on correct alignment.