Various Styles of Yoga
December 28, 2009
Through the years, yoga has evolved and developed different styles based on intensity of the exercises rather than the actual method of doing it.
The differentiation is based on alignment of your body, breathing techniques practiced, coordination of breathing and asanas, the length of each pose and the way you change from one asana to the other. Let’s look at the different styles in yoga.
The Iyengar style was named after its teacher B K S Iyengar, a renowned yogi and the primary focus here is on the alignment of the body. This body alignment is the position that you form and maintain while practicing your asanas and is very important as it decides the effectiveness of the asanas.
In this style, the emphasis is on holding each asana for a long period of time as it is said to have better results when compared to changing quickly from one pose to another. He promoted the use of props like blankets that could help you practice yoga better.
Astanga yoga, a style of yoga formed by K Pattabhi literally means eight limbs. As opposed to the Iyengar style, importance is laid on how quickly you do the asanas and move from one pose to the other. The workout tends to be quite rigorous and intense as there is no break between postures and is just one asana to the other. This has been developed more recently as Power Yoga.
T V K Desikachar started the Viniyoga style based on the breathing involved in yoga and its coordination with the various poses. Though it is quite different in style from the Astanga style, there are a few similarities when it comes to changing from one pose to the other.
Viniyoga is a slow version of the Astanga style, where you can take your time to concentrate on the pose and breathing, and gradually move from one pose to the other. The pace is slow and so the stress is less.
It has a more traditional and complete outlook, and uses all the tools available like Pranayama, which helps you to meditate, regulate your breathing and in chanting. This style is slowly becoming sought after, especially amongst newcomers.
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