A General Overview of Yoga

Overview of Yoga

Since Yoga has been around for thousands of years, it has evolved into countless different variations.

In this article, we present a summary of the many varied types of Yoga which are popular around the world. Hopefully this will help you in your search for the right yogic path that fulfils your needs.

Yoga Postures and Breathing

Postures and breathing are emphasized  in all yogic disciplines. But some also include other movements or perform the postures and breathing in such a way as to achieve the effect desired.

Vinyasa style yoga

One example is the Vinyasa style yoga which flows from one posture to the next with emphasis on rhythmic breathing. Typically the movements are very fast, so are not suitable for the beginner.

Included in Vinyasa style yoga are styles like Power Yoga, Ashtanga, Jivamukti, White Lotus and Kali Ray TriYoga.

Iyengar style yoga

In contrast to the Vinyasa style yoga, Iyengar style yoga involves much slower movement and emphasized more on experiencing each pose fully with slow, deep breathing.

By concentrating on the details of each movement, it helps you to experience total peace and relaxation of the body and mind.

It allows beginners and disabled persons to use props to hold poses.

Yoga and spirituality

Yoga began in history as a religious practice toward attaining enlightenment. Until today, there are certain types of Yoga that can help you to explore your spirituality.

Many religions are associated with their own forms of yoga and meditation.

But there are also non-denominational version of spiritual yogic paths such as: Integral, Sivananda Yoga, Ananda, Kundalini, Kripalu, ISHTA, Anusara and Tibetan.

There is a form of yoga known as 'hatha' which is a combination of a few of the above styles of yoga.

A good path for beginners to start is to focus on promoting a balance between strength and meditative poses. This is common in most forms of yoga popular in the west.

You do not have to accept the yoga style you were first introduced as a beginner. There are so many different styles out there you can choose. Try to attend different classes of yoga before choosing the one that suits your requirements.