Names of Different Types of Yoga

Yoga is one of the most popular exercises exists today, but not many people are actually aware of the names of different types of yoga out there. Each has its own features, qualities and advantages, and so in order to be able to determine which is going to work best for you, you need to learn the basics about each of the most major types of yoga.

Here are some of the names of different types of Yoga:

Hatha Yoga:

Hatha Yoga is what most people in the West associate with the word "Yoga" and is practiced for mental and physical health. It was introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a sage of 15th century India, and compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. In this treatise Swatmarama introduces Hatha Yoga as 'a stairway to the heights of Raja Yoga', hence a preparatory stage of physical purification that renders the body fit for the practise of higher meditation.

The Raja Yoga were what the Hindu Yogis used to physically train their body for long periods of meditation. The word Hatha is a compound of the words Ha and Tha meaning sun and moon and refers to the principal nadis (energy channels) of the subtle body that must be fully operational to attain a state of dhyana or samadhi. Hatha yoga follows the same principles as the Raja Yoga of Patanjali including moral restraint yama and spiritual observances niyama.

Iyengar Yoga:

Iyengar Yoga, a form of Hatha Yoga, focuses on the structural alignment of the physical body through the development of asanas (postures). Through the practice of a system of asanas, it aims to unite the body, mind and spirit for health and well being. Iyengar Yoga is considered a powerful tool to relieve the stresses of modern-day life which in turn can help promote total physical and spiritual well being.

With Iyengar yoga, there is an emphasis on holding each pose for a long period of time, rather than moving constantly from one pose to the next, as you do with Ashtanga yoga. Iyengar yoga also uses various props such as blocks and straps in its practice, in order to help align the body into the different poses.

Bikram Yoga:

This is another popular types of yoga and is also known as ‘Hot yoga’, because it is practiced in a room that is heated to 105 degrees, with a humidity of around 40%. Bikram Yoga was developed by Bikram Choudhury and a Los Angeles, California based company, it is now practiced all over the world.

There are many names of different types of yoga, however the ones mentioned here are the most major types. So if you are just getting into yoga you will want to make sure that you get yourself started with one of these types of yoga, then you can try out the others once you have got the basic idea of how it all works. Of all the types of yoga, Ashtanga yoga is the best to start off with, because it allows you to learn all of the different aspects of yoga in general.

Want to learn more about the names of different types of Yoga? Check out the following great resources that will teach you how to do Yoga exercises at home. Just click the images below for more info.