What is Integral Yoga?

Integral Yoga has its origins in the 1900s with Sri Aurobindo. Later Swami Satchidananda trademarked the name and brought it to the United States. Swame Satchidananda describes  Integral Yoga as a flexible combination of specific methods to develop every aspect of the individual: physical, intellectual, and spiritual. It is a scientific system which integrates the various branches of Yoga in order to bring about a complete and harmonious development of the individual. Sri Aurobindo is the father of the non-trademarked integral yoga and the author of well known book,  ‘The Synthesis of Yoga’.

What is Sivananda Yoga?

Sivananda Yoga is a classical and holistic approach to Hatha Yoga that stretches and tones the whole body, while emphasizing frequent relaxation and full yogic breathing. It has not been modified by Western teaching, like so many types of yoga popular today. Sivananda Yoga is a complete healing system designed to help the body maintain a natural healthy state. It is best suited for people looking for a holistic yoga practice that include movement, meditation, breathing and spiritual focus.

A typical Sivananda Hatha Yoga class starts with Sivansana (relaxation), progresses to breathing exercises of Kapalabhati and Anuloma Viloma (alternate nostril breathing), then warms the body with Surya Namaskara (sun salutations). Then moves into 12 basic asanas (yoga exercises) from the Himalayan mountains. And finally, ends with and extended Sivansana. Classes are generally 90 minutes to one hour.

What is Kriapalu Yoga?

Kripalu Yoga is a gentle, compassionate yoga that emphasizes asana in conjunction with intense meditation and breathwork. This yoga practice encourages inward focus and spiritual attunement to achieve physical healing and spiritual transformation.

In a Kriplau class, each student learns to find their own level of practice on a given day by looking inward. The classes usually begin with breathing exercises and gentle stretches followed by a series of individual poses and final relaxation.

Kripalu will appeal to those who want to work on themselves, both physically and spiritually. The gentle and individualized approach makes it a good choice for seniors, yoga beginners, and those who are physically limited or overweight.

I personally find Kripalu yoga to be extremely healing and rewarding. It is among my favorite types of yoga. And for the record, I’m thin, athletic and high energy, which is exactly why I like Kripalu, it helps me relax and destress, but still offers great physical movements or exercises.

What is Yin Yoga?

A slow moving, gentle yoga, Yin Yoga is the balancing practice for your yang style of yoga. It is yoga for the joints, not the muscles. Yin Yoga directs the stimulation normally created in the asana portion of the practice to the connective tissues, such as the ligaments, bones, and even the joints of the hips, pelvis and lower spine. These areas of the body are not normally exercised in a more active style of asana practice.

Yin yoga postures are held for up to twenty minutes. Yin yoga is not restorative yoga. While both practice use props and hold poses for extended durations, Yin Yoga focuses on stimulating and working the connective tissues, while restorative yoga focuses on supporting the body for relaxation and stress relief.

That said, I personally find Yin yoga to be relaxing and I find restorative yoga to help open my body. They are both a great yin to my more yang yoga practice.

What is Anusara Yoga?

Anusara means flowing with grace. Anusara yoga is based on the belief that all beings are intrinsically good. In an Anusara yoga class students move through a series of vinyasa style yoga postures, while focusing on heartfelt intentions that are meant to improve a student’s daily life. A great deal of focus is placed on heart opening through back-bending, physica alignment and spiritual pep talks from the Anusara teacher.

Anusura is well suited to those who seek a moderately athletic, highly precise, highly verbal yoga. Some people enjoy the ‘fun’ light hearted atmosphere of an Anusara yoga class. Personally, I think that most Anusara yoga teachers talk too much and sound too new-agey.

What is Vinyasa or Power Yoga?

Similar to Ashtanga yoga, Vinyasa yoga and Power Yoga are very athletic forms of yoga to improve strength, flexibility, and stamina. This type of yoga is popular in the United States, as it is very physically focused. Another feature of Vinyasa yoag is the synchronization of breath to movement.

Personally I enjoy Vinyasa yoga, as it allows for an intense and powerful practice. Unlike Ashtanga yoga it does not require any specific yoga poses, so it allows for more creativity and free flowing.

What is Iyengar Yoga?

This type of yoga focuses on precise alignment of the poses. Participants use “props” like blankets, straps, mats, blocks, and chairs to help achieve proper alignment. Unlike Ashtanga yoga, Iyengar yoga does not encourage a flow from one yoga posture to another. Instead, students work on each pose for several minutes, while trying to perfect alignment. Between poses students rest in child pose or a similarly relaxing yoga posture.

Iyengar yoga has systematized over 200 classical yoga Asanas and 14 different types of Pranayamas (with variations of many of them).  These yoga poses have been structured and categorized to allow yoga beginners to safely progress from basic postures to more advanced postures as they gain flexibility, strength and focus.

Iyengar yoga is good for beginners, as it stresses safe body alignment and moves at a slower pace than other popular forms of yoga. Iyengar yoga lends itself well to a restorative yoga practice. Personally I appreciate Iyengar’s focus on props and alignment.

What is Kundalini Yoga?

Kundalini yoga incorporates dynamic yoga poses, breathing techniques, chanting, and meditation to stimulate and awaken the glandular and central nervous systems. Kundalini means untapped energy (prana.). The goal of Kundalini yoga is to awaken this energy by stimulating the seven chakras or energy centers (which correspond to major nerve ganglia and glands of the endocrine system, as well as to various bodily processes, such as breathing, digesting, and procreating.

Kundalini sequences consist of yoga postures done in conjunction with a specific breath exercise. Sometimes  the yoga postures are rapid, repetitive movements. Other times, the yoga postures are static moves held for extended periods while focusing on intense breath work.

Kundalini yoga is well suited to people who enjoy a more free form, intense physical practice, coupled with a great deal of attention to the spiritual side of yoga. Personally I thoroughly enjoy the way I feel afer a Kundalini class, however I’m less attracted to some of the more extreme teaching (eg ‘white tantric yoga’, auras, etc)

What is Bikram Yoga?

Bikram yoga is also known as “hot yoga” or “fire yoga”. Practiced hot, humid rooms with temperatures at 105 degreess, Bikram yoga is an extremely vigorous form of hatha yoga that promotes profuse internal heat and external sweating, which is said to increase flexibility and rid the body of toxins. In Bikram yoga participants perform 26 yoga postures, with each posture being performed twice. Bikram yoga is a very structured yoga routine that requires a great deal of stamina and discipline. Beginners should drink plenty of water before class, bring bottled water to class, and take breaks to avoid dizziness or nausea.

Bikram Yoga is not suitable for people with heart disease, high blood pressure, or previous heat cramps/stroke.

Personally I thought that Bikram yoga was a major marketing scam. Then I went to class and found I liked it quite a bit. I enjoyed the hot, humid environment and the teacher was awesome (here name is Julia and she owns Flagstaff Bikram Yoga).

What is Ashtanga Yoga?

Ashtanga yoga involves synchronizing the breath with a progressive series of yoga postures to produce intense internal heat and a profuse, purifying sweat that detoxifies muscles and organs. It is an intense, fast paced yoga best suited to athletic individuals who seek a high energy, highly ordered yoga practice. The linear, performance driven nature of the masculine energy seems highly attracted to Ashtanga Yoga. Personally I do not care for Ashtanga yoga. I prefer more creativity and free flow in my yoga sessions. I don’t like being wed to a rigid series of yoga postures. Plus most Ashtanga yoga teachers I’ve met are too focused on physical movement, and not so focused on the spiritual aspects of yoga.

Note: Ashtanga actually means “eight-limbed yoga,” however many Ashtanga yoga practices in the west only incorporate limbs 3 (exercise/asanas) and 4 (breath/pranayama).

The Ashtanga primary series is called Yoga Chikitsa, which means yoga therapy. The series of 75 poses takes 90 minutes to two hours to complete, and is designed to realign the spine and detoxify the body, while building strength, flexibility and stamina. The primary series begins with sun salutations, then progresses to specific standing poses, seated poses, inversions backbend, and finally relaxation. Once one masters the primary series, she is invited to the next step in her Ashtanga Yoga Practice – the intermediate series.

The intermediate series is called Nadi Shodana, meaning nervous system purification. The intermediate series is designed to cleanse and strengthen the nervous system and the subtle energy channels throughout the body. This series follows the same progression as the primary series, but introduces the yoga student to several new poses and variations.

The four advanced series, which are attempted only after mastering the primary and intermediate series, are called Advanced series A,B,C and D. They are also called Sthira Bhaga, which means divine stability. Pattabhi Jois originally outlined two intensive advanced series, but later subdivided them into four series to make them accessible to more people. These series emphasize difficult arm balances and extreme flexibility. They are only appropriate for extremely physically advanced Ashtanga students.