Yoga has evolved over thousands of years to embrace a wide range of styles and disciplines, all proven to energise the body, enhance physical appearance, boost health and vitality, and calm the mind.
Yoga is a life enhancing activity which spans all age groups, from beginners to athletes. Yoga can be modified to suit all ages and abilities. It is non competitive and non elitist. It is proven to lower blood pressure, together with numerous other health related conditions it also increases strength and flexibility of both body and mind.
Types of Yoga
There are many varieties of yoga. If you are new to yoga, you may wish to try a few classes first to find a style and instructor that suits you.
Popular types of yoga include:-
Ashtanga
Ashtanga yoga is a challenging physical practice, increasing strength, flexibility, endurance, co-ordination and stamina.
Hot Yoga
A series of carefully researched poses practiced in a heated studio. The poses enhance strength, encourage weight loss, de-toxify the body, and encourage a dramatic increase in tone and flexibility.
Hatha Yoga
A physical yoga that pays close attention to the breath and moves more slowly between poses than Ashtanga or Power Yoga.
Iyengar Yoga
A style of Hatha yoga that emphasises precise alignment of poses, sometimes using props such as straps or blocks.
Kundalini Yoga
Kundalini yoga can include chanting, hand positions, breathing techniques, combined with a sometimes vigorous aerobic type workout.
Jivamukti Yoga
Jivamukti yoga consists of vigorous flowing asana with roots from the Ashtanga tradition as its primary technique, hands on alignment, Sanskrit chanting, inspiring music and the study of the yogic ancient texts. So be prepared to sweat, lift your spirits and liberate your practice.
Power/Flow/Vingasa
These forms are derived from Ashtanga yoga, and are flowing, dynamic and physically challenging styles of yoga.
Pre and Post Natal Yoga
Gentle Hatha yoga is ideal for pregnant women to help lower stress and reduce swelling and back and leg pain.
What to wear for Yoga?
Proper alignment of yoga postures is important for many types of yoga. For this reason, choose clothes that are not too baggy and that help you and your instructor make sure you can see the posture you are carrying out. In more physical types of yoga and especially in hot classes, expect to sweat. Wear clothes that dry quickly and will keep you as comfortable as possible to get the most out of your class. Fabrics with stretch will help you feel most comfortable as you move from pose to pose. Whatever you choose to wear to class, you should be able to move freely and feel good.
