Different kinds of Yoga
Yoga is an incredibly popular form of exercise that has been around for over 5,000 years. Beginning in India, Yoga has grown and now there are many different types of Yoga you can practice. While at the core, all the types of Yoga are essentially the same in regards to the mental aspect, physically, the different types of Yoga vary from one to the other. While some are close in styles, other types of Yoga are vastly different from the original forms.
There is some conjecture in regards to which styles are the best and where the originated from, but there are no doubts as to the benefits of practicing Yoga. For the most part, you can break down the different Yoga styles in the following categories:
Original (Started in India) These different style consist of Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Hatha Yoga. The original forms were started in India and were created by different individuals who used Yoga as a meditation tool at first.
Modern (Based on the original styles- but different)These styles are types of Yoga that were developed outside of India but use the main principles and postures of the originals. One of the most popular modern styles is hot or Bikram Yoga. Bikram is a type of Yoga that is practiced in a room that is heated to 40 degrees Celsius. This causes the body to sweat which loosens the muscles up and detoxifies the body.
Weight loss Yoga (Moves quicker than traditional Yoga and is great for weight loss) This is just what it seems to be. This type of Yoga is fast and furious compared to the other Yoga’s and is great if you are looking to lose a little, or a lot, of weight.
Flowing Yoga (A flowing Yoga that incorporates breathing exercises) This type of Yoga flows from pose to pose instead of stopping between poses. It also involves breathing through the changes, which differs from the traditional types of Yoga.
Pregnant Yoga (Involves exercises that designed to be safe for pregnant women and post natal woman) This type of Yoga is just what it sounds like. The different posses have either been created or altered so that women who are pregnant or have just had a baby can practice Yoga safely.
And if all the above different types of Yoga aren’t enough to confuse you, you can also consider the Buddhist, who use different styles of Yoga they have created from the original as a part of their religion. Now, Yoga is not a religion, but the meditation is a perfect fit for a religion like Buddhism.
While all of the different types of Yoga will be beneficial to you health wise and mentally, it is important that you check to see which one of the different types of Yoga will be best for you. While almost every body type and level of fitness can practice one type or another of Yoga, it is important that you look around and choose the type that suits you best.