| The image of yoga has changed during the past | | | | interested in improving your strength, flexibility |
| years. If once, the first picture that popped your | | | | and stamina and you are fit enough to deal with |
| mind was of a group of white wearing weirdoes | | | | an hour of jumping from one posture to another, |
| standing on their heads and breathing loudly, now | | | | Asthanga Yoga can suit you. |
| you are probably thinking about Madonna's well | | | | Power Yoga: |
| shaped arms. Currently, yoga is one of the most | | | | This is an American development of the Asthanga |
| popular fitness activities worldwide. One of its | | | | Yoga that also adopted several elements from |
| appeal is that it can be practiced by elders and it | | | | other types of yoga styles. You can find Power |
| can improve the overall physical fitness of | | | | Yoga classes mainly in fitness and health clubs. |
| athletes. | | | | Power Yoga focuses on strengthening the body |
| If you want to start practicing yoga, here is a | | | | by performing Hatha Yoga postures for a longer |
| quick guide to the basic types of yoga. While | | | | time to improve both physical flexibility and mental |
| most of them are based on the same ancient | | | | focus. Power Yoga can be a good exercise for |
| postures, each yoga style has a different focus. | | | | athletes, people who practice types of fitness |
| Some of the yoga styles focus on strengthening | | | | activities and people who want to tone their body. |
| the body while others focus on flexibility. Other | | | | Bikram Yoga: |
| types of yoga focus mainly on breathing, | | | | A Bikram Yoga class features a series of 26 |
| relaxation, and meditation. | | | | Hatha Yoga postures practiced in a heated room. |
| Most of the yoga styles that were adopted in the | | | | It is also known as Hot Yoga. The purpose of the |
| west, were derived from the Hatha Yoga, which | | | | heat is to allow the participants to get into each |
| is a general term that refers to the physical | | | | of the yoga poses in a deeper and safer manner. |
| branches of the ancient Indian philosophy. The | | | | The heat also helps clean the body from toxins |
| purpose of the traditional Hatha Yoga was to | | | | promoting sweating. Bikram Yoga focuses more |
| achieve balance between mind and body through | | | | on the workout of the entire body, including the |
| moral discipline and physical exercises, which are | | | | internal organs and less on flexibility. Bikram Yoga |
| expressed by a series of asana: postures, | | | | is not recommended to pregnant women and |
| panorama: breathing and meditation. | | | | people who suffer from high blood pressure and |
| Western culture adopted mainly the physical | | | | heart conditions, but it can improve the physical |
| aspects of the Hatha Yoga and ignored the moral | | | | fitness of people who recover from injuries. |
| aspects, usually even the breathing and | | | | Iyengar Yoga: |
| meditations aspects. All the yoga styles that were | | | | This focuses on the physical alignment of the |
| derived from the Hatha Yoga share the same | | | | body and the accurate performance of each |
| basic principle that mental balance can be achieved | | | | posture. Some of the Iyengar Yoga postures are |
| through practice of physical exercises and | | | | practiced with the assistance of props such as |
| postures. Each yoga style chooses to focus on | | | | blocks and belts that are designed to help the |
| different aspect. | | | | participants achieve the most accurate posture |
| Ashtanga Yoga: | | | | and to protect their bodies from injuries. Since the |
| This focuses on the flow of postures in order to | | | | flows between postures are not practiced, |
| improve strength, stamina and flexibility of the | | | | Iyengar Yoga classes are less intense and |
| body. During a Asthanga Yoga class, the | | | | therefore more suitable for people who are less |
| participants jump from one posture to another. | | | | fit. Iyengar Yoga improves body strength and |
| Therefore, this type of yoga is not the ideal for | | | | flexibility and can fit people of any age and every |
| beginners. People who are not well fit may find it | | | | physical condition. |
| too difficult and demanding. However, if you are | | | | |