I really feel like, saying you ‘don’t like yoga’ or yoga ‘isn’t for you’, is like saying food isn’t for you… there are SO many different styles and ways of practicing yoga, you just need to find what works for you!

I am SO pleased that so many people, doctors, health professionals are recommending yoga now, but there’s a lot of work to be done to explain the different styles of yoga. I fear that using the blanket phrase ‘try yoga’ may result in a super fit, high energy person being bored out of their mind in a slow relaxation class and being put off for life, or a slightly older, injured person joining a 90 minute power vinyasa class and being scared for life. So, I want to explain about the different styles of practice, as simply as possible. I think the easiest way it to explain the styles is like a sliding scale….Most people have heard of Yin & Yang, that little black and white symbol springs to mind…Yin being slow and restorative and Yang being high energy. And that’s basically it, so here’s a list below of the names of the practices in order of Yin to Yang!

Yin

·Nidra – means ‘sleep’ in Sanskrit, you lay down with no poses and are guided through meditation and self enquiry.

·Yin – deep holding stretches, usually laying down, with meditation, to unwind and gain long last stretch.

·Hatha – means ‘Ha = sun/tha = moon’ in Sanskrit a balances sequence with a combination of standing and seated static poses, so you have some time to use props and explore each pose.

·Vinyasa 45, 60, 90 – means ‘flow’ in Sanskrit, so a constantly moving sequence which improves cardio and fitness levels as well as stretching and meditation.

·Ashtanga – means ‘8-limbs’ the most traditional/original style of yoga, usually taught in Sanskrit, with strict breath counts, its a set sequence which you work on every week so you can see your progression.

·Broga – a modern form of yoga, designed to help men get into yoga, it combines HIIT (high intensity interval training) with yoga, and works with reps and sets like a gym work out.

Yang

So… you can literally sleep, or do HIIT… and everything in-between! It’s all yoga and all has its benefits (check out my Why should I do yoga? blog), you just need to choose what your body needs! It’s not a scale of easy to hard, because for some people, it will be so hard to be still and be in meditation or holding deep stretches, and for others a faster flowing class would be hard – they are just different! So it’s really important to try them all – and remembers, usually the thing we want to do the least, is in truth, the thing we need the most! This why we have our ‘Intro Offer’ it’s the perfect way to try all the styles and see how often you can make it to class – 14 days of unlimited yoga for £14!(We also have Intro to yoga for absolute beginners, but beginners are welcome in any class, just choose a style that you fancy!)

Go for it!

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