So Much Yoga, So Little Time: Which Style is Your Yoga?
Yoga evolves throughout the years. At this point, I can think of a dozen styles that are available to choose. So how do you know which style is for you? Experience has taught me that the answer is probably: several styles – or at least a handful. Incorporating diversity into your practice, like a diverse diet benefits your health, can be the ideal way to really get the most transformative progress from your practice.
Let’s set the table first
If what is being offered to the growing western yogi population is a variable feast of styles, then let me start by setting the table with a little context. Yoga is a philosophical system rooted in ancient Indian culture (hence all that Sanskrit, the scriptural language of ancient India, and poses named for Hindu deities found throughout Indian culture). What we have today grew out of various traditions within Hatha Yoga, which itself came from Raja Yoga. Baffled yet? Let me elaborate…
There are some things common to all humanity – like all of us have struggles to overcome – and yet, we are all wired so very differently – like the very different ways we might each respond to our trials and tribulations. Ancient Indian philosophy suggests four paths to overcome suffering and connect with our best selves. Which path we choose depends on how we are wired and what speaks to us individually. These four paths are Karma Marga (also called Karma Yoga), Bhakti Marga (also called Bhakti Yoga), Jñana Marga (also called Jñana Yoga or sometimes spelled Gyana Yoga), and Raja Marga (also called Raja Yoga). What the western world recognizes as yoga derives from Raja Yoga.
For more background on the four paths, check out this lovely overview from the Chopra Center.
As the Raja (“Royal”) Yoga of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras was entirely philosophical, – very abstract, ethereal concepts that one meditated on and pondered in an effort to connect with one’s best self (or Self) – it seemed beyond the grasp of all but the most scholarly of folks. Hatha Yoga was then developed to provide those less-scholarly folks (say, the more Average Joes) a system of learning yogic concepts via less ethereal and more experiential channels. (Note: this is Hatha Yoga – big H – as opposed to what I will call hatha-style yoga – little h – that you will see come up here shortly.) Hatha Yoga introduced asana (physical) practices, pranayama (breath work), kriya (cleansing) techniques, and rituals that we are familiar with as yoga today. It gave the Average Joe a means of learning by seeing, feeling, hearing, and doing, in addition to the pondering and thinking. Within Hatha Yoga, each guru (master teacher) through the years handed down yoga practices as they experimented, experienced, and developed them for their pupils. This gave us a number of lineages or traditions within Hatha Yoga.
What’s on the menu
Some of the most recognized traditions come from the following lineages (or gurus), although this list is not exhaustive: Sri Krishnamacharya, Bishnu Ghosh, Yogi Bahjan, and Swami Sivananda. As these yoga masters taught their students – each according to his needs and abilities (and yes, initially all students were male as only more recently have women been invited to practice yoga) – then these students mastered their practices and shared their experiences by establishing schools of yoga for more, new students. This quickly grew into several similar, yet unique, now well-known traditions.
The most well-known (read: easily Google-able) traditions and methodologies include: Anasura, Ashtanga, Baptiste, Bikram, Forrest, Iyengar, the Jason Crandell Yoga Method, Jivamukti, Kundalini, Sivananda, SmartFLOW® by Annie Carpenter, and Viniyoga. This list is by no means exhaustive, but hopefully you get the idea of how the family tree of yoga quickly grew into a whole banquet of traditions. Some of them might even be more appropriately called brands of yoga, often being named for their founding teacher (and marketed remarkably well in the western world), yet borrowing teachings from a few lineages (or perhaps not referencing any one particular lineage at all).
Little Caveat Here: Beware any teacher who claims their tradition is the only legitimate one. Every guru developed their systematic approach to the practices to the best of their abilities, but how they land for each individual, is well, entirely individual.
Your ‘basic yoga food groups’
From these lineages-into-traditions and brands came styles or types of yoga practices as we often see them in western yoga studios today. Most teachers – at least in my neck of the woods – have experience with several traditions and borrow from each to produce classes that are a blend of traditions. So, let me delve into what I find are the most commonly advertised styles of yoga. Margo’s Official Styles of Yoga™ include: hatha-style, (that’s little h – see, I told you it would come up!), flow-style yoga, power yoga, restorative yoga, and yin-style yoga.
My Caveat: Margo’s Official Styles of Yoga™ is neither official, nor actually trademarked. Rather this is my attempt to use a framework many of us find familiar: the basic food groups model. And much like some folks may use the classic Four Food Groups taught years ago, while others prefer to think about their foods in terms of Macronutrient Groups, this is not gospel, folks, but a model to give you the big picture framework. So read on with a little light heartedness.
Who, what, how & why of hatha-style yoga
This style of asana (physical practice of postures) typically includes steady holds in each posture to allow time to marinate in a shape. Often, hatha-style sequences include a repetitious return to a simple reset posture, such as tadasana (Mountain Pose) between standing postures or dandasana (Seated Staff Pose) between seated postures, that gives you time for a little palette cleanser of sorts before moving on. This style of teaching asana is great for practicing alignment, building muscular endurance, and establishing muscle memory that is essential for other styles of asana practice.
Some examples of traditions that might produce teachers who fit into the hatha-style category:
- Ashtanga
- Bikram
- Iyengar
- Jason Crandell Yoga Method
- Viniyoga
Who, what, why & how of flow-style yoga
This style is also frequently called vinyasa yoga, because we love to use English and Sanskrit interchangeably, I guess. (Although I might argue that vinyasa is a misnomer given that the term best translates as “to be placed in a special way”, which, if your teacher is worth their salt, had better describe any sequence. No practice should have poses with haphazard sequencing.) Whichever term you’d prefer to use, this style of asana practice is constantly moving, flowing in and out and through a string of postures with the rhythm of the breath. And while the pace of the transitions can very greatly from one teacher to another, the crux of this style is one of fairly constant motion with breath. It is great for building heat for more supple muscles and connective tissue, practicing mindful movement, and building really strong core muscles needed for safe, graceful transitions between poses.
Some examples of traditions that might produce teachers who fit into the flow-style category:
- Ashtanga
- Baptiste
- Anasura
- Jivamukti
- Kundalini
- SmartFLOW®
Who, what, why & how of power yoga
This is a style that often overlaps flow-style yoga, but tends to incorporate sequencing ‘tricks’ that produce an overall ramping up in intensity. The tricks include a flow-style that might have several long held postures, or perhaps a sequence of several postures in a row that progressively fatigue the same muscle group before switching it up. This style is great for developing the fast-twitch fibers of muscles and building strength in major muscle groups, which make other styles of yoga more accessible.
Some examples of traditions that might produce teachers who fit into the power yoga category:
- Ashtanga
- Baptiste
- Forrest
- Jason Crandell Yoga Method
- SmartFLOW®
Who, what, why & how of restorative yoga
This is a style that stands out most for its prolific use of props, which are used to create the shape and allow you to, more or less, drape yourself into the pose and rest deeply. The expectation is to stretch very passively with little muscular engagement, if any at all. In fact, you are meant to be so comfortable in these poses that you would stay for anywhere from 5-20 minutes in each shape. And while little muscular engagement sounds easy enough, the ability to completely relax the muscles and be still for long periods of time can be enormously challenging. This is a style that is great as a sort of counter-practice to the more intense styles above, or maybe just as a counterbalance to the high-stress lifestyle most of us endure.
Some examples of traditions that might produce teachers who fit into the restorative yoga category:
- Iyengar
- Anasura
- Sivananda
- Viniyoga
Who, what, why & how of yin-style yoga
This style of yoga uses very long, intense holds utilizing controlled, strategic stress on connective tissues – more so than the muscles themselves – to produce greater range of motion over time. Sequences include a handful of postures employing props for ‘supported stays’, often held for 3-5 minutes. It is intended to be a quiet, contemplative practice. Yin-style yoga is so named because its stillness is meant to counter the common yang styles at above.
Although yin-style yoga seems similar to restorative-style yoga, this particular category is unique in that it does not share the lineage history of any other category. Yin yoga actually has its roots primarily in Chinese culture and Taoism, being based on the Taoist principal of yin and yang.
One challenge for students in this style of yoga is finding a teacher the likes of Bernie Clark, well-known yin teacher and author. You will want to look for someone who has the expertise to guide you through a practice without potentially leaving you dangerously just hanging into gravity and over-straining connective tissue to the point of injury.
Crafting a well balanced yoga diet
First, surely you have noticed that many traditions actually produce teachers that fit into multiple categories in Margo’s Official Styles of Yoga™. This amounts to the fact that teachers can only teach what the practice and know. So, whatever they have gleaned from their guru gets translated into what they have to offer you in class. And, of course, the way you are wired will determine if what they have to offer feels like a good fit. Expect to try different studios and teachers to find that Goldilocks’ porridge for yourself. Really. Don’t settle! Next, begin to hash out your routine.
A hatha-style practice twice weekly can give you a regular opportunity to really learn each posture well. Pair it with a power yoga class and a flow-style class during the week to round out practicing those learned postures with deep core work and strength building. Round out the week with at least one restorative or yin yoga practice for an active recovery day. Think of building your yoga routine something like creating the balanced looking plate from MyPlate.
Because we are all uniquely wired, your balanced yoga diet might be just one hatha-style practice + one slow-flow yoga class alternating with two or three restorative practices weekly. But whatever recipe you find balances out your plate, the real key is consistency. Find a routine that you can sustain (read: keep up for months, not just three weeks), because one thing that has not changed for yoga over the years is the need for sustained, regular practice to produce results.
One Final Caveat: Notice if there are particular styles or poses you shy away from – or detest entirely. It may be for entirely valid reasons, such as shoulder surgery last year that makes the repetitive Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Dog Pose) common in many flow classes a really bad idea. Yet it may be a subconscious aversion to doing something new or different, like slowing down and resting in a restorative class. Hint: if you have an über active lifestyle and think to yourself, ‘psshh, lay still and do nothing, on purpose?!’, you might actually find that restorative is a real character building style your mind and nervous system could really use.
Once you settle yourself into your happy routine, move beyond the matwork of physical practice and soak up all that yogic breath work, meditation, and philosophy. To get to this level of yoga, you may have to seek out a teacher with more advanced training and years of experience, as nowadays most 200-hour training available only has time enough to scratch the surface beyond matwork. But if you find a solid asana practice routine works wonders on your life, just imagine what adding these additional layers can do. It’s like the icing on the cake, and nobody wants to skip dessert!
What does your ideal yoga banquet table include? What is the most challenging part of settling into your balanced yoga routine? If you are feeling stuck or unsure, please contact me, and let’s see if we can generate some brilliant ideas to get over those hurdles!