Since its appearance in the West a little over fifty years ago, yoga has continued to spread and convince new followers. An ancestral practice, yoga does not escape fashion phenomena, and new types of yoga appear regularly. Finally, we are not talking about a yoga in the singular but about yogas in the plural. These make up a whole landscape in which novices find it difficult to find their way. This article takes stock of the main (and most serious) types of yoga.
Hatha yoga is the classic form of yoga, the one that inspires most other types. It consists of the establishment of postures, some of which can be grouped together to form a sequence as in the famous salutation to the sun.
The Sanskrit particle “ha” means sun and “tha” means moon. There is the idea of going to connect to a reality as a whole, without selecting one version over another. The spirit is the same as that which is evoked in the tàijítú, symbol of the yin-yang:finding harmony and balance through the union of opposites. It is through postural experience that we progress to get closer to this goal.
During the lessons, the pace is slow and allows moments of introspection and mindfulness. Breathing plays a fundamental role in postural practice, with some yoga masters not hesitating to declare that if you know how to breathe, you know how to do yoga. The control of breathing obviously goes far beyond the simple fact of breathing on a daily basis. It is about controlling the breath and using it to feed the different energies that drive us:this is called pranayama . Some teachers may also suggest chanting or reciting mantras.
Ashtanga yoga is a first variant of hatha yoga. This practice was developed by Sri T. Krishnamacharya who systematized the learning of the postures by building 6 series, of increasing difficulty. The postures follow each other fluidly and at a steady pace, which makes it a physically demanding practice, unsuitable for beginners.
The series are repeated until they are perfectly mastered. The best known students of Sri T. Krishnamacharya are B.K.S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois (who taught yoga to Sting and Madonna, which greatly contributed to its development) and Indra Devi. Each of them tinted this practice in their own way. The very harsh teaching of these masters, in accordance with Indian tradition, has today given way to a pedagogy that respects the body and its limits much more.
This yoga master has left aside the sequences of Sri T. Krishnamacharya to focus on a postural practice that pays a lot of attention to the logic of alignment different parts of the body together. To be able to correct the defects of the body, the postures are held for a long time and are placed with the help of accessories:blocks, chairs, belts, blankets. It is a rigorous yoga that is particularly suitable for people in rehabilitation, even if often the postures conveyed by the teachers are quite extreme.
Created by one of the sons of Sri T. Krishnamacharya, T.K.V. Desikachar, vinyoga is a form of hatha yoga that breaks away from his father's hardline approach.
The term is constructed from the Sanskrit particle Vi , which means "adaptation", and Ni which means “proper application”. More than a specific type of yoga, it is a particular approach which is based on the adaptation of postures to the person and the use of the whole range of yoga practices (breathing, meditation, etc.) to treat the different disorders from which she may suffer, forming a real yoga therapy.
Vinyasa is a choreographic approach to yoga in which the sequence takes precedence. Accuracy in posture comes with practice. The postures are linked logically with transitions. This type of yoga is very creative and physical because, once the postures are individually integrated, the rhythm of the sequence is sustained. Of course, as with all types of yoga, the breath is precisely placed on certain movements and these are carried out in coordination with the breath.
This type of yoga is particularly suitable for people who are in good physical shape but who have great difficulty concentrating. Indeed, the flow of movement creates a meditative state (which is also sought after in other types of yoga, but with less movement). The practitioner can only achieve what is required if he is fully present. There is no room for distraction or boredom in a vinyasa session.
The creative logic of vinyasa has been pushed to create the possibility of practicing yoga in an air hammock , acrobatic fabric used in circus arts and aerial dance. During the postures, you remain in contact with the ground or you are completely in the air.
Despite appearances, it is a type of yoga accessible to all , whatever your physical shape or build. It has three levels of difficulty. The advantage brought by the use of the aerial hammock is to maintain inverted postures (that is to say postures where the head is found below the level of the pelvis). You have to be careful, but the supervision of a confirmed teacher avoids risks related to the cardiovascular system. A contraindication may exist if you have too high blood pressure. Do not hesitate to seek the advice of your doctor, specifying which type of yoga you wish to practice.
Kundalini yoga is arguably the most meditative type of yoga. of all. Also called “yoga of consciousness”, it aims to master kundalini. “Kundalini” is the name given by the Indians to what they identify as an energy wrapped around the spine, asleep, and which has to be awakened in order to reach a higher state of consciousness. It is a yoga that requires a lot on the emotional level. . The work of the breath, the postures, the songs and the meditations which are proposed have an astonishingly powerful effect on the psyche and can even prove to be dangerous if it is badly framed or if it is practiced by sensitive people, being able to cause strong depressions.
Yin yoga is another very meditative yoga, largely inspired by the work of the mind on the body that kundalini yoga offers. But unlike the latter, it takes a step aside from the Indian tradition and is anchored in traditional Chinese medicine , therefore probably more qi gong than yoga strictly speaking.
The idea of this practice is to offer another way to connect the mind to the body. In yin yoga, through the practice of a dozen postures, we invite you to become aware of the meridians of the body, associated with areas of the body or organs to circulate energy, chi, and access physical and moral balance.
In this range of yoga practices, everyone can find the one that corresponds to their temperament, their physical form and their ability to concentrate. More or less dynamic, more or less meditative, more or less rigorous, more or less creative, each approach is colored by the teacher who leaves his mark on his practice. The teaching of yoga is not mechanical and each practice is interpreted by the teacher who leads the sessions according to his personality.
Apart from a few meditative practices, all types of yoga improve flexibility and strengthen your core muscles. By improving your general posture, and that of your back in particular, you breathe better and your brain functions better.
This is also why yoga practice, including the more meditative types, improves concentration. Finally, yoga is widely known to decrease stress levels among practitioners. It is certainly this benefit that makes yoga so famous and attractive.
