Joanna James
If you are not an expert at yoga, choosing the right moves for you can be a daunting task. There are so many techniques of yoga out there that you need to experiment and settle on a style suited to you. Listed below are some of yoga's most popular styles; read on and choose.
Yoga is so popular that all top holiday destination hotels now offer guests a chance to indulge in the holistic exercise. Maldives resorts known for their paradise-like settings have embraced the technique, offering guests many forms of yoga to indulge in; amongst these, Ashtanga yoga is popular. The name is a derivation from the Indian Sanskrit and means 'eight limbs'. The style is a fast-paced, sequence-based very active form of yoga which focuses on eight important points in the body. Ashtanga yoga practises the ujjayi breathing technique which means 'victorious breath'.
Vinyasa too is a name derived from ancient Sanskrit text; the technique involves various poses which one gets through with the aid of specialised breathing. The name, in fact, translates to 'breathe-synchronized' movement. This style of yoga has movements which look almost like a flowing dance and is thus sometimes called 'flow yoga'. An ideal style of yoga for beginners and advanced yogis alike, it is also an active type of yoga. Perfect to practice at dreamy island resorts like Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, this is one of the most holistic forms of yoga.
Bikram yoga was founded by Bikram Choudhury and is derived from traditional hatha yoga practices. Bikram yoga gained popularity in the 70's and was practised inside a very hot room (95-100 Fahrenheit). The style consists of 26 postures, which include two breathing techniques as well; the two breathing techniques are performed twice during a 90-minute class. This style of yoga is believed to have been the prelude to 'hot yoga' and is quite popular.
As mentioned above, hot yoga refers to yoga practised inside a heated room; of this Vinyasa Flow yoga is the most popular; with yogis practising a type of linked series of poses. The rooms are kept heated between 95-105 degrees Fahrenheit, aimed at inducing sweating and increasing the body's temperature. The high heat is used to promote muscle flexibility and to detoxify the body; it is believed, although debatable, that this increased process of sweating helps the body to get rid of toxins.
Beginners starting off their yoga practices are encouraged to practise this type of yoga; Hatha yoga is a gentle form of yoga and much slower paced than the previously mentioned styles. This type is better known as general yoga and is a favoured form amongst yogis just starting off, and learning the basic postures. With Hatha Yoga, you can choose the pace you want to maintain depending on your flexibility.
Those of you seeking a deeper meaning to yoga as a form of improving yourself physically and spiritually, choose Kundalini yoga. The style explores breathing techniques and more or less the real purpose of your breath, thus improving awareness of your mind and body. A combination of meditation this type of yoga is ideal for calming the mind.
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