Choosing a Style that Fits Your Personality

Since this is a brief introduction to the great universe of yoga styles, let's focus on the classical styles and some of the major spin-offs. Ashtanga, Iyengar and Kripalu are the primary schools for most yoga teachers and are the roots for the "signature" styles that have evolved as a teacher has transformed over time.

This is a very basic formula for you to use to find a suitable style. Any style of yoga that includes postures is Hatha (force) yoga. Hatha yoga is the yoga of energy and freedom of the spine. It can be vigorous (Ashtanga), gentle (Kripalu and its spin-off - Integrative Yoga Therapy) concerned with detail-using props to encourage proper alignment (Iyengar), or very free flowing and willful (Kripalu). Then there are fiery and athletic (Ashtanga) or "hot" styles (Bikram) where the room is heated to a high temperature making the students sweat profusely to remove toxins from their bodies. This is a mini-tour through the ever-expanding universe. The names of the styles vary, the postures are practiced differently, however, the result is the same. That is increased flexibility, overall strength, improved balance and a sense of calmness to the mind.