Where You're at Yoga

Wait, there’s different types of yoga?

The following list is meant as an overview, and is not exhaustive. There’s a lot of yoga out there, some intersecting with religions, and some not. But for people that vaguely know yoga is recommended as a good thing and that it might be a good thing for them, this should get you started!

I have had friends share how confused they’ve been by the yoga classes they’ve attended. More than once, I’ve had someone say, “I went to this class at (insert local yoga studio here), and it was so slow-paced, but then I had to go to class at a different time of day, and it felt very rushed and aerobic. I was so confused!”

The comments woke me up. I have lived so long with yoga that knowing there were different kinds of it was common knowledge – to me. It didn’t occur to me that it isn’t common knowledge to others that there are different types of yoga practice.

If I want to get technical about it, and I will get more technical as we go on, most of what people call yoga is technically asana practice. Asana, translated from Sanskrit, means “body posture.”

Yoga studios will offer a buffet of asana practice, or they will focus on one or two types. It all depends on who runs the studio.

The following is not an exhaustive list of types of asana practice.

The following are flavors of yoga you will likely encounter in the Kalamazoo area.

Hatha Yoga

Hatha Yoga is the foundational yoga for all other yogic practices. While we can explore this more later, it was often described to me as the “physical poses only,” practice. I disagree with that assessment, but it does have less woo” involved compared to other practices.

Vinyasa Yoga

Also called “flow yoga,” Vinyasa is a practice that strengthens muscles and cardio. The practitioner moves fast between poses, frequently repeating a set series of them. People who like to move and keep moving often love Vinyasa. It is much more a practice for strength and cardio health than it is for flexibility.

I don’t plan to teach Vinyasa, but I’ve surprised myself before, so I will never say never. My first experience with Vinyasa helped me learn something: : flexibility is not the point of yoga. The point of yoga is to harmonize your inner and outer experience. So if yoga is helping you, you can hear your own thoughts and they won’t hurt you.

Yin Yoga

Yin Yoga is Vinyasa’s extreme opposite. Yin is slow, deliberate, and mostly floor work. Poses are held for between 2 and 6 minutes, and yes, falling asleep can and does happen. Yin is for people who need to slow down and process all their feelings, physical and otherwise. It blends especially well with a practice called yoga nidra, a style of deep guided meditation.

Restorative Yoga

Restorative yoga is about recharging and renourishing, especially after dealing with high stress. In restorative yoga, you often see lots of props such as blankets, bolsters, pillows, and straps. Rather than increasing flexibility or building strength, Restorative yoga soothes the nervous system.

Chakra Yoga

Specific asanas stimulate, recharge, and clean energy centers in our bodies. A chakra yoga practice focuses on one of the seven main chakras per session. Sometimes people work with them all , it depends on the teacher and the level. Each energy point connects to a cluster of organs. It also connects emotional experiences, and developmental phases that go with it. If you want to feel your body AND your emotions, chakra yoga is the plate to go.

Hot Yoga

Hot Yoga, or Bikram yoga, is pretty popular with many of my friends in the Kalamazoo area. The studio is heated to 105 degrees, and the class then runs through 84 poses. Like Vinyasa, it is a deeply athletic practice that some people very much enjoy. The heat loosens muscles, making it easier to get into certain asanas.

Kalamazoo has some great options in the area, and finding what works for you is part of the journey. Do you like to move? Do you feel like you’re getting the most out of your body when sweating? Do you yearn to slow down, or would you feel self-conscious trying to keep up in a fast-paced class? Ask yourself these questions to find what’s right for you. It’s your yoga, and it’s meant to make your life and your community better through your healing. So what fits that need the best?