I feel like a lot of posts similar to this would be titled something along the lines of “what type of yoga should you do?” My answer to that is that I have absolutely no idea what type of yoga you should do. I’m no expert, but I can tell you about my experiences with some different types of yoga and maybe it can help you decide which one best suits your body and your goals.
The studio I go to offers a handful of different types of yoga that I’ll do my best to define based on class names and a handful of Google searches.
Vinyasa
While I’ve been doing some of the slower paced classes that help build the foundation for this class, I’ve only taken a couple of these classes, so far. My first impressions are good. When it comes to physical activity, I have a really hard time with monotony. That’s made endurance sports like cross-country running, Nordic skiing, and even road biking a hard sell for most of my life. I need a little more action; something to keep my mind occupied and body moving. That’s what I really like about this style of class. It’s a bit of an ass kicker and the pace is a lot faster than what I’ve gotten used to during my first few months of practicing yoga, but I’ve actually enjoyed the workout and learning the flow.
Deep stretch
According to the internet, this class appears to fall into the Yin category. When I first started practicing yoga to help loosen up my hips and hamstrings and provide some relief to a years-long bout with chronic, and sometimes near crippling, lower back pain, this was my biggest draw and remains one of my favorite classes. Holding these stretches for longer periods of time and learning to use props like blocks, bolsters, and straps has really helped me create a lot of space in my body over the last few months. While I’m sure it’s from a combination of classes and other contributing factors, this is the class I credit most with helping to heal my back and it’s where I’m able to notice the most progress. This class makes me value the time spent working on mobility. I’ve even found myself enjoying what’s often an uncomfortable process.
Slow flow
I think this tends to be a combination of the Vinyasa and Hatha styles of yoga. I’ve done Vinyasa and barely know how to describe it, so don’t even ask me about Hatha — I don’t know how to characterize it and I don’t believe I’ve taken a class that’s purely Hatha style. Back to slow flow. This is one of those foundational yoga classes at my studio. You learn the basics of the common poses and progressions you’ll find in Vinyasa and other classes like sun salutations, warriors 1-3, and the absolute banes of my existence — pyramid and anything involving upper body twists where I’m not laying on the floor. This is a great class that I’ve really come to enjoy as I do my best to perfect the yoga basics.
Aerial
This is a spinal decompression class involving a hammock suspended from the ceiling that you use as a prop and it is an absolute blast. It was my first-ever yoga class and helped make entering the studio for the first time a lot less intimidating. It’s a gateway yoga, if you will. The class itself is a combination of slow flow and deep stretch, though I personally treat it more as a deep stretch where I get to hang upside down from time to time. This is among the least-strenuous styles of yoga I’ve experienced, so far, but I would highly recommend it. If you try this one out, I challenge you to make it through an entire class without having a big ol’ smile plastered on your face at one point or another. I bet you can’t do it.
Restorative
Honestly, this isn’t my thing. I’ve tried it a couple times, but I don’t feel like I get much of anything out of it aside from a little pre-bedtime nap. I suppose that’s kind of the point, though. For those who need a full on mental reset and just want to lay in near-silence for an hour, or maybe those who practice meditation, this may be the class for you. For me, however, it’s too slow, and it doesn’t fit with my reasons for practicing yoga.
Bikram
This is not an option at my studio, but I recently tried it a couple times on vacation. I know there are a lot of die-hards who swear by this particular style, but I can say 100% this is not my thing and I have no interest in stepping foot in another class. This style of yoga is too culty for me. It’s the cross fit of the yoga world. I do, however, respect the hard work and dedication of those who opt for this particular practice. This style of yoga is hard. The 90-minute classes in a 100+ degree studio that smells like a hockey locker room (it’s a terrible smell, for those who haven’t experienced it) is no joke and just surviving it is an accomplishment. When the instructor told me before my first class that my two goals for the day should be to breathe through my nose as much as possible and stay in the room the entire class (and do a couple poses), I knew I was going to be in for something next level. I couldn’t do it the first time, but I did during my second class. I can’t lie, there was something resembling pride when I was able to do most of the poses and stay in the room the whole time, but at this point in my yoga practice I’d rather focus on becoming proficient in the poses and getting the form right than spend a not insignificant portion of class laying on my mat with the room spinning while I struggle to cling to life. OK, that might be a little dramatic, but not as dramatic as I’d like to admit.
There are lots of other types of yoga out there, according to the internet, but looking at brief descriptions of each, most seem to have a much larger emphasis on the spiritual side of the practice. And that’s not my thing either. I’m just doing yoga.