Sunday, November 30, 2008

Yoga - A General Overview

By Gary Pearson

Due to the fact that yoga has been present for more than thousand years it has been seen that many variations of yoga can be found now. This article aims at informing about the general concept of yoga and the different types so that you can figure out which one matches your needs the most.

Yogic disciplines generally focus maximum on postures and breathing. But some others focus on other things and use postures and breathing in a suitable way to have maximum impact. One good example is Vinyasa which allows breathing exercises while shifting from one posture to another. Though this form of yoga is quick, focused and not for beginners. It includes styles such as Ashtanga, Power Yoga, Kali Ray TriYoga, White Lotus and Jivamukti.

Iyengar style yoga, on the other hand, is much slower and focused more on fully experiencing each pose and each breath to its fullest potential. Deep intent on the details of each movement helps the practitioner experience a peace and relaxation throughout the mind and body. Props can be used to help beginners and those with disabilities hold poses.

You can practice some types of Yoga to discover your spirituality as it started as a religious enterprise to enlighten the mind and body. Their own type of meditation and yoga is performed in some religions practice, but there are some forms of Yoga which are not connected to it. There is a non-denominational adaptation in some spiritual yogic paths like Integral, Ananda, Kundalini, Sivananda Yoga, ISHTA, Kripalu, Tibetan and Anusara.

Should you come across a form of yoga described as 'hatha,' this is a combination of any of the above types of yoga and more. Focused on promoting a balance between meditative and strength poses, this is a common form of yoga in the West and may be a good place for beginners to start.

Don't hold back! So many different variations of yoga are present that it is possible to try out as many as we want and definitely not stick to one type initially. We should make use of classes which are available and decide the one which matches to our needs. - 15615

About the Author: