Maybe you've never tried yoga. Maybe you go every once in a while... but you've only gone to vinyasa, because the other ones on the schedule sound too scary and/or boring and/or too hard.
Whatever the case, yoga teacher Virginia Fugman has good news: "There's yoga for everybody," she says. "From prenatal yoga to chair yoga, that's what's amazing about yoga. You can find a type of yoga to serve you in the moment that you need it. The thing about life is — we change. Our bodies change, our minds change, our emotions change. Wherever we are in life, yoga can help us to be a better person."
With that in mind, let's dive into some of the major types. Though by no means a comprehensive list, this should get you started with some basic facts. But first, a deep breath all the way in... and release.
Image via Lightspruch/Getty
Whatever the case, yoga teacher Virginia Fugman has good news: "There's yoga for everybody," she says. "From prenatal yoga to chair yoga, that's what's amazing about yoga. You can find a type of yoga to serve you in the moment that you need it. The thing about life is — we change. Our bodies change, our minds change, our emotions change. Wherever we are in life, yoga can help us to be a better person."
With that in mind, let's dive into some of the major types. Though by no means a comprehensive list, this should get you started with some basic facts. But first, a deep breath all the way in... and release.
Image via Lightspruch/Getty
With restorative yoga, you will hold postures for anywhere from 7-20 minutes. It is stretchy and relaxing, and uses props like blankets and bolsters to do poses. A good restorative yoga can rejuvenate and re-energize you.
Image via PeopleImages/Getty
Image via PeopleImages/Getty
Hatha is a slow-paced yoga that's great for beginners. It's sort of a blanket term for yoga that teaches basic poses in a relaxed setting.
Image via Jordan Siemens/Getty
Image via Jordan Siemens/Getty
If you're looking for a workout, vinyasa might be your jam. More rigorous than those previously discussed, Vinyasa yoga generally involves a series of poses that flow from one to another, linking breath to movement.
Image via Klaus Vedfelt/Getty
Image via Klaus Vedfelt/Getty
Hydrate before, during, and after hot yoga, because you're going to be a big ol' sweatball. In Bikram specifically, you do 26 poses in a room heated to 41°C with 40 percent humidity. Hot yoga sometimes deviates from the sequence trademarked by Bikram Choudhury, but it's pretty much the same thing. This type of yoga is meant to detoxify.
Image via Matt Cardy/Getty
Image via Matt Cardy/Getty