Yoga's Different Styles

Yoga is known to be inherited from the ancient health disciplines. Although numerous styles of yoga have emerged over the past few yeas, the major difference between these styles is more on the intensity to which you perform it rather than how you do it. It means the prime differences are on things like how you align your body, what kind of breathing method you follow and how it is linked to your movements, how you stay in a posture and how to shift from one posture to the another one.

Astanga style of yoga was developed by K. Pattabhi. Astanga is a Sanskrit word meaning eight limbs. This yoga style puts focus on speed. The routines are generally quite intense and require a lot from the practitioner as he shifts from one posture to another continually. Astanga has been subsequently developed into the more advanced Power Yoga. This modern form of yoga inherits mostly from astanga the speed and flow of the routine, although the asanas may vary from the ones that Astanga prescribes.

The Iyengar style of yoga was developed on the basis of the findings of the renowned yogic guru B.K.S Iyengar. Body alignment is one prime focus in this style of yoga. One of the most important aspects of yoga, the alignment of body is generally the position you hold while performing the asanas. This alignment decides how effective each of the asanas would be. Iyengar suggested that it is extremely important to hold a pose for a longer period of time in order to maximize the effects of the asana.

Developed by T.K.V Desiachar, Viniyoga yoga style is one of widely used styles of yoga all across the world. The emphasis in this form of yoga is on the breathing techniques and how you coordinate your breathing with your bodily movements.