Ashtanga Vinyasa

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is a style of yoga developed by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is characterized by a strong, physically demanding practice that includes a set sequence of poses (asanas) linked together through flowing movements (vinyasa). The practice is designed to build heat and energy in the body and improve physical strength, flexibility, and stamina.

In Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, practitioners typically follow a specific series of poses, beginning with a warm-up sequence and moving on to progressively more challenging postures. The practice is traditionally led by a teacher, who calls out the poses and the breathing patterns associated with each pose. The practice is typically done in a room heated to around 95-105 degrees Fahrenheit, to encourage sweating and help the body become more flexible.

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is known for its strong emphasis on discipline and commitment, and practitioners are encouraged to practice regularly and commit to a specific sequence of poses over time. The style is often taught in a traditional Mysore-style format, where students work with a teacher one-on-one or in small groups and progress through the series at their own pace. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is popular with people who are looking for a physically demanding and challenging practice, and is often considered an advanced style of yoga.

Iyengar

Iyengar Yoga is a style of yoga developed by B.K.S. Iyengar, a yoga master who lived in the 20th century. Iyengar Yoga is characterized by a focus on alignment, precision, and the use of props to support the body in the practice of yoga poses (asanas). The goal of Iyengar Yoga is to improve strength, flexibility, and balance, and to develop awareness and control of the body and breath.

In Iyengar Yoga, practitioners work with a trained teacher to learn and practice yoga poses and techniques that are tailored to their individual needs and goals. The use of props, such as blankets, blocks, straps, and walls, is an important aspect of the practice, and helps to make the poses more accessible and safe for people with injuries or other physical limitations. Iyengar Yoga is often considered a therapeutic form of yoga, and is often used as a complementary therapy for a variety of health conditions, including chronic pain, stress, and insomnia.

Iyengar Yoga is known for its strong emphasis on proper alignment and attention to detail, and practitioners are encouraged to focus on the quality of their movements and the breath, rather than on achieving specific physical goals. The style is popular with people who are looking for a structured, disciplined practice that emphasizes the therapeutic benefits of yoga.

Kundalini

Not to be confused with the serpentine energy of the spine or goddess with the same name. There is a style related to the 3HO Organization (Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization) founded by Harbhajan Singh Khalsa aka Yogi Bhajan. Yogi Bhajan was an Indian-born-American yogi, spiritual teacher, and entrepreneur. He introduced his version of Kundalini Yoga to the United States and has since been disgraced and accused of making the practices up entirely. He was the spiritual director and founderof the 3HO Foundation, with over 300 centers in 35 countries.

Sivananda

Sivananda Yoga is a style of yoga founded by Swami Sivananda, a Hindu spiritual teacher and yoga master who lived in the 20th century. Sivananda was born in India in 1887 and studied medicine before becoming a yoga practitioner and teacher. He founded the Divine Life Society, an organization dedicated to spreading the teachings of yoga and Vedanta (a traditional Hindu philosophy), and wrote many books on yoga and spirituality.

Sivananda Yoga is based on the teachings of Swami Sivananda and is characterized by a focus on the traditional five points of yoga: proper exercise (asanas), proper breathing (pranayama), proper relaxation (savasana), proper diet (vegetarianism), and positive thinking (vedanta) and meditation (dhyana). The practice of Sivananda Yoga involves a set of 12 basic asanas (yoga poses), as well as pranayama (breathing techniques) and meditation, and is designed to improve physical health, mental clarity, and spiritual awareness.

Sivananda Yoga has a strong emphasis on the spiritual aspects of yoga and is often practiced in a traditional ashram (yoga retreat center) setting, where students live and study with a guru (teacher). The style has a large following around the world, with Sivananda Yoga Centers and ashrams established in many countries.

Tantra

The spiritual movement that influenced the development of most Asian religions. Thought and traditions that emerge out of the Indian Tantrik movement (800-1200 CE) - the religion of Shiva & Shakti, commonly known as Shaivism. Buddhist Tantra; and many of the practices of Buddhist Tantra were directly adopted from the classical Śaiva Tantra. Tantra is a philosophical and spiritual tradition that originated in ancient India and has roots in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. The word "tantra" has been defined as "loom" or "woven together," and the central concept of Tantra is the idea that the individual self and the universal divine are interconnected and interdependent.

In Tantra, the ultimate goal is to achieve enlightenment and merge with the divine, and the path to this goal involves working with the energies of the body and mind through various practices such as yoga, meditation, and ritual. These practices are designed to help the practitioner cultivate awareness, awaken and harness their own inner energies, and purify their consciousness.

There are many different schools and approaches to Tantra, and the specific practices and beliefs of Tantra can vary widely. Some people view Tantra as a form of yoga or spiritual path, while others see it as a form of sexual or sensual practice. In modern times, the term "tantra" is often associated with various forms of yoga and spiritual practices that incorporate elements of the Tantric tradition.

Restorative

the practice of asanas, each held for longer than in conventional classes, often with the support of props such as folded blankets, to relax the body. An early disciple of B.K.S. Iyengar, the yoga teacher Judith Lasater, helped to create Restorative Yoga by 2007, based on Iyengar Yoga's asanas and use of props. Restorative Yoga sessions allow the body to slow down and relax in a small number of asanas. Each pose is held for longer than in conventional classes, sometimes for twenty minutes, so a session may consist of only four to six asanas. The long holding of poses is often assisted with props such as folded blankets, to ensure the body is fully supported and so to allow the muscles to relax

Power

Bryan Kest, who studied Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga under K. Pattabhi Jois, and Baron Baptiste, a Bikram enthusiast, separately put their own spins on the style, and branded it. Neither Baron Baptiste's Power Yoga[citation needed] nor Bryan Kest's Power Yoga are synonymous with Ashtanga Yoga. In 1995, Pattabhi Jois wrote a letter to Yoga Journal expressing his disappointment at the association between his Ashtanga Yoga, and the newly coined style "power yoga", referring to it as "ignorant bodybuilding

Vinyasa

A vinyasa can refer to a smooth transition between asanas in styles of modern yoga as exercise such as Vinyasa Krama Yoga, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and Bikram Yoga,especially when movement is paired with the breath.The vinyasa forms of yoga used as exercise, including Pattabhi Jois's 1948 Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and its spin-off schools such as Beryl Bender Birch's 1995 Power Yoga and others like Baptiste Yoga, Jivamukti Yoga, Vinyasa Flow Yoga, Power Vinyasa Yoga, and Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga, derive from Krishnamacharya's development of a flowing aerobic style of yoga in the Mysore Palace in the early 20th century

Yin

Yin Yoga is a slow-paced style of yoga as exercise, incorporating principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, with asanas (postures) that are held for longer periods of time. For beginners, asanas may be held from 45 seconds to two minutes; more advanced practitioners may stay in one asana for five minutes or more. The sequences of postures are meant to stimulate the channels of the subtle body known as meridians in Chinese medicine and as nadis in Hatha yoga

Hot Yoga

Hot yoga is a form of yoga as exercise performed under hot and humid conditions, resulting in considerable sweating. Some hot yoga practices seek to replicate the heat and humidity of India, where yoga originated. Bikram Choudhury has suggested that the heated environment of Bikram Yoga helps to prepare the body for movement and to "remove impurities”

Core Power

CorePower Yoga, based in Denver, Colorado, is the largest yoga studio chain in the United States with over 200 studios. The company was founded by Trevor Tice in 2002.In April 2019, a class action lawsuit was filed against the company by more than 1,500 employees, alleging gross underpayment of wages — the fourth such lawsuit against the company.

JivaMukti

Jivamukti is a physical, ethical, and spiritual practice, combining a vigorous yoga as exercise, vinyasa-based physical style with adherence to five central tenets: shastra (scripture), bhakti (devotion), ahimsā (nonviolence, non-harming), nāda (music), and dhyana (meditation). It also emphasizes animal rights, veganism, environmentalism,[2] and social activism Jivamukti Yoga has developed a reputation as the chosen yoga style of many celebrities.

ViniYoga

Viniyoga is the individualised style of yoga as exercise, also called Vinyasa Krama Yoga, developed by Tirumalai Krishnamacharya and taught by his son T. K. V. Desikachar. The American Viniyoga Institute was founded and is directed by Gary Kraftsow. Viniyoga is a therapeutic form of yoga that emphasizes individualized adaptations of yoga postures and breath techniques. It is based on the teachings of T. Krishnamacharya, a yoga master who lived in the early 20th century, and his son T.K.V. Desikachar, who developed the Viniyoga tradition.

In Viniyoga, the focus is on using yoga as a means of improving health and well-being, rather than on achieving specific physical poses or spiritual goals. Viniyoga practitioners work with a trained teacher to learn and practice yoga poses and breath techniques that are tailored to their specific needs and goals. This may involve adapting the pace, duration, and intensity of the practice to suit the individual's ability, as well as incorporating props and modifications to make the practice accessible and safe for people with injuries or other physical limitations.

Viniyoga is often used as a complementary therapy for a variety of health conditions, including chronic pain, stress, anxiety, and insomnia. It is also popular with people who are looking to improve their overall health and well-being through yoga practice.

Bikram

Bikram Yoga is a proprietary system of hot yoga as exercise devised by Bikram Choudhury; it became popular in the early 1970s. Classes consist of a fixed sequence of 26 postures, practised in a room heated to 105 °F (41 °C) with a humidity of 40%, intended to replicate the climate of India. The room is fitted with carpets and the walls are covered in mirrors; the instructor does not adjust the students, who are expected to adjust themselves. Choudhury's teaching style was abrasive.Bikram Yoga spread rapidly across America and the Western world, reaching a peak of some 1,650 studios in at least 40 countries in 2006. Choudhury attempted to copyright the Bikram Yoga sequence from 2011, but was ultimately unsuccessful. In 2016, facing lawsuits and accusations of sexual assault, Choudhury fled to India, leaving Bikram Yoga, Inc. to be run by others

Anusara

Anusara School of Hatha Yoga, also known as Anusara Yoga is the successor of a modern school of hatha yoga founded by American-born yoga teacher John Friend in 1997. Friend derived his style from the Iyengar style of yoga and reintroduced elements of Hindu spirituality into a more health-oriented Western approach to Yoga. It was characterized by a focus on aligning the body with a set of universal principles of alignment, known as the "Anusara principles," and incorporating elements of Sanskrit philosophy and tantric teaching into the practice.

In 2012, John Friend was accused of sexual misconduct and financial improprieties, and as a result, many Anusara teachers and studios left the organization and the style underwent significant changes. In the years since these events, Anusara Yoga has evolved and is no longer associated with John Friend or the Anusara organization. Some yoga teachers and studios continue to teach and practice Anusara Yoga, but the style is not as widely recognized or practiced as it was in the past.

Integral

Integral yoga, also called supramental yoga, is the yoga-based philosophy and practice of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother (Mirra Alfassa). Sri Aurobindo finds that there has always been impulse or longings in humans in search for God, Light, Bliss, Freedom, Immortality which has presented itself in a right place in a sequence, which Nature is seeking to evolve beyond mind. This sequence on one end which depicts Life is already involved in Matter (or Matter a form of veiled life, i.e. life being evolved out of matter) and mind in life (i.e. mind being evolved out of life), leading to the understanding that currently the mind is also a veil of higher states which are beyond mind. Nature via the said impulses would gradually prepare for a higher living and a diviner life.

ViniYoga

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Brands of Yoga

There are many different brands of yoga, and the popularity of each brand can vary depending on a number of factors, including the location, culture, and personal preferences of the practitioners. Some of the most popular brands of yoga in the world today include:

YogaWorks

YogaWorks is a popular yoga brand that offers a range of yoga classes, teacher training programs, and retreats. YogaWorks has studios and affiliated locations in many countries around the world.

CorePower Yoga

CorePower Yoga is a popular yoga brand that offers a variety of yoga classes, including heated and non-heated options, as well as teacher training programs and retreats. CorePower Yoga has studios and affiliated locations in many countries around the world.

Lululemon

Lululemon is a popular athletic apparel brand that offers a range of yoga and fitness classes, as well as events and retreats. Lululemon has studios and affiliated locations in many countries around the world.

Equinox

Equinox is a luxury fitness brand that offers a range of yoga classes, as well as other fitness and wellness services. Equinox has locations in many countries around the world.

Yogafit

Yogafit is a popular yoga brand that offers a range of yoga classes, teacher training programs, and retreats. Yogafit has affiliated locations in many countries around the world.

Yoga Alliance

Yoga Alliance is a professional organization that offers a range of resources and services for yoga teachers and studios, including teacher training programs and certification. Yoga Alliance has a large following around the world.

Gaiam

Gaiam is a lifestyle company that offers a wide range of products and services related to yoga and wellness. Gaiam Yoga is a line of yoga products and accessories offered by the company, including yoga mats, props, and apparel. Gaiam is known for its commitment to sustainability, and many of its yoga products are made from eco-friendly materials. The company also offers a variety of yoga classes, both online and in-person, for people of all levels of experience. Gaiam is based in Louisville, Colorado and was founded in 1988.

Alo

Alo Yoga is a lifestyle and athletic apparel company that specializes in yoga-inspired clothing and accessories. The company was founded in 2007 and is based in Los Angeles, California. Alo Yoga offers a wide range of yoga-related products, including yoga mats, clothing, and accessories. The company's clothing line includes leggings, sports bras, tanks, and more, all designed to be comfortable and functional for yoga practice and other physical activities. Alo Yoga is known for its high-quality, stylish, and performance-driven products, and it has a loyal following among yoga practitioners and athletes. In addition to its physical products, the company also offers a variety of online yoga classes and other wellness content.

Manduka

Manduka is a company that specializes in yoga-related products, including yoga mats, props, and accessories. The company was founded in 1997 and is based in El Segundo, California. Manduka is known for its high-quality, durable yoga mats, which are designed to be comfortable and supportive for practitioners of all levels. The company's mats are made from a variety of materials, including natural rubber, recycled materials, and microfiber, and are available in a range of sizes and colors. In addition to its yoga mats, Manduka also offers a range of other yoga-related products, including yoga props, clothing, and accessories. The company is committed to sustainability and uses eco-friendly materials in many of its products.