Ashtanga or kundalini? Choose your yoga style.

According to estimates by the International Yoga Federation, approximately 300 million people practice yoga in the world. In Poland – at least 300,000. For many, yoga is not only a sport, but also a philosophy of life.

– Yoga came to Poland not as fashionable gymnastics or a type of fitness from the West, but as body and soul exercises from the East, from the very source. According to a study by the "Boso na matcie" portal, approximately 300,000 people practiced yoga in Poland in 2016. people. There is no new data, but it should be assumed that during the pandemic yoga has become even more popular in our country, says yogi Ewa Biała , owner of the "Joga Biała" school. He adds that the fashion for yoga began in Poland in the 1970s, when the first textbook "Hatha yoga for everyone" was published.

Hatha yoga and its derivatives.

Hatha is the yoga tradition best known in Western culture. Compared to classical yoga, hatha is more body-focused . In principle, this term can be used to refer to any type of yoga based on asana (body positions) and pranayama (breathing exercises). All schools or styles of yoga mentioned in this article are modified varieties of hatha yoga.

Yoga styles available in Poland.

According to instructor Ewa Biała, the most popular variety in Poland is Iyengar yoga . Approximately 40% of exercisers practice it . Next in line is Ashtanga yoga , practiced by approximately 24% . Yoga styles derived from it are also popular - vinyasa and dynamic yoga.

– There are also schools of Bikram yoga in Poland , which should be practiced at temperatures similar to those in India (approx. 35 degrees). There are also calmer styles like Sivananda . They are more focused on spirituality and less on body development, like Kundalini yoga, says Ewa Biała. As he emphasizes, it is good to know a little about the subject that interests us before we start practicing. However, the most important thing is to practice. Because, as the ancient saying goes (this time from our European tradition), "mens sana in corpore sano" or "a healthy mind in a healthy body".

Iyengar yoga.

This is the most popular type of yoga, recommended for people who are just starting to practice and want to find out if yoga is for them. Various accessories help with exercises - blocks, belts, blankets and chairs. They allow you to "enter" positions more easily. The emphasis is on the precision of movements and body positions in individual asanas, in which the practitioners stay for a long time. This type of yoga lacks smooth, dynamic transitions from one position to another. As in any type of yoga, great importance is attached to proper breathing (you can read about its power here).  Iyengar is recommended to those who are looking for balance, relaxation and gentle strengthening of the body. And the spirit, although there are relatively few strictly spiritual elements in this variety.

Ashtanga yoga.

Compared to Iyengar yoga, it is a much more dynamic variety . During the practice, practitioners are constantly moving, and the emphasis is on stretching the body and calming the head. This effect is achieved through sequences of exercises that strive for perfect repeatability. To practice ashtanga, you need to be in good shape, because there is no time to rest during training . The movement is continuous and the duration in the position is relatively short (up to 5 breaths).

Vinyasa Yoga.

It is a dynamic type of yoga, but it does not require the same preparation and fitness as ashtanga, from which it comes. Here, it is also important to focus on the movement , which should be smooth and uninterrupted, but the most important thing is to synchronize it with the breathing . Instructors emphasize that this type of yoga works very well as a stress reliever . This is due to the focus on the breath and the continuity of movement, which is intended to symbolize all the ongoing changes we face throughout life.

Bikram yoga.

One of its varieties is the so-called hot yoga . In this variation, the circumstances in which we perform them are as important as the asanas performed . The temperature in the exercise room should be approximately 40 degrees Celsius, and the air should be at least 40% humidity. Such conditions make the body relax more easily and the muscles have greater opportunities. So if we don't have experience, it's easy to overdo it and overtrain. If we want to try this type of yoga, it is worth starting with other, less demanding varieties.

Kundalini Yoga.

Here the emphasis is on spirituality even more than in the practice of other varieties. Regularly practicing this type of yoga, called the yoga of consciousness , is supposed to release negative emotions and cleanse the body and spirit. For these reasons, Kundalini yoga is often practiced alone, focused and attentively. Much attention is paid to pranayama, i.e. breathing technique and its cleansing power. This type of training is accompanied by mantras. Practitioners also often practice mudras , which are the appropriate positioning of (mainly) hands. Each system corresponds to specific states, emotions or organs.

New styles of yoga.

Every now and then there is a buzz about a new type of yoga, which usually becomes fashionable when someone from the front pages of newspapers (and websites) admits that they practice this way. Such subtypes of yoga include aerial yoga , which is practiced on special harnesses (very spectacular), laughter yoga and... beer yoga . Naked yoga gained some popularity some time ago , the advantage of which was a completely different feeling without restrictive clothes. Experienced yogis treat these fads leniently. 

– Yoga is not only a currently fashionable system of physical and breathing exercises that is very helpful in maintaining health and fitness. It is also an ancient, oldest preserved philosophical system to this day, says yogi Ewa Biała. He adds that in this system, body positions (asanas) occupy only a small part. The point is that the body should not interfere with the improvement of other areas.

Bibliography:

1. Rogowski M., “Guide to yoga styles”, Yogabazar.pl, October 1, 2019
2. “Types of Yoga: A Guide to the Different Styles”, yogamedicine.com, May 18, 2018
3. “Types of yoga, or practice the way your body needs it”, portalyogi.pl.