What’s Your Flavor of Yoga?

Yoga: You used to be lucky if you could find a class near you. Now, studios have so many options that it’s challenging to choose which yoga workout to try. Whether you’re new to yoga or just looking for more ways to explore the mind-body workout you love, learn more about the flavors of yoga to find your perfect stretch.

Hot – Hot yoga devotees claim this superheated style of yoga majorly detoxes and purifies. As you work through poses, you’ll sweat and find the heat allows for a deeper stretch. The heat (which can get up to 105 in a Bikram style class) isn’t for everyone; if you have concerns about whether this style of yoga is safe for you, talk to your doctor.

Hatha – If you’re a total newbie, you might love beginner Hatha classes. They introduce many of yoga’s baseline practices, from mindfulness and yogic breathing to core poses like chair, down dog, or mountain. Props help you achieve poses without straining.

Power – Perfect for the yogi who’s always in motion, power yoga classes kick things up a notch. You’ll typically move through a sequence once to get the moves down, then work through it at a fast pace to increase the class’s cardio benefits. Power yoga isn’t recommended for beginners, who might not have proper pose form down yet. If you’ve got a few classes under your belt, give power yoga a try.

Vinyasa – The Sanskrit word for “flow,” Vinyasa classes typically have a flowing form that pushes you through a series of poses, including classic Sun salutations. These are best for yogis with familiarity of basic poses.

Fusion – A fusion yoga class typically combines two or more complementary yoga styles to give you the benefits of each. Look to the fusion class’s specific name or read the class description to get a better idea of what the class offers and if it’s right for you.

Yin – Slow, gentle yin yoga classes are ideal for those times when you want to slow things down and get a deep stretch. They’re also great classes for yoga beginners, athletes sidelined from their main sport, or anyone who wants a deeper mind-body connection. These classes work through a few poses, holding each for 1-10 minutes to really unwind muscle tension.

These are just some of the most common yoga styles you can find in group class format. If we missed your favorite type of yoga, let us know how you flow in the comments.