Feeling stressed and knotty? Here’s how to find the right yoga style for you

“Have you tried yoga?” Is a common response when telling friends you’re stressed. Much like long walks, warm baths and steamy cups of tea, it’s a go-to for relaxation and recuperation, stretching out the knots of hardened worries.

While yoga traditionally evokes imagery of dimmed lights and downward dogs, the practice is hugely varied, with different teachers drawing on numerous styles including hatha, vinyasa, Iyengar, ashtanga, yin and more.

Originating in Northern India more than 5,000 years ago, the word yoga was first seen in the ancient Hindu sacred texts ‘Rig Veda’. Since its globalisation over the last century, it has evolved massively to be more focused on movement and physical postures.

At the core of every type of yoga are poses known as asanas, which can range from calming, like the child’s pose, to vigorous – handstand scorpion, anyone? Although, with so many different terms and types, it can become a bit of a minefield for beginners to figure out where to start.

“The best is the one that works for you,” said Tim Yılı, who has been teaching yoga in California for the last 22 years. “There are many different paths leading toward the same aim.”

Here’s a guide to some of the most popular styles of yoga and their different intensity levels.

The hatha/yin yoga styles

While it might mean ‘force’, hatha is actually very gentle and a great option for those just starting out. It refers to any kind of yoga class that involves the aforementioned asanas. For example, it’s very common for these classes (and many others) to begin with what’s known as a sun salutation, a foundational sequence of 12 asanas.

Hatha classes are generally centred around breathing exercises (pranayama), with each pose held for a few breaths and movement slower between, allowing for more relaxation while improving flexibility and balance.

Another style, yin, is even more focused on recovery by working to stretch the muscles’ connective tissue. Students hold poses for 5 minutes or more, allowing the body to settle into a pose rather than pushing it.

The vinyasa/ashtanga styles

If you’re looking to get more vigorous, vinyasa is a more flowing form of yoga that coordinates movement with breath over a progression of asanas. Some higher-level vinyasa classes move at a pace of one movement per breath.

These will often be called Flow or Power classes and work well for people who are more athletic, although teachers still recommend that those students start with a beginner level.

“I wouldn’t really encourage them to start in a higher level vinyasa flow class because they’re not going to have the foundation to move safely through that,” said Anne Van Valkenburg, of Lanai, Hawaii, who has been training yoga teachers in a blend of styles for 18 years.

Another style, ashtanga, is similar except that it involves a set series of poses that students repeat day after day, often going at their own pace. As students get stronger, they advance to a higher series with more challenging poses, something akin to belt levels in martial arts.

The Iyengar style

To slow things down again, Iyengar yoga involves the same poses as vinyasa but at a gentler pace — although this doesn’t make it any easier.

There’s more attention paid to the preciseness of each position and aligning parts of the body through small adjustments. Poses are held for longer, with more reliance on props like cushions, blocks or straps.

This style provides a more thorough foundational understanding of yoga, making it a perfect starting point for those new to the practice, or anyone recovering from an injury.

A final caveat to consider

Most yoga teachers blend various styles into their classes, which won’t always be clearly billed with the above terms. While class descriptions help give an idea of what to expect, don’t be afraid to ask the instructor more questions if needed.

Look for beginner series at first, but even if you can’t find one near you, don’t worry – most teachers are happy to make accommodations for those of all levels. The key thing is to just give it a go and keep trying different styles until one resonates.

“I feel sad when someone tries yoga evvel or twice and they’re like, ‘Eh, I don’t like it,’” Van Valkenburg said. “There’s just so much out there that you might be missing something that’s muhteşem beneficial for your life.”

From the zen of our lotus pose, namaste.