5 Types of Yoga & Their Useful Health Benefits

We will discuss 5 types of Yoga and their useful health benefits to you as a person. Ayurveda is a science of life that originated in India about 5000 years ago. It is a medical science that uses a holistic approach to curing diseases and also focuses on the prevention of disease. Yoga has been described as an integral part of Ayurveda. There are plenty of health benefits to practicing Yoga. Practicing Yoga regularly can help you to relieve stress, increase strength and help to attain spiritual wellness.

Yoga is more than just a physical posture, it is a broad term. Different types of yoga disciplines are available for different purposes, and a beginner can get confused about where to start. Here, we have discussed various traditional types of Yoga styles, along with their health benefits, you can start with the Yoga style that suits your current fitness level and personality.

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1. Hatha Yoga

“Hatha Yoga” is the discipline of yoga that includes everything that comes to your mind when you think of yoga in general terms. It includes various yoga poses, breathing techniques, stretching exercises, and meditation. In the Sanskrit language, Hatha means force. Thus, practicing Hatha yoga can help you to balance the force in your body. This technique of yoga can be traced back to the 1st century in Hindu as well as Buddhist texts.

The tools used in Hatha Yoga are described below briefly.

Body Postures (Asana) - These help in strengthening and stretching the physical body, which results in plenty of health benefits.
Breathing Techniques (Pranayams) - The breathing techniques that are used in Hatha yoga are called pranayamas. They help in improving lung capacity, along with providing calmness.
Hand Positions (Mudra) - They are different hand postures that are practiced during the breathing techniques. They help to direct energy to various parts of the body. They are usually done while in a Sukhasana, Vajrasana, or Padmasana pose.
Body Lock (Bandha) - Bandha is a state of the body in Hatha Yoga. The main purpose of doing so is to direct the Prana (subtle energy) from lower chakras to higher chakras.
Purification Techniques (Kriya) - Hatha Yoga also includes some purificatory techniques such as Neti (Nose purification), Dhauti (Purification of Stomach and Esophagus), and Enema (Basti), etc.
Chants (Mantras) - Mantras are chanted at the beginning and ending of Hatha yoga.

Many types of research have supported the physical benefits of Hatha Yoga.

Practicing Hatha yoga can be beneficial in the following ways:

Relieves Anxiety & Depression
Beneficial Arthritis & Fibromyalgia
Provides Relief from Back Pain
Good for emotional health
Relieves Symptoms of Menopause
Provides Good Sleep
Stress Management
Improves Balance
Improves Body Strength & Flexibility

2. Iyengar Yoga

This type of Yoga discipline was developed by BKS Iyengar in 1966. It is a form of yoga exercise that focuses on details, precision, and performance of yoga postures. This discipline was developed by the Yogacharya through intense practice and self-study. Various props, such as blankets, blocks, straps, etc, are used to assist the practitioner in suitable means. Iyengar Yoga is the best one for those who want to work on injuries and joint pain. These Yoga postures are held with each breath, and it helps in improving the strength, mobility, stability, and flexibility of the body.

Iyengar Yoga includes various yoga poses and puts more emphasis on poses such as Sirsasana and Sarvangasana.

The health benefits of practicing Iyengar Yoga are provided below.

Increased Flexibility
Toned Muscle
Calms down mind
Provides Relief from Pain
Improves Posture
Boosts Immunity
Improved Breathing

3. Vinyasa Yoga

Vinyasa Yoga is a Sanskrit term that means “in a special way”. It can be traced back 3500 years ago to the Rig Veda. Vinyasa yoga is a special type of yoga in which the practitioner moves from one posture (asana) to another flawlessly, using breath. It is commonly known as “Flow Yoga”. It indicates the importance of bringing consciousness to each movement of our body. It is a way of dedicating our whole minds to the movements we are performing. It can also be termed moving meditation.

Vinyasa Yoga can be performed in vigorous style by synchronizing the breath along with sun salutations while adding a Vinyasa sequence between them. It is the way to synchronize our body, mind, and muscles with each other in repeating patterns. It is believed that such patterns nourish us and support us.

Characteristics of Vinyasa

In Vinyasa Yoga, each yoga posture is linked to another using a sequence of rhythmic breaths, and are called Vinyasas.
Such repetitive Vinyasas help to synchronize body, mind, muscles, and movements.
Breath stimulates Vinyasa, therefore it is also known as “Breath-Synchronized” practice.
It is also considered moving meditation.

Here are some of the health benefits of practicing Vinyasa yoga.

Increases Endurance and Strength
Improves Stability & Body Balance
Good for Heart
Relieves Stress & Anxiety
Increases Self
Improves Posture

4. Kundalini Yoga

“Kundalini Yoga” refers to the power or energy that is said to be at the base of our spine. Awakening of this energy can be done by practicing Kundalini Yoga. It includes various things, such as Chanting, Singing, Breathing Exercises, and Repetitive Poses. Awakening Kundalini can make you more self-aware and help you to reach a higher level of consciousness.

“Kundalini” is a Sanskrit word derived from the root word “Kundal”, which means circular. According to Ayurveda & Yoga, there are various energy centers, known as Chakras, present in our spine at different levels. Activating all these energy centers can make the energy flow in a circular path, activating the Kundalini energy.

Kundalini Yoga consists of six components, each of them are discussed below briefly.

Starting Chant - Kundalini Yoga begins with opening chants.
Breathing Exercise - Pranayama - Breathing exercise or Pranayama is done before the actual Yoga in order to make the mind calm and relaxing.
Kriya - It consists of Posture (Asana), Breathing Exercises (Pranayama), Chanting (Mantra), Locks (Bandhan), and Hand Positions (Mudra).
Relaxation - It is the phase that allows your body to relax in order to absorb the benefits of the Kriya.
Meditation - It helps you to move the vital Kundalini energy throughout the body through intense concentration.
Final Chant - After performing a session of Kundalini Yoga, the session is ended with a closing final chant.

There are plenty of health benefits of performing Kundalini Yoga, both researched and anecdote.

Some of the health benefits of Kundalini Yoga are provided below.

Relieves from Stress and Anxiety
Improves Cognitive Function
Self Awareness
Spiritual Well Being

5. Ashtanga Yoga

The eight limbs of Yoga or the “Ashtanga Yoga” is Yogacharya Patanjali’s discipline of Yoga. As the name suggests, it includes a total of eight limbs of Yoga that focuses on attaining a healthy body in all aspects - physically, mentally, and spiritually. It is described by Acharya Patanjali in its Yoga Sutra book. The eight limbs of Yoga are described below briefly.

Self Discipline (Yama) - Maintaining self-discipline by following the five Yamas described in the Ashtanga yoga, such as Non-violence, Truth, Non-Stealing, Celibacy, and Non-possessiveness.
Self Maintenance (Niyama) - Individuals must try to maintain themselves by practicing the five Niyamas described in Ashtanga yoga - Cleanliness, Satisfaction, Austerity, Study of Holy Scriptures, and Devotion of God.
Posture (Asana) - After following the Yamas and Niyamas, the practitioner should try to sit in a comfortable posture which is called Asana. Sitting in an Asana will help you to escalate your energy levels and enlighten your soul.
Breathing Control (Pranayama) - Yoga says that breathing is the bridge between mind and body. Controlling your breath can help you to calm down your mind. A calm and serene mind can achieve higher consciousness.
Sensory Control (Pratyahara) - It is essential to filter out unessential and disturbing impressions through sensory control, in order to achieve a higher level of consciousness.
Concentration (Dharana) - Concentration is a very important limb of Ashtanga Yoga. It includes focusing on a specific thing while ignoring all the other senses.
Meditation (Dhyana) - Meditation is slightly different from concentration. A prolonged concentration on anything can lead to the exchange of information between that thing and the mind, which is termed meditation.
Deep Absorption (Samadhi) - Deep Absorption within self is the last stage of Yoga, and in this stage, the yogi experiences a complete oneness of body, mind, and soul.

The following are the benefits of Ashtanga yoga.

Spiritual and Mental Wellbeing
Emotional Strength & Flexibility
Mental Healing
Self Consciousness
Improved Focus & Body Coordination

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There are other modern types of yoga available, like Bikram Yoga, Yin Yoga, Hot Yoga, etc., but they are derived from these basic types of Yoga that were described in the traditional scriptures of Ayurveda Yoga. You can choose any of the above-mentioned yoga types to get started. It is advised to start from Hatha Yoga and proceed towards Ashtanga Yoga.