7 Powerful Yoga Styles for the Curious Beginner
From Biryani Yoga to ancient Kundalini practices, the yogic arts have evolved and popularized globally within a matter of decades. You can’t really escape it. The training settings of temples, local gyms, schools, parks, homes, and beaches are all suitable to serve curious beginners from all walks of life.
Whether you’re looking for new ways to cope with stress, control internal mental/emotional responses, or establish connection by creating space in the mind & body, these seven styles will guide you on your path.
Raja Yoga.
This practice, according to Richard Hittleman's 28 Day Yoga Plan, is the cultivation and understanding of the intellectual and emotional bodies within our persona. This is done by awakening our dormant potential though raising our lower mind/emotions to their highest versions. A mental yogic practice towards enlightenment, this is particularly done after Hatha Yoga exercises (see below).
Karma Yoga.
This is the practice of living a righteous life in servitude without the expectancy of reward. Every action is identified with the alignment of kindness and a giving spirit on your journey in this life.
Tantra Yoga.
Tantra is the merging of masculine and feminine energies. With a pure mind and heart from a true Master, the student(s) can experience the powerful state of oneness as opposed to duality through breathing rituals and asanas (postures).
It’s interesting how this art has been distorted to a representation of what it is [not] for commercial gain and profit. Yet, seekers of knowledge will recognize a genuine instructor to guide them on their tantric journey toward equilibrium.
Hatha Yoga.
This "Godfather" of asana is a style that a balances the energy centers in the body by a compilation of postures, hand gestures (mudras), and breath control (pranayama). It’s a focus on physical practice that enhances when paired with Raja Yoga (mental).
Bikram Yoga.
Bikram is done in a heated environment, thus the name hot yoga, popularized by Western culture. It’s designed to increase the sweating out of toxins during practice.
Mantra Yoga.
Also known as Japa, this is a practice of performing powerful vibrating sounds that resonate with the universe around us. The chanting of Sanskrit words (mantras) are spiritual tones that fade out the external world when focused on during this internal training.
Vinyasa Yoga.
A pretty common yoga style in the West is this unique blend of asanas that flow into something different, as per form, with every new move. It’s never the same.
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Imani is the founder and Chief Strategist of InternalLifestyle.com, a holistic health & green beauty blog that encourages women towards alternative methods for healing and self-care. She has been studying TCM by way of Taoist Tai Chi Kung under Sifu Roosevelt Gainey for the past 5 years and currently is finishing her certification studies as a Clinical Nutritionist.
Imani is also the founder of MyGardenBed.com, an online holistic health, and green beauty bar, where she shares her organic/natural beauty, detoxifying, and energizing handmade products.