Types of Yoga: The Definitive Guide to Different Styles

Acro Yoga

Acro Yoga (also written Acro-Yoga or Acroyoga) is the practice of two partners, combining the fun of yoga and acrobatics, as well as healing and loving touch. One person supports and the other flies, exploring various movements and asanas together in a safe atmosphere. This first-class school aims to build a sense of connection, community, and trust.

Co-founders: Jason Nemer and Jenny Sauer-Klein

Ananda Yoga

Ananda Yoga or Ananda Yoga for Higher Awareness, is a gentle exercise that emphasizes position, asana adjustment, pranayama, energy control techniques, meditation and applied yoga philosophy. Each asana should be relaxed, while repeating a certain declaration in meditation.

Created by Swami Kriyananda based on the teachings of Yogananda.

Ashtanga Yoga

Ashtanga Yoga is extremely energetic and demanding of the body. Breath adjustment and exercise are carried out simultaneously, generating heat in the body and purifying the body. Ashtanga Yoga is composed of many streams, which are conducive to strengthening the core strength and strengthening the body. Because the asana sequence requires quick and agile completion, get ready to sweat!

Founder: K. Pattabhi Jois

Baptiste Yoga

Intense and flowing high-temperature asanas plus meditation and active self-exploration, Baptiste Yoga aims to regulate the entire body and encourage students to reach their full potential. This first-class school provides practitioners with life-changing tools to inspire enthusiasm, hard work, and focus.

Founder: Baron Baptiste

Bikram Yoga

There are a total of 26 individual poses in high temperature yoga, two sets of pranayama exercises, which last for 90 minutes in a high temperature environment. The asana sequence of hot yoga is said to be able to systematically mobilize each body part to deliver fresh oxygen-rich blood to internal organs, glands, and fibers. High temperature helps accelerate detoxification.

Founder: Bikram Choudhury

Forrest Yoga

Forrest Yoga is an intense physical practice, which focuses on the inner part. Asanas are maintained for a long time and the practice requires a high temperature environment. The intense asana sequence emphasizes the breath and abdomen, and requires all-out efforts, with the purpose of sweating and detoxification, releasing tension.

Founder: Ana T. Forrest

Ishta Yoga

Ishta Yoga combines the ancient Hatha Yoga, Ayurveda and Tantra. Ishta Yoga focuses on pranayama, emphasizes the right position, combines the elements of Iyengar Yoga and Ashtanga Yoga, and incorporates subtle energy techniques such as mandala and visualization meditation to enhance awareness and promote emotional health.

Founder: Alan Finger

Iyengar Yoga

Iyengar Yoga pays attention to anatomical details and asanas, which are precision exercises. Asanas are maintained for a long time and are often adjusted with assistive devices. This system aims to systematically cultivate strength, flexibility, stability, and awareness, and has a physiotherapy effect on certain diseases.

Founder: B.K.S. Iyengar

Jivamukti Yoga

Jivamukti Yoga integrates chanting, meditation, pranayama, philosophy, and music into strong flow yoga, which is an exercise that stimulates the body and mind. The system emphasizes injecting contemporary vitality into ancient teaching.

Co-founders: David Life and Sharon Gannon

Kripalu Yoga

Asanas, pranayama, relaxation, and meditation are the main tools of Kripalu Yoga to promote physical and mental health and awaken deep self-awareness. Students can adjust and explore the most suitable practice method, which is a friendly way of self-learning.

Created by Amrit Desai based on Kripalvananda's teaching.

Kundalini Yoga

Kundalini Yoga is a multi-dimensional spiritual practice that uses rhythmic movement, pranayama, and sound to stimulate energy to make it flow around the body. Switching repeatedly between kriya practice and short-term relaxation can release the accumulated emotions.

Founder: Yogi Bhajan

Laughter Yoga

Laughter Yoga is a combination of deep breathing and laughter exercises (which quickly turn into heartfelt laughter and very contagious). Laughter Yoga uses eye contact to be naughty like a child, which triggers laughter. It is said to release enkephalins and relieve stress.

Founder: Dr. Madan Kataria

Para Yoga

Para Yoga completely integrates asanas, pranayama, mudra, mandala, meditation, visualization and purification techniques to provide a complete yoga experience. This first-class school is committed to becoming a pioneer in the spread of ancient yoga traditions and tantra, so that students and teachers of all levels can use tools to practice.

Founder: Rod Stryker

Prana Vinyasa Yoga

Vinyasa, also called "flow".  Energy flow yoga is a kind of flow yoga full of creativity, vitality and fluidity. It is guided by the life energy flowing in the body, and the movements are almost seamless. This class includes ecstatic dance, meditation in motion, bhakti, Ayurveda and music.

Founder: Shiva Rea

Power Yoga

Power yoga is a fitness-based flow yoga practice, which belongs to a branch of Ashtanga. It shares many characteristics and benefits in common with Ashtanga, such as increasing body heat, improving endurance, strength, flexibility, and relieving stress. The teacher arranges the sequence by himself, and the students must synchronize their breath and movement.

Founder: Beryl Bender Birch

Restorative yoga

Rehabilitation yoga generally only has five or six asanas per class, with the aid of assistive devices to completely relax and rest. Hold for more than five minutes. Restorative yoga includes mild twists, sitting forward bends, and gentle back bends.

Based on the teaching of Master B.K.S. Iyengar.

Sivanada Yoga

The principles of this gentle exercise are correct practice, correct breathing, correct relaxation, correct diet (vegetarian), positive attitude, and meditation. Shivananda Yoga classes combine pranayama and asanas, with meditation interspersed reasonably between asanas.

Created by Swami Vishnudevananda based on the teaching of Swami Sivananda.

Vini Yoga

Vini Yoga adjusts yoga asanas and techniques according to personal needs, interests, abilities, and goals. High-level physiotherapy teachers emphasize pranayama, biomechanics of yoga asanas, safe sequence arrangement, long-term maintenance of asanas, and repetition.

Created by Gary Kraftsow based on the teachings of T.K.V. Desikachar.

Yin Yoga

Yin Yoga stretches the connective tissue surrounding the joints (mainly knee joints, pelvis, sacrum, and spine), so that the practitioner can sit longer and more comfortable during meditation. Yin yoga is a passive exercise, including various sitting and supine asanas, generally held for 3 to 5 minutes, to enter the deeper layers of the fascia.

Founder: Paulie Zink

Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra or yogic sleep follow the teacher's meditation guidance, let the awareness reach all parts of the body systematically, and enjoy your yoga sleep. Students enter a state of deep rest while remaining fully conscious. This ancient yoga rest technique is said to relieve all kinds of stress.

It was spread by Swami Satyananda Saraswati