Yoga is a type of sport in which, like others such as yoga, Crossfit, it is fashionable. There are many people of all ages and I have already begun to look at it with some interest. The reasons are different for each person. Some think that it is a physical activity only and others think that great discipline can be integrated into this type of exercise.
We are going to explain to you which are the different types of yoga and what benefits it gives us to health.
What is yoga
When we talk about yoga we do not only mention a simple physical exercise. This type of exercise has a number of benefits that are much broader than people might think. Helps to care for and strengthen the body and mind. By having strength in mind you can improve their spirit by practicing asanas, breathing and meditation. These elements come into common in the practice of yoga. Therefore, people who practice yoga on a regular basis tend to have a much healthier state of mind.
Given the stress of life and the accelerated rhythms that we have, stopping to meditate and breathe calmly can be very beneficial for mental health. In addition to the fact that we can improve our mental health, we will be providing various physical benefits. The goal of yoga is learn to express oneself both with the body and the mind emotionally and spiritually through certain postures. There are different kinds of yoga depending on age and interest.
Yoga Benefits
We are going to list one by one what are the benefits of yoga:
- Improve flexibility. This is the best known benefit to all. When performing various postures known as asanas, flexibility is key to being able to perform them correctly. With these postures you can stretch all the muscles of the body, becoming more and more elastic.
- Improve our posture. They provide a better posture for our daily routine and help us prevent bad habits. So much so that yoga has become an effective treatment for chronic back pain caused by poor posture in those who sit for a long time.
- Increase concentration. If we are continuously meditating while using relaxing postures we can increase mental clarity. This is key when it comes to concentrating.
- Improved weight loss. Although it is not really linked to weight loss, it helps us to be more aware of our body and to eat a diet consistent with exercise. It is not that doing yoga will help you lose weight on its own, but together with a consistent diet you will be more aware of the importance of being healthy. Some of the postures improve intestinal transit in those who have problems.
- Improve rest. There are yoga postures that if practiced correctly can help us sleep better. In addition, we can eliminate our daily worries by meditating clearly.
- Increase inner peace. Many people are expressed and seek inner peace by practicing yoga. This exercise helps to improve emotional control allowing to achieve a good state and harmony.
- Improves breathing. One of the key aspects to perform the postures well in yoga is breathing. To breathe correctly we make that there is a better transport of oxygen to the blood.
- Eliminate stress. Before going to bed, practicing a few minutes of yoga can help us eliminate all the tension accumulated during the day.
- Improves sex life. Although it is not directly related, there are several studies that have shown that it can improve the desire for sexual satisfaction in both women and men. This is because there is a greater flow of blood in the genital areas.
Types of yoga
We are going to list the different types of yoga and their main characteristics:
- Hatha-yoga: this is the most practiced. It has numerous postures and includes a wide range of purification, mantra, and meditation methods. It works with the balance between the body and the mind through the postures. It is not very physically demanding but is perfect for everyone to start.
- Ashtanga Vinyasa: It is also known by the name of warrior yoga. It is highly recommended for those who want to develop a good physical condition as it provides strengthens flexibility. This effect or for those who also want to relax and seek an intense and deeply purifying practice. In this type of yoga, breathing is key in all postures. It is perfect for teenagers and young people or, in general, for all people with a restless mind.
- Kundalini: it is about the yoga of consciousness. This practice will include some energetic research postures mixed with mantra chants and meditation. Meditations last about eleven minutes and are key to connecting with spirit and devotion. It is also a philosophy of life that many people carry and includes teaching about health, nutrition, psychology and the vision of the human being in relation to the universe and himself.
- bikram yoga: It is a variant of traditional yoga that includes a series of 26 postures that are performed over 90 minutes. This yoga should be done in a room with high temperatures (around 42 degrees) to warm up the muscles and achieve greater flexibility. In this way we detoxify the body through sweat. This type of yoga is indicated for those who have a good physical condition and seek to improve their flexibility.
- Acroyoga: this practice brings together acrobatics, dance and in some cases, Thai massages. It can be worked with contact or the ground and allows the arms and legs to have maximum stability and support. Its practice is quite extreme.
- Iyengar-yoga: in this case, we focus on the correct alignment of the body in the postures. This is because this posture must be maintained over time. It is a variant for those who want to perform the postures correctly before moving on to other more demanding yoga variants. It is ideal for those who have neck and / or back problems.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the different types of yoga.