What Is the Best Yoga Style for Beginners? Explaining the 10 Most Popular Yoga Styles.

Regardless of what style of yoga you are pursuing, I strongly recommend attending a few classes tailored specifically to beginners. When you’re starting on your yoga journey you need thorough explanations of the poses and sequences.

Beginners’ classes are for exactly what they seem to be for- learning the basics and foundations of yoga.

What yoga style is the easiest for beginners?

The 4 best styles for beginners are:

1.  Restorative Yoga
2. Yin Yoga
3. Iyengar Yoga
4. Hatha Yoga

If you’re just starting yoga, it can be really confusing trying to decide what type of class is best for you.

There are many traditional classes and even more hybrid classes.

This beginner’s guide to choosing the right type of yoga is intended to help clear up that confusion.

Here you’ll learn about the different styles of yoga and feel out which style resonates most with you.

There are several types of yoga that can help you improve your strength and balance, relieve tension in your body, quiet your mind, and help you relax.

Depending on the individual instructor, there will be subtle variations even within each style of yoga, so don’t knock one style until you’ve tried it a few times.

How to Choose a Style of Yoga?

There are so many different styles, and your choice of what is right for you will depend on what you want to get out of your yoga practice. Are you looking for a vigorous workout? Or maybe just a way to relieve stress?

To get the most benefit, choose a yoga style that matches your fitness level, as well as your personality and goals for practicing yoga.

Try different classes and teachers and see what works for you.

What Are Your Goals:

• Fitness – If its fitness, choose a more vigorous yoga style like power yoga, Ashtanga yoga, Vinyasa or Bikram yoga. All three styles combine an athletic series of poses into a vigorous, total-body workout. You may need a couple of beginner classes to learn the basics so that you can easily move through the poses.
• Injury – If you have an injury or some other medical condition start with a slower class that focusses mainly on alignment and is more breathing orientated. Such as Inyengar yoga.
• Spirituality- For a more spiritual practice try one of the yoga styles that include plenty of meditation, chanting, and the philosophic parts of yoga. Kudalini yoga focuses on the spiritual aspect of yoga, and teachers often instruct their students through pranayama (breathing) exercises and meditation.
• Flexibility – If you’re already doing lots of strength training your best choice is likely to be a yoga style that focuses more on flexibility. That way, you can balance your fitness routine. Perhaps try yin or hatha yoga.

Yoga is the practice of intention. That doesn’t necessarily mean that your intention has to be spiritual enlightenment. It refers to your reason for doing yoga. It can be anything you’d like to cultivate. Whether that’s to feel better, , gain strength, lose weight, become more mindful, manage stress or relieve pain.

“Having an intention will also help you choose the style of yoga: Ashtanga yoga, Iyengar yoga, Bikram yoga or any one of the many yoga styles, that’s right for you.”

The 10 Most Popular Yoga Styles:

1. Restorative
2. Yin
3. Iyengar
4. Hatha
5. Kundalini
6. Vinyasa
7. Power
8. Bikram
9. Hot
10. Ashtanga

1.      Restorative Yoga

Restorative yoga is a slow-moving practice which main focus is healing the mind and body through simple poses often held for as long as 20 minutes, with the help of props.

You will be using props such as bolsters, pillows and straps to support the body and encourage a passive release of mind and body tension.

It is very similar to yin yoga, but with less emphasis on flexibility and more on relaxing.

Restorative poses include light twists, seated forward folds and gentle backbends.

This soft, slow-moving practice gives your body a chance to tap into your parasympathetic nervous system, allowing you to experience deeper relaxation.

Restorative yoga is perfect for beginners. It’s particularly beneficial for those of with injuries and chronic pain. And those who battle with insomnia or anxiety will also greatly benefit from this kind of practice.

2.      Yin Yoga

Yin yoga is a slow-paced style of yoga with seated postures that are held for longer periods of time. Yin involves postures and stretches that lengthen the deeper muscles and fascia, thereby helping to improve joint mobility and overall flexibility.

This means Yin yoga doesn’t focus on larger muscle groups. Instead, it targets the deeper connective tissues like ligaments, fascia, and joints through non-muscular postures.

Benefits of Yin include relieving stiffness and tightness in the muscles and healing and preventing injuries.

Yin yoga is specifically aimed at stretching the connective tissue around the pelvis, sacrum, spine, and knees to promote flexibility.

You’ll use props so your body can release into the posture instead of actively flexing or engaging the muscles.

Yin is fairly beginner friendly but it’s far from a gentle or restorative class, in yin yoga you will typically hold the stretch to lengthen beyond your muscle and into your connective tissue or fascia. As a therapeutic practice it encourages relaxation while also challenging you to be patient.

3.      Iyengar Yoga

Iyengar yoga is detail-oriented and slow-paced. You are encouraged to use props like belts, blocks, and bolsters to get into poses with correct alignment. Iyengar yoga focuses on the precision of your yoga poses

Iyengar yoga is perfect for beginners or anyone with flexibility issues. But it is also for more advanced yogis who want to improve their alignment.

Unlike in Vinyasa or flowing yoga styles, each posture is held for an extended period of time, rather than linking movement with breath.

Iyengar allows for full relaxation as you perform stretches.

Iyengar is for anyone who wants to practice yoga. It can also be practiced at any age and is great for those with injuries.

Quick Fact: Iyengar and ashtanga yoga come from the same lineage – the teachers who developed these styles, BKS Iyengar and the late Pattabhi Jois.

4.      Hatha Yoga

Hatha yoga traditionally refers to the physical practice of yoga, rather than yoga philosophy and meditation.

Modern Hatha generally refers to slower moving classes that require you to hold each pose for a few breaths. The flow will be slower than Vinyasa but faster than Yin.

The class is likely to be a combination of poses and breathing exercises, but it could be a gentle or challenging class.

Because of its slower pace, hatha is a great class if you’re just starting your yoga practice

Hatha is suitable for beginners and experienced practitioners alike, and with Hatha you’ll build the foundations of breath and body awareness needed for all other styles.

Hatha yoga is perhaps the most beginner-friendly style of yoga and has become one of the most popular styles of yoga practiced around the world.

In a Hatha class, you’ll start with a gentle intro with a variety of basic yoga postures and then move through a sequence of poses, holding each for a few breaths.

5.      Kundalini Yoga

For those wishing to explore the spiritual side of yoga, Kundalini is another great option. If you are looking for more than a physical workout and aren’t afraid to participate in a bit of chanting and meditation, this might be the yoga style for you.

Kundalini yoga is a completely different style of yoga than what you normally see when you go to a yoga class.

It is a holistic form of yoga focusing more on the spiritual and philosophical side of yoga. Kundalini yoga classes include meditation, breathing techniques, chanting and yoga postures.

You’ll perform kriyas, a repetitive physical exercise coupled with intense breath work. While also chanting, singing, and meditating.

I wouldn’t recommend this class as a beginner, as it can be physically challenging unless you already have a fairly high level of strength from other types of fitness or yoga.

These classes really work your core and upper body. Breathing with fast-moving, invigorating postures and breath exercises.

The intention behind this practice is to awaken the energy at the base of your spine (kundalini) and pull it upward through your body, increasing sensory awareness.

6.      Vinyasa Yoga

Vinyasa was adapted from traditional ashtanga Yoga.

It is an energetic flowing sequence moving quickly from one pose to another, coordinating your movement with your breath.

You’ll only stay in each pose for three to five breaths.

More advanced poses, such as arm balances, headstands, shoulder stands, and handstands could be included.

Most Vinyasa classes is not recommended for beginners. And it’s a good idea to take a few classes in a slower style of yoga to learn to perform the poses correctly first.

A new yogi jumping in the deep end here is good way to get injured.

Vinyasa yoga builds upper-body strength and helps make you more flexible and balanced.

Because it’s a dynamic style, it’ll also help develop cardiovascular fitness, stamina, and endurance.

A Vinyasa class will vary depending on your teacher and his or her method. However, you can be sure that in any Vinyasa class, you will perform the sequence several times.

7.      Power Yoga

Power yoga is a broad term and can also be called Hot Power Yoga or Hot Vinyasa Yoga.

Power yoga is an athletic Vinyasa style of yoga aimed at strength building. It can include advanced poses and inversions like headstands and handstands that require a lot of strength.

Power yoga is a dynamic workout with a lot of flowing movement and strengthening postures.

The intensity and flows usually vary from class to class, but the temperature of the room will always be hot.

Regular bodyweight exercises like crunches and pushups are sometimes incorporated. And you might even get some up-beat music to keep you motivated.

Power yoga will help you build strength, improve balance, flexibility, stamina, and concentration.

It’s definitely not the most beginner friendly class, but it’s definitely worth a try. If you are already fit you should have no problem fitting in at a Power Yoga class.

8.      Bikram Yoga

Bikram yoga is a specific style of heated yoga.

It consists of a series of 26 poses and two breathing exercises that are performed twice.

It is practiced in a room heated to approximately 105 degrees and 40 percent humidity. All Bikram classes practice the same 90-minute sequence.

It is similar in style to Hatha yoga but can be incredibly challenging due to the heat. 

The vigorous physical practice combined with the heat can make the class feel very intense.

The heat allows for deeper stretching and provide for a better cardiovascular workout.

If you are a beginner, I’ll recommend trying out unheated styles of yoga before you try out something like Bikram.

Bikram discourages the use of props and avoids demonstration of the asanas in class. Students are expected to learn poses by watching and listening to the instructor.

Bikram yoga aims to stretch and strengthen the muscles as well as compress and cleanse the organs of toxins. The heat is said to help facilitate the release of toxins.

If you’re new to Bikram, take it easy and rest when you need to. Be sure to hydrate properly before and during class.

Remember: You are going to sweat!

9.      Hot Yoga

Hot yoga is very similar to Bikram yoga.

It is also practiced in a heated room. But the difference is the teachers aren’t limited by the 26 pose Bikram sequence.

Hot yoga is basically a vinyasa class done in a heated room. The heat makes it a more intense version of the class.

The heat will help you to loosen up your muscles and stretch more deeply than in a regular vinyasa class.

Hot yoga is for those who love a tough workout that will leave you drenched.

Hot yoga helps to detoxify the body. It’s also good for preventing injuries, restoring balance and flexibility, and boosting the immune system.

Beginners should start with a regular Vinyasa or Hatha class before trying hot yoga.

Naturally, you’ll sweat more in this type of class, so keep well hydrated and have a towel handy for your feet which can slide on the mat.

10.  Ashtanga Yoga

Ashtanga Yoga is one of the longest-practiced forms of yoga and is based on ancient teachings

But, if you think that yoga is not a workout, you haven’t tried an Ashtanga. Ashtanga is a more vigorous style of yoga that will challenge your strength and flexibility.

You perform a series of challenging yet orderly poses, each held for only five breaths. This style of yoga is really tough, the transitions between poses happen quickly. So I recommend that beginners try a gentler/slower style of yoga before trying their hand at Ashtanga Yoga. And also, if you have sensitive joints, this practice might not be for you.

Ashtanga is performed as a nonstop series of yoga poses that is linked to your breath, interspersed with Sun Salutations. This style is particularly great for building upper body and core strength while toning the whole body.

The emphasis in Ashtanga yoga is flexibility, strength, and endurance.

The Mysore Style:

In a Mysore class, you already know the sequence and do it on your own, with support from a teacher if needed.

Yogis continue to practice Ashtanga worldwide, making it one of the most popular schools of yoga around.

What Is Yoga?

Yoga is more than a physical workout, yoga can also be a full mind and body exercise.

Yoga is a set of specific exercises, called poses (asanas), combined with specific breathing techniques.

It might include meditation. These three things are the building blocks of a yoga class.

If a pose causes pain or proves too difficult, there are variations and modifications for each that can help students. Props like blocks, blankets and straps are used to help you get the most benefit from the poses.

Yoga is not one-size-fits-all: The best yoga workout for you will depend on your individual needs and goals.

Benefits Of a Regular Yoga Practice:

The benefits of a regular yoga practice are wide-ranging.

Regular yoga practice can help keep your back and joints healthy, improve your overall posture, stretch and strengthen muscles and improve your balance.

yoga gives relief from countless ailments of the body and is an excellent form of cross-training

Yoga also focusses on breathing exercises. Breathing techniques are an essential part of yoga, not only do they help you to stay focused while practicing yoga, but they can also help reduce stress and relax the nervous system and calm the mind.

Yoga can help improve focus, concentration, confidence and your ability to handle stressful, challenging situations with calm and presence of mind.

Yoga Class Etiquette:

• Yoga students are expected to be on time to class and be respectful of one another.
• Crowded classes can mean that students will be aligned mat-to-mat, so don’t assume that you will have a lot of room around you for personal belongings.
•  Remember to turn your cellphone off before class.
• For Bikram or hot yoga classes, bring a towel because you are going to sweat, and it will help prevent slipping.

Common Myth – yoga is only for the flexible. No one has turned up to their first yoga class (unless they were a dancer or a gymnast) able to execute advanced yoga poses.

Other Yoga Styles You Might Come Across:

Rocket – This style is similar to Vinyasa.

Prenatal Yoga – A modified style for pregnant woman.

Sivananda Yoga –Similar to Hatha but more spiritual.

Jock – Power yoga with emphasis on flexibility.

Jivamukti – This style is similar to Vinyasa but more spiritual.

Kripalu Yoga – Similar in style to Kundalini.

Aerial Yoga – Swap the yoga mat for a silk hammock suspended from the ceiling.

Anusara – Emphasizes uplifting the spirit.

Sivananda – A form of Hatha yoga.

Conclusion:

If you want to reap the full benefits of yoga, it’s important to find a way to make it a regular part of your routine.

Hopefully, as you begin to see the benefits of your daily practice, however short, chances are you will be convinced to do more.

Yoga can be done at home, but it is important to try a class or two that is taught by a seasoned instructor, to be sure you are doing the yoga exercises safely.