FROM HEAD TO TOE

There are many different types of practice of Yoga. Some of them more active (YANG) some of them more restorative (YIN).

Depending on what you want to do, depending on your energy, depending on your life, you will find some styles are more adapted to you at a certain time than another.

Please find below some of the main different styles of Yoga, their characteristics and benefits.

HATHA YOGA

« HATHA » means the Yoga to bring balance between the sun and the moon in you, or the Pingala and Ida in you. The word “ha” means sun, “ta” means moon. In our western society Hatha yoga is about balancing the body and mind. More literally, Hatha means ‘force’ and is more traditionally defined as ‘the yoga of force’.

As a practice you stay in the asanas (postures) between 3 to 5 breath.

Benefits :

• Better sleep
• Reduce stress
• Improve balance and core strength
• Relieve neck and back pain
• Lower levels of depression
• Strengthen flexibility

VINYASA YOGA

Vinyasa is a style of yoga characterized by stringing postures together to build a « flow » so that you move from one to another, seamlessly, using breath. 

As movement is paired with breath, you stay one breath in every asana (posture), before moving on the other one. One breath = one movement

Benefits :

• Endurance and strength
• Stability and balance
• Cardio workout
• Lower stress, less anxiety

KUNDALINI YOGA

Kundalini yoga is a style that involves chanting, singing, breathing exercises, and repetitive poses.

Its purpose is to activate your Kundalini energy, or shakti. This is a spiritual energy that’s said to be located at the base of your spine.

Benefits :

• Develop inner guidance
• Increased vitality and wellbeing
• Increased positive energy
• Control your thoughts and emotions
• Reduces stress

YIN YOGA

Yin Yoga is a slow-paced style of yoga as exercise, incorporating principles of traditional Chinese medicine, with asanas (postures) that are held for longer periods of time than in other styles

The asanas are usually held for 3 to 5 minutes. The purpose is to « pause » ourselves in order to quiet our minds while our body and fascia (layer of deep connective tissues holding everything together : organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fiber and muscle) are deep stretching .

Benefits :

• Calms and balances the mind and body
• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Increases circulation
• Improves flexibility
• Releases fascia and improves joint mobility
• Balances the internal organs and improves the flow of Chi (Chi is believed to be part of everything that exists, as in « life force » or « spiritual energy ». It is most often translated as « energy flow », or literally as « air » or « breath ») or Prana (Prana has many levels of meaning, from the physical breath to the energy of consciousness itself. Prana is not only the basic life-force, it is the original creative power)

YOGA NIDRA

Yoga nidra involves slowing down and chilling out. With yoga nidra, you are lying down and the goal is to move into a deep state of conscious awareness sleep, which is a deeper state of relaxation with awareness.

Benefits :

• Activate the relaxation response 
• Improve the functioning of your nervous system
• Improve the functioning of your endocrine system
• Help cells regenerate and repair
• Decrease anxiety
• Improve your mood

All the yoga styles proposed above are available in one on one session (online or in person). If you have any question or would like to book a session, just click here.