What kind of yoga?

[Deleted]

I am thinking about starting yoga.  However upon looking into it I see that there are several different styles.  How do I know which style is right for me?

[mrsmc08]

Try them all? Multiple times.

[SuziSaysDa]

I agree, try them all. You will find you like some better than others. I have always had a need-hate relationship with yoga - I now I need it due to my lack of flexibility, but I really hate it due to my lack of flexibility.

Several years ago I did exclusively hot yoga, I had tried others before, but never stuck with them. The hot yoga was challenging enough that I felt I was getting a good workout and pushed myself. Then I got bored and quit going.

Now I have a much more relaxed approach - I go to the evening yoga at the gym - it is such a mixed bag with different instructors - some very relaxing, some quite challenging. On the weekends I hit up the free yoga class in the park - it is fun and challenging. I have no real goals besides - do more yoga. I am hoping it helps with my flexibility and core strength, but I feel no pressure to perfect my postures - just do what I can. This approach has helped me start to really enjoy my classes and even look up videos on youtube to do on my own.

[gumi]

I think most athletes like flow classes because it keeps you moving and your HR elevated. Like a workout.

I find hot yoga to be much harder than non-hot...I also prefer it as a runner because I can stretch deeper. Without a hot room, I feel like I need a really good warm-up before a yoga class.

My studio has 3 levels of classes. The flow is level 2. I see people sometimes skip level 1 but it's very important because that is how you learn how to do the poses. I actually think level 1 is harder than 2 because you have to hold the poses much longer.

Brikham is a series of poses (it never changes) in a super hot room (about 10 degrees hotter than hot yoga). It is a great for learning basic poses. But, I also find it boring because it never changes and there are no fun options. Yin yoga is focused on stretching - it's great for after a workout. And it's great for runners because there is a lot of hip openers and we all need to stretch our hips more.