Which type of yoga?

haydar

I recently decided to take up yoga for fitness reasons but also because it concentrates on mental and spiritual aspects.

With all the different types of yoga out there could anyone recommend what type I could take up as a complete beginner with mid/low level of fitness and an open mind.

Fitzg

delighted you're taking up yoga! its such a great thing to learn - I hope you'll find a class that works for you. I'm teaching yoga for a few years now and practicing for about ten. I think with an open mind and a curious, accepting attention you can probably benefit from any style - hatha yoga tends to be more about getting into the poses and exploring each one in and of itself, as a generalisation its a little more reflective and considered... vinyasa classes are more about moving and flowing with the breath - they can be a little more strenuous then hatha because of the constant movement and if you've low blood pressure all the bending over and getting up again can be annoying! Iyengar is similar to hatha and with a good teacher it can be a great way to start as you'll be using props and really getting clear about each posture.
Hot yoga is yoga in a heated room, nice if you like to sweat. Mindfulness yoga is my favourite style - you get flow, precise alignment and lots of work on the breath and also your attention is being directed inside so you really get to know how the poses are working for you and how to integrate the benefits into your daily life.
Some yoga studios offer a beginners pass where you pay a set rate and can try out as many classes as you want for a month - this might be a good idea because along with finding a style that's right for you I also think its important to click with the teacher…
best of luck,
Em

oldscoil

Thanks for your question Haydar...
..and thanks for the answer Em.

(Whoa this is getting deep)


I came on here this afternoon to enquire about just this very topic.

On the strength of your answer Em I googled and found the following youtube vid.

I hope its a good one, and I look forward to getting a bit of time to view it in more depth.

(btw if this vid is way off please let me know)

Thanks Folks,

b

burrenyoga

Dear Haydar,
It all depends what age you are, whether you have any back, neck or knee injuries, any health conditions, and also a bit more about your preferences for a strong or less strong physical class.

You can contact me off line if you would like any more information about this, and prefer not to share this information here.

There are a few interesting articles about 'different types of yoga' and more about some of the main ones at
http://www.burrenyoga.com/category/everything-yoga/types-of-yoga/

It is well worth seeking a genuine yoga teacher who is practising as well as teaching the 8 limbs of yoga, rather than just ending up in
a fitness type class just because the person teaching it 'calls it yoga'.

Apologies i have not watched the video above as the opening photo looks exactly like one of those fitness classes rather than yoga.

And there are also 'genuine yoga teachers' who teach very strong forms of yoga such as ashtanga yoga..... but then you would get the physical benefits... and fitness benefits as well as mental and more subtle benefits.

I wish you well with your search for a good genuine yoga teacher.

Best Wishes,
Dave

Awesome-O

I have been doing anti gravity yoga for a few months now and can not recommend it enough. It is so much fun but classes are not available everywhere.bworth looking up the official anti gravity yoga website to find registered teachers in Ireland

purethick

Also of interest from the Grauniad
yoga-beginners-guide-different-styles
from the comments "For readers in Ireland: it’s National Iyengar Yoga Day on 18th January with lots of free class available"

patmac

I'm a 52 year old not very flexible male with a history of back problems although no problems of late due to a series of core exercises thar are helping. I live in Ballinasloe but would travel to Athlone. Having trawled the net, the only one I see in Ballinasloe is http://www.brahmakumaris.org but that looks a bit culty to me. I see that there is a yoga centre in Athlone doing Purna Yoga @ €12 a pop and there is a hot yoga centre as well. Also there is a lot of apps out there http://www.dailyyoga.com being the most popular, any advice would be appreciated.

burrenyoga

Hi PatMac,
The best form of yoga for those with back problems would be a form that incorporates a lot of awareness while you are practising and also a yoga teacher who has undergone very rigorous teacher training of a minimum of 2 years. Satyananda yoga is probably the best for this, but if you can't find Satyananda yoga, then Viniyoga would also be excellent.

There is a good overview of Satyananda yoga at
http://www.burrenyoga.com/satyananda-yoga-ireland/

There are 2 Satyananda yoga teachers who teach near Loughrea and their contat details can be seen at
http://www.satyanandayoga.ie/galway.html

Or if you are interested in a quality yoga residential weekend which will teach you techniques that you can then practice at home on a daily basis, you can find out more at the first link above.

It is worth remembering that not only is the type of yoga very important, but also the actual yoga teacher... their experience, training and personality.

Best Wishes,
Dave