What type of yoga should I take?

January 8, 2008 12:52 PM

I'm interested in improving my flexibility, balance, and body control. Which type of yoga class should I take (if any)?

I'm a fairly active person (mainly crossfit, ultimate, and some biking) who would generally be considered to be in good shape. I think my flexibility and balance could use some improvement and am considering taking yoga. I'm less interested in the spiritual side and more interested in physical improvement. Should I take yoga? Which type? The three types offered at my local facility are Hatha, Kundalini, and Ashtanga, but feel free to recommend other kinds.

posted by christonabike to sports, hobbies, & recreation (16 comments total)

Hatha is a catch-all term for yoga exercises. That might be a good bet, but its focus is really going to depend on what tradition the teacher was trained in.

Kundalini is very much about the spine, and from what I understand, very spiritually focused (I haven't taken a class, just read about it).

Ashtanga is going to be the most aerobically vigorous of the three; it's more of a quick sequence of postures designed to get you moving and sweating.

If you're just looking for flexibility and body control, and have other activities for more aerobic interest, I'd probably start, at least, with the hatha class. It's likely to be slower movements that will help your balance a bit more than jumping through sequences.

If you can find an Iyengar class, however, that might fit your needs even better.
posted by occhiblu at 12:56 PM on January 8, 2008

This article from Yoga Journal on the different yoga styles might also help, and there's this "Which yoga style is right for me?" quiz that might give you more info, too.
posted by occhiblu at 1:00 PM on January 8, 2008

You want to look into Feldenkrais. Not exactly yoga, but similar, and geared towards exactly what you want I think.
posted by sophist at 1:01 PM on January 8, 2008

Seconding occiblu, see if you can find a local Iyengar class. Iyengar yoga is focused on perfecting your position in each pose, and is great for flexibility and balance since you are encouraged to use blocks, straps, and the wall to help you hold positions for much longer than in movement-oriented "vinyasa" styles.
posted by nicwolff at 1:13 PM on January 8, 2008

Any style of yoga will be great for flexibility and balance, you really can't go wrong (unless you have a lousy teacher).

Ashtanga is usually tougher than the other styles, I would try that first. Actually, I would try one class session in each of the styles, it's the best way to find what suits you.
posted by rottytooth at 1:14 PM on January 8, 2008

Since you are already quite active, I would suggest Ashtanga. It is as occiblu describes quite active and moves through series of postures quickly. Not necessarily to make you sweat, but for you to 'keep heat'. The heat in your body is necessary as you become more advanced in the postures (eg. become more flexible.) It is aerobic, but that is not it's intent. The balance component is built into the various postures. I don't know that you would be challenged enough by Hatha classes to stay with it, and since Hatha is the original form the classes offered may contain a spiritual component. Yoga was originally designed in preparation for meditation, so that element is often perceived as spiritual.
posted by typewriter at 1:15 PM on January 8, 2008

If you are looking for a workout, you'll probably prefer Ashtanga, but try to find some Iyengar (or the slightly more spiritual offshoot Anusara) classes to fine-tune your alignment and prevent injury in Ashtanga practice. You may also enjoy a Vinyasa/Flow type of yoga or one of the many fusion practices (like Yoga-lates), as these tend to be more physically challenging.

In my experience, Kundalini yoga is quite overtly spiritual. Personally, I find all yoga to be spiritual in that it celebrates the body and living inside it, but then, I also find a good jog to be spiritual, so I might be biased. :D

Oh, and "Hatha" is often used as a "catch-all" term for Asana (the physical part of yoga) practice, but I usually see it when the practice isn't following any one particular "school" of yoga. Kind of a "generic" term.
posted by foxydot at 1:18 PM on January 8, 2008

Kundalini probably would be the worst of the three. I don't have a lot of experience with it, but the classes I've taken (with differen teachers at different facilities) have all involved a technique called "breath of fire" which seems to be like hyperventilating, and they have also been very focused on the pelvis and the abs. And a lot of cow/cat moves. I wouldn't think your balance or flexibility would improve very much. ALso, I took my sister to a kundalini class and she is very active and had never been to a yoga class, and she could barely keep from laughing, bc it is sooooo quite and internal, she couldn't believe it was exercise. Hatha and Ashtanga will probably be more appealing to someone who is new to yoga and who is an athletic, active person.

The others should vastly increase both your flexibility and your balance if you do them regularly (a few times a week). My understanding of yoga is that you don't get much in the way of increased flexibility if you do it 1x/week or less.

Incidentally, lately I've been doing yoga with my heart rate monitor on, and it's fascinating. My heart rate is VERY low during yoga - lower than walking around, folding laundry, brushing my teeth. (I've been experimenting with the heart rate monitor a lot lately for kicks.) My theory is that it's bc so much of yoga is spent upside down.
posted by Amizu at 2:03 PM on January 8, 2008

I'm like you and have just started incorporating yoga into my routine; not for fitness (runner/triathlete) but for the stretching aspect. I've taken Iyengar and 'gentle flow' classes, both of which were really useful.
posted by poissonrouge at 2:09 PM on January 8, 2008

And if you're looking outside of Yoga, I would recommend Pilates for flexibility/balance/strength...
posted by Arthur Dent at 3:27 PM on January 8, 2008

I would suggest trying out a few classes at your place to get the feel of each of them. Different teachers are more into the spiritual vs. the physical, or slower or faster or harder or softer.

The place I attend has no distinctions regarding types of yoga, but depending on the day and the teacher it can be a wildly different experience.
posted by that girl at 4:23 PM on January 8, 2008

Any kind of martial art that makes you punch or kick can be very helpful. Your balance gets tested and developed in interesting ways, and you learn how to maximize whatever balance you already have. It also helps develop precision of movement, flexibility, and quickness.

This is not to replace yoga, but to compliment it.
posted by Doctor Suarez at 6:03 PM on January 8, 2008

I want to second the comment about Kundalini. For the record, Kundalini is the energy in form of a snake that is coiled 3 1/2 times at the base of spine. The goal of yoga is to first wake it up and then to have it extend through spinal cord to the crown of head. That's the goal of any style, but other styles approach it indirectly. I had one lesson at a Kundalini class and it wasn't to my liking. The fire breath exercise is indeed prominent in that school (although not exclusive, it's a very classical breath exercise that was around for perhaps thousands of years). It's a good exercise, too, it seems very hard at first but in a few days it becomes exteremely easy. In that class they did not do any classical and attractive to me asanas like headstand, shoulderstand, balances, etc. It was limited to a very small number of asanas, all of them rather easy and the focus is really on the fire breath.

But I think it may be a better idea to try all of them to see if you like each particular teacher's style of guidance.

There's nothing wrong with practicing with a book. One huge advantage of yoga over other types of exercise is that no equipment and no space is needed. Therefore it's very easy to fill the time you have while waiting for something, even 10-15 minutes can be useful. With a class, you can't adjust the array of exercises to your needs or preferences, so I look at classes as something you do to learn about a few guidelines that will help you in your home practice.

good luck..
posted by rainy at 6:20 PM on January 8, 2008

Thanks for the answers all. Iyengar sounds like it might be best, but I'm going to try Ashtanga first and see how I like it.
posted by christonabike at 7:16 PM on January 8, 2008

I think you should start with a hatha class. I would describe hatha as meaning less "anything not the rest" and more "basic or middle of the road". The classes do vary depending on what style the teacher prefers, but so do classes with a specific style (don't be afraid to switch classes if a teacher really grates on your nerves). Most hatha classes tend to be light on the spirituality and move through the poses at an even pace--not slow, not fast, good for someone who's new to the poses and pose names. After about eight or twelve weeks, you would be in a better position to pick a more specific style, and it will be easier to focus on the style you pick if you already know the poses. (Personally I like vinyasa/flow yoga, the combination of heat produced by movement and repetitive movements did wonders for my flexibility, but you'll probably get your own feeling of which way you want to head.)
posted by anaelith at 8:40 PM on January 8, 2008

How often are you doing squats? They have greatly increased my balance, flexibility, and body control.
posted by tiburon at 8:32 AM on January 9, 2008