Yoga classification and characteristics

Because yoga has excellent effects in strengthening the body and relaxing the mind and body, many women do yoga exercises in their spare time from busy work. Yoga is a general term for a form of practice. Many beginners may not have a very comprehensive understanding of yoga. There are many types of yoga, and each type of yoga has its own unique advantages and is suitable for different types of people. So, what are the types and characteristics of yoga?

1. Ashtanga Yoga

Ashtanga Yoga is a very ancient yoga system with thousands of years of history. It is known for its rigor and scientific nature and is known as "power yoga" in the West.

It is a graceful, dynamic practice that combines posture (asanas), movement (vinyasa) and focus (fixation), with long, rhythmic breathing techniques (Ujjayi breathing & bandha).

2. Hatha Yoga

Hatha Yoga, also known as traditional yoga, was founded by Swami Sivanada, a modern Indian yoga master.

In the word Hatha, 'ha' means sun and 'tha' means moon. It represents the balance of male and female, day and night, yin and yang, hot and cold, and any other opposites that complement each other.

Hatha Yoga asana practice includes 24 asanas, which mainly practice how to control the body and breathing. The deeper effect is to make the body's functions run in an orderly manner, so that the mind can gain tranquility and become peaceful.

3. Flow Yoga

Flow Yoga is a very popular type of yoga in modern times. It was introduced from the West and is a mixture of Hatha Yoga and Ashtanga Yoga.

The connection between the poses of flow yoga gives people a sense of smooth completion, so it is called "flow yoga". It strengthens the body through a combination of smooth and fluid movements, emphasizes the harmony of movement and breathing, and focuses on comprehensive training such as stretching, strength, flexibility, endurance and concentration.

4. Pilates

Pilates incorporates some concepts of yoga, Tai Chi, and ballet as well as personalized content from coaches. It is an external training that targets muscle shape, joints, etc.

Its training method follows the exercise principles of using one's own body weight, multiple repetitions, small weights and meditation, and the breathing method during training is inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.

The purpose of training is to improve the function of the human spine, lumbar vertebrae, etc. by changing the muscle function of the human body. Actress Sun Li is a Pilates practitioner.

Although anyone can practice it, special groups such as the elderly, children, and pregnant women must practice under the guidance of a professional coach.