The Four Yoga Modalities for Every Body
By Elise Phillips, BSportExSc, 200YTT
Have you ever experienced the incredible health benefits of Yoga? Did you know that this all-encompassing modality of wellness stemmed in the Northern region of India over 5,000 years ago?
There are many kinds of Yoga on offer in the local Melbourne community – it may be confusing to know which one is best for you. There are many deciding factors for this, for example, where you’re at in your health journey, your pre-existing injuries, health goals and personal preferences.
What are the four most popular types of yoga? Let’s go through them in more detail – all of which we offer here at Livewell Health Melbourne.
Yin
Evolving from Taoist philosophies in China, Yin Yoga encompasses the ‘feminine’ or ‘Yin’ aspects of self. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yin embodies turning our energy inward, focusing on receptivity, passivity and simply being.
This translates into a Yoga style that is slow paced – often holding opening poses for 4-8 minutes each. The benefits of these static stretches are promoting connective tissue health in our fascia, ligaments & joints (Wren et al., 2011). Yin Yoga aligns with Livewell’s commonly used phrase “Motion is Lotion”, meaning movement increases synovial joint fluid circulation. The greatest benefit I gain from Yin is the wonderful mindfulness and breath focus experience. This class assists with down regulating the parasympathetic nervous system, which has proven benefits for managing stress, anxiety and chronic pain (Daukantaitė et al., 2018; Schmid et al., 2019).
2. Hatha
Hatha Yoga is a term that encompasses multiple styles of yoga. This style is usually slow paced, with a focus on building foundational strength, balance and flexibility. It is also a test of mental concentration and mindfulness.
Hatha introduces breathing synchronised with movements and transitions, which has been linked to increased body awareness and stress reduction (Nagarathna et al., 2012). We recommend Hatha for our beginner Yogi’s to learn the roots of flow and meditation. With consistent effort, expect to walk away with a boost of feel-good chemicals in your being and improved quality of life (Woodyard, 2011).
3. Vinyasa
Building on your skills learned in Hatha, Vinyasa yoga practice adds intensity and pace to transitions and sequences. Cardiorespiratory fitness and circulation health can be greatly benefited from this modality.
There is also a greater strengthening component due to weight bearing postures such as Chaturanga and Warrior 3 (Nagarathna et al., 2012). This style of Yoga can also be completed in a heated room, further enhancing the wonderful lymph and blood detoxification benefits of yoga. Walking away from a zesty Vinyasa class, you may also feel the release of mood elevating endorphins and a greater sense of confidence and accomplishment (Woodyard, 2011).
4. Restorative
Restorative Yoga has been effective in improving pain perception and nervous system regulation, which has been effective in alleviating chronic pain and managing generalised stress (Khalsa et al., 2014).
The use of props was introduced by B.K.S Iyengar and Restorative Yoga was born! This style of yoga features the use of blankets, bolsters and blocks to prop under the body to create elevating and supportive poses.
Similar to Yin, we are promoting deep relaxation by down regulating the parasympathetic nervous system, except this class prioritises passive rest rather than active stretching. Amazingly, this movement modality has been proven to be deeply healing for trauma and depressive symptoms, by promoting feelings of self-compassion, physiological relaxation and assisting sleep quality (Wren et al., 2011; Khalsa et al., 2016). We recommend Restorative yoga for clients who may carry stress related muscle tension and/or who need assistance ‘switching off’ their busy brain!
These four yoga modalities are the most common classes you should know upon entering your Yogi journey. Whether you are a seasoned professional, or simply need some time to chill out and be present, there is Yoga for everybody and every body. Often the best way to know what is best for your body is to try different things and see what works! From this you will gain understanding and patience of self as well as further develop your mind-body connection. All of which are so needed so that our bodies can thrive, feel safe and be empowered to grow.
Which style of Yoga is calling your name?
Maybe it is time to give Yoga a go!