“Am I dying?”, “Is this hell?”, and “Please, not another vinyasa…crap, it’s another vinyasa,” are just a few of the phrases you might find yourself thinking upon attending a hot yoga class—and in some cases, they might be the only PG phrases that cross your mind. During my first hot yoga class, I found myself thinking more than a few unsavory thoughts as I bit back a groan, dripping sweat from my nose in extended side angle, and praying for salvation for my quivering thighs in chair pose.
My suffering was certainly worth it because I left class feeling like an Amazon goddess who had just single-handedly crossed no-mans-land to overtake the German forces—A.K.A Wonder Woman—but it also got me wondering: who came up with hot yoga in the first place? What brilliant mind went, “Hey, you know what would make this physically demanding balance of contortion and controlled breathing better? 90 degree heat and excessive sweat.” Then I thought, “If somebody was crazy enough to come up with hot yoga, what other wild variations of yoga exist out there?”
Yoga traces its origins back to ancient Indian religious texts called Vedas, and therefore stems from the Hindu religion. The language of yoga—which you will still find used in the traditional pose names—is Sanskrit. While at one time yoga was strictly meant to be part of a religious practice, it has since evolved into various branches that allow for it to be practiced outside of the Hindu religion. Here are five of the most popular schools of yoga practiced now, so that you can ensure that you know your stuff and don’t accidentally walk into a hot yoga sweat fest that you didn’t plan to partake in.
Bikram
Fast-paced, fluid, and super sweaty, as Beate Chung of DoYouYoga writes, “not all hot yoga is Bikram yoga but all Bikram is hot.” Bikram yoga is a sub-type of hot yoga, comprised of 26 poses done in a linked flowing practice (known as Vinyasa style yoga) while in a heated yoga room. The temperature in a heated yoga room for Bikram is typically between 90-105 degrees Fahrenheit with up to 40 percent humidity. Yup, it’s hot, so if you plan to do Bikram or any type of hot yoga be sure you bring a big jug of water and a good towel to dry off.
Hatha
Unlike other types of yoga, Hatha isn’t actually a “type” at all. Hatha is one of the original six branches of yoga, and describes the physical practice of yoga which is pretty much the only kind of yoga you find in the United States. Essentially, Hatha is OG yoga. Or, as MindBodyGreen puts it, “Hatha is the ice cream if styles like Ashtanga and Bikram are vanilla and chocolate chip.”
Hatha yoga classes are typically less cardio based and focus instead on stretching and breathing throughout the practice. There is more of an emphasis on relaxation in Hatha yoga then there is in a fast-paced class like Bikram. Hatha is a great practice for the beginning yogi or the experienced yogi.
Kundalini
This style of yoga is all about spirituality, so if you’re looking to go beyond just a physical practice Kundalini is perfect. The premise behind Kundalini yoga is that if you can wake up the energy at the base of your spine (Kundalini energy) and move it throughout your body you can experience a more awakened state of existence. Kundalini yoga incorporates chanting and more meditation than other forms of yoga, and it can be very invigorating in its own right.
Vinyasa
Vinyasa yoga is a branch of yoga that has become increasingly popular in Western culture, and it was actually devised in the late 1980s specifically due to our cardio and aerobic-crazed culture. Even so, Vinyasa yoga classes can range in intensity from slow to energizing; it all depends on the teacher and the class. Vinyasa utilizes many of the poses and principles of Ashtanga yoga, which uses repetitive cycles of movement linked by breath.
Yin
The most relaxing yoga I’ve chosen to highlight, Yin yoga is meant to compliment muscle-forming types of yoga (like Vinyasa, Bikram, Ashtanga, etc) by focusing on relaxation and stretching connective tissue. Yin yoga incorporates a lot of meditation, and you stay in the poses for longer than you would in any other kind of yoga, sometimes for an upwards of five minutes (which is yoga terms is a very long time when you’re used to holding a pose for maybe ten seconds at most).
In an article by Deepak Chopra, the purpose of yoga, according to Indian Sage Patanjali who compiled the oral teachings of yoga into a written work known as the Yoga Sutra, is said to be “the progressive quieting of the fluctuations of the mind.” Chopra writes how Patanjali explained that, “through dedicated practice and the cultivation of detachment, we will stop identifying with the thoughts, feelings, and sensations that can cause us so much emotional pain—and we will open to an experience of our true self.”
Nowadays some forms of yoga focus more on the physical aspect of yoga, like hot yoga which places so much emphasis on strength, sweat, and stamina, while other forms of yoga, like hatha, remain far more traditional in adhering to not only a physical practice, but also a practice of mental wellbeing and spiritual growth and oneness.
It’s important to understand, regardless of what type of yoga you might be interested in practicing, that yoga is not just another type of workout. Yoga is a conversation with yourself, it is a continual practice of quieting your mind and listening to your soul. Yoga is more than just a great way to get in shape—yoga is a revolution.
