A complete guide to 11 types of yoga, their health benefits

If you are planning to go on a healthy and fitness journey then yoga is one of the best ways to achieve perfect mind and body alignment. The word “yoga” means “union”. It not only helps you physically but also emotionally. Different types of yoga focus on a common goal -- overall well-being and physical health. So, here we are with eleven types of yoga that you can practice daily.

A guide to 11 different yoga types:

1: Hatha Yoga: It is a branch of yoga that uses physical techniques to preserve and channel vital energy. It comprises many physical postures and positions that balance the body and mind. It purifies and heals our system and helps in curing stress, and ageing.

2:  Ashtanga Yoga: It involves synchronizing the breath with a progressive series of postures. This type of yoga helps in reducing weight and has eight pillars - Principles, personal discipline, asana and postures, pranayama, withdrawal, concentration, meditation and salvation.  

3: Kundalini Yoga: It is a type of yoga that involves breathing exercises, chanting, singing and repetitive poses. It awakens the latent Kundalini Shakti and cures stress, anxiety, depression and better cognitive function.

4: Iyengar Yoga: It is a form of yoga which focuses on the structural alignment of the physical body through the practice of asanas. It can cure musculoskeletal disorders and severe back and neck pain. In addition, it has also shown positive results in treating disabilities of the spine.

5: Aerial Yoga: Developed in 2014, it is a hybrid type of yoga and combines traditional yoga poses, pilates and dance moves with the help of a hammock. It helps to build toned and lean muscles. It burns body fat, improves flexibility, cures breathing difficulties and provides relief from stress.

6: Sivananda Yoga: It is a spiritual yoga system founded by Vishnudevananda and includes the use of asanas. Regular practice can help in combatting stress-related conditions, anxiety and depression, and reduce insomnia and body image.

7: Bikram Yoga: It is a type of yoga as exercise, devised by Bikram Choudhury and based on the teachings of B. C. Ghosh, which became popular in the early 1970s.It is useful in removing toxic substances from the body.

8:  Yoga Nidra: Commonly known as yogic sleep, helps a lot in repositioning one's spine and aligning the body. Yogic sleep in modern usage is a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping, typically induced by a guided meditation.

9: Ashtanga Yoga: It is an athletic form of hatha yoga, made up of six levels, with a fixed order of postures. It helps people reach optimal mental, physical, and spiritual health. It helps to improve your overall wellness by improving your posture, helps you breathe better and also improves your concentration skills.

10: Yin Yoga: Yin Yoga is a slow-paced style of yoga as exercise, incorporating principles of traditional Chinese medicine. Regular practice increases overall flexibility, improves circulation and emotional balance, and encourages you to connect with your breath.

11: Jivamukti Yoga: It means liberation while living. It increases physical strength, improves balance and flexibility, detoxifies the body, reduces stress and heightens spiritual connection and self-awareness.