How to Choose the Right Yoga Class to Suit YOU

There is a huge array of yoga classes available for you to try, right here in South East Asia. If you’re new to yoga, you might be a bit confused about which one will be right for you. Some can be quite intense workouts, and others are very gentle and nurturing. Let’s take a look at some of the yoga classes you can find in South East Asia, and what each one involves.

1. Ashtanga

Ashtanga yoga is one of the more intense types that you will come across. You will go through a series of postures that produce a lot of heat and will certainly make you sweat. The breath is an important part of the class (as it is with all forms of yoga), and one of the main goals is around detoxification of the organs and muscles. The more intense yoga classes, such as Ashtanga, are often referred to as ‘power yoga’.

Choose it if you love to do a strong, challenging workout or you believe that yoga can’t possibly make for a tough workout!

2. Hatha

The title ‘hatha yoga’ is often used as a generic yoga description. The class could vary between facilities and teachers, but you should expect a relatively gentle form of yoga that covers the classic postures. 

Choose it if you’re new to yoga and want to get a feel for it. It’s also a great choice as a relatively gentle class to help you feel relaxed and to loosen up your muscles.

3. Iyengar

Iyengar yoga is a type of hatha yoga that has a strong emphasis on alignment and precision. As with other yoga classes, you will go through a range of postures throughout the class and breathing is an integral focus. Other yoga classes may encourage the use of props to help you support and stabilize your body. Iyengar will emphasize these as a way to help you minimize the risk of injury and to focus on the correct technique. Commonly used props include blocks, bolsters, straps and blankets.

Choose it if you really want to develop better body awareness and work on getting your technique right

4. Vinyassa

Vinyassa yoga is also referred to as ‘flow yoga’. The focus of the class will be on a seamless transition from one posture to the next. You’ll find yourself moving most of the time, rather than holding postures for extensive periods. This helps to generate heat and give you a great full body workout. Some vinyassa classes are quite gentle and slow moving; others are faster and could be classified more as ‘power’ yoga.

Choose it if you think you’ll get bored holding postures for long periods of time, or you want a good alternative to your usual gym workout

5. Yin

Yin yoga is a quiet form of yoga with a very internal focus. The postures are usually held for anywhere between one and five minutes with the goal of working deep into the muscles, tendons and ligaments. The idea is that as you hold the postures for longer and relax further, you will ease further into the stretch.

Choose it if you want a class that will really focus on helping you to improve your flexibility. Yin is also a great choice for when you’ve had a very busy and stressful day, because it will work to calm you down internally and rebalance your body.

Check out these types of yoga classes and more in our website listings.