Styles of Yoga
A few weeks ago I ran into my next-door neighbor as we were coming home from work. “I’m thinking of beginning to do yoga,” she said. “My back aches sometimes. Maybe it’s what everybody calls aches and pains. Also, I want to keep in shape. The problem is I have no idea how to choose which yoga to do. There are so many different types, and it’s hard to remember and pronounce the names. Do you have any suggestions?”
Let me emphasize, if you have severe back pain, numbness, weakness, or trouble controlling bowel and bladder functions, you should not sign up for a yoga class but should first get a diagnosis and then, if appropriate, find a yoga therapist. However, many people who are not having an attack of acute pain or who just want to keep their backs fit, do want to take classes, and they want to do it safely.
It is a tribute to Patanjali’s brilliance and the specific efficacy of yoga that it has remained so unified over thousands of years. Nevertheless, there are many different styles of yoga, partially because it has become so widespread. And the many variations on the theme are extremely confusing. If you’re having a similar difficulty in choosing a place to begin your practice, here’s a little guidance.
Hatha yoga is what is commonly practiced here in the West. It’s often thought of as a combination of physical yoga, or asanas, and breathing exercises, or Pranayama. If you are considering doing yoga that is identified only as “hatha,” it probably has elements of several yoga styles, some of which I discuss below. My advice is not to do yoga that is designated only as hatha without finding out:
• how strenuous the workout will be
• how many poses are done in what period of time
• the level of difficulty of the poses
• how and where the teacher was trained
• what kind of yoga the teacher does
• whether there is attention to physical problems like back pain
• whether meditation is included in the lesson
Now here’s some history I hope will help bring the yoga picture more into focus for you. The grandfather of modern yoga, and the person who spearheaded today’s main currents of practice, was an Indian man called Krishnamacharya, who died at the age of 101 in 1997. A scholar, a healer, a synthesizer of ancient wisdom, Krishamacharya was also a great teacher. Three of his students started three of the main branches of yoga that are popular in the West today. One of them, B.K.S. Iyengar, was my teacher and the first of Krishnamacharya’s students to become well known. The other two were Patabi Jois, who founded a movement called Ashtanga yoga, and Desikachar, Krishnamacharya’s son, who carries on the Viniyoga tradition. Many other styles of yoga spring from these three, but not all the styles of yoga I mention here are from that tradition.
Iyengar yoga is known for its focus on the accuracy of the poses. This is the school of yoga that takes precision seriously. For instance, you might spend not minutes, but hours, and finally years studying the four corners of the feet—where they are exactly, how to become aware of them, and how to use them to achieve balance and symmetry. This particular subject of the feet, by the way, is interesting theoretically, as are many other anatomical subjects studied by Iyengar yogis, but the subject of feet is also one you may find important if you have low back pain.
Therapeutics—all kinds of healing—are essential to Mr. Iyengar’s approach. There is attention to alignment, making sure that the muscle that ought to bear the weight really is bearing the weight and is being well supported. Students of Iyengar yoga are taught to sit and stand with exactitude. This attention to the precise positioning of the body, with the goal of symmetry, balance, and calm, is the prelude to meditation. Breathing as conscious movement is the bridge between the tranquil body and the meditative mind. Meditation is much more than merely being quiet.
In Iyengar yoga, you do a posture. Then you hold the posture. After that you go on to the next posture. A good Iyengar teacher will stimulate your interest by coming back again and again to specific postures that are being explored and may be improved. In this way, a series of classes can be an exciting experience intellectually as well as physically and spiritually.
While Mr. Iyengar himself and those who teach his yoga are known for being anatomically sophisticated, his techniques build strength and flexibility on a firm foundation. In addition to his first book about physical yoga, Light on Yoga, Mr. Iyengar has written many other books, including Light on Pranayama: The Yogic Art of Breathing. He is also a scholar of Hindu scripture.
Iyengar teachers are particularly well suited to working with people who have back pain. They must undergo rigorous, lengthy training, and they have a reputation for being well prepared and competent. Their credentialing process assures that those who are designated to teach this type of yoga are extremely well trained.
Patabi Jois is the father of the popular Ashtanga yoga, taught in many health clubs. This active, strenuous practice may be very athletic and therefore not appropriate for those with back pain. It consists of six series of sequential postures of increasing difficulty. Breathing—in this method called vinyasa—is essential, and while it isn’t exactly classical Pranayama, students do synchronize their breathing with the poses and use it to link one pose to the next. Ashtanga yoga is meant to be fast. The idea is that the practitioner builds up internal heat that culminates in a purifying sweat. Breathing is an elemental part of Ashtanga, and the practitioner must focus on it, often putting less emphasis on precision of body placement.
Since Ashtanga doesn’t focus on accuracy in the way that Iyengar practice does, it may be most appropriate for people who want a thorough, rather aerobic workout. Power yoga, also taught in many gyms and health clubs, grew out of Ashtanga. While the Ashtanga practice is based in India, Richard Freeman is a respected teacher in Boulder, Colorado. He has a video, books, and a Web site: www.yogaworkshop.com.
Ironically the least known of Krishnamacharya’s three students who have become famous teachers themselves is his own son. Desikachar has dedicated his life to passing on his father’s teachings, which reflect the way yoga was studied and practiced thousands of years ago. Viniyoga concentrates on the individual, using poses, breathing, meditation, ritual, and prayer to promote and maintain physical health and to help in the quest for self-realization. The thrust of Viniyoga is that yoga is something you do with yourself. It’s personal. This is one of the main reasons Viniyoga is so well suited to therapeutics.
There are Viniyoga teachers who have instructed students for years but have always done it one-on-one and have never taught a class. If you do this type of yoga, your relationship with your teacher is personal. As you are taught, the pose is customized, individualized for you and your needs in that very moment. It has been said that Viniyoga “troubleshoots” your body. It’s about the individual working toward a goal. Because Viniyoga involves working so closely, student to teacher, there are many people who haven’t heard of it. If you would like to find out more, you can contact the American Viniyoga Institute in Hawaii (808-572-1414) or go to www.viniyoga.com.
There are several popular types of yoga that are outgrowths of the three I’ve just talked about. One I consider valuable, especially for anyone who has back pain, is Anusara yoga (www.anusara.com). John Friend, a former student of Mr. Iyengar, founded this highly respected movement in 1997. The word Anusara means “flowing with grace.” Mr. Friend’s approach focuses on outer and inner body alignment, and respects each student’s abilities and limitations. Practitioners consider Anusara safe because it has the accuracy of Iyengar practice but is more lighthearted and less perfectionistic. People who have back pain are enthusiastic about the therapeutic results of Anusara. Teachers do not try to “correct” or “fix” the mistakes of students, but instead try to “enhance and reveal the beauty and divine qualities that are already present.” However, detailed corrections are offered. The practice is considered “heart oriented,” and students are encouraged to express their core, or to shine out through individual postures. Anusara teacher training, like Iyengar teacher training, is lengthy, rigorous, and thorough, as is its credentialing process.
It would take a book to cover every style of yoga and describe it, but there are a few more I will mention briefly.
Bikram yoga takes place in a room with a temperature of approximately 100 degrees. This is meant to warm the muscles so they can stretch and also to replicate the environment in which yoga began. The sequence of twenty-six traditional poses is done vigorously, producing “cleansing sweat.” Is this type of yoga safe for everyone? Probably not.
Kripalu is a three-stage yoga considered by some experts to be “feel good” yoga that is customized for Westerners. In the first stage, postural alignment and coordination of breath and movement are stressed. Some feel that accuracy is not a high priority, but this style of yoga does help people begin stretching in a way that is not dangerous.
Integral Yoga, developed by Swami Satchitananda, is a gentle practice enlivened by chanting. This practice includes hatha yoga, selfless service, meditation, and prayer, and influenced Dr. Dean Ornish’s work in reversing heart disease and Dr. Michael Lerner’s noted Commonweal Cancer Help program.1
Sivananda is a highly respected yoga practice that is also widespread. As in other schools of yoga, there is emphasis on mind/body work. Its hatha yoga practice consists of twelve basic postures that are intended to increase spinal strength and flexibility. Chanting, breathing, and meditation are also essential. However, it is difficult to adapt this style to individual physical problems.
Svaroopa-style yoga uses classical yoga poses to open the deeper muscles around the spine, with the goal of helping the whole body to relax and move more freely. Svaroopa-style yoga was developed by Rama Berch, founder of Master Yoga Academy in La Jolla, California. Starting at the tailbone and working up through the spine, supported poses are meant to help contracted areas of the body to release. There are five levels of training, culminating in certification as a Svaroopa Yoga Therapist and as an Advanced Svaroopa Yoga Teacher.
Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy, headquartered in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, blends releasing tension with stretching and assisted movement in supported yoga postures with dialogue that is aimed at helping practitioners let go of old emotions and beliefs that may be manifesting as chronic aches and pains. Phoenix Rising also has thorough teacher training.