Holistic Movement Center
845 Napa Ave, #A Morro Bay, CA 93442   Ph: (805)-909-1401

Is All Yoga Created Equal  

Yoga classes are abundant today. Every town, gym, spa or health club offers yoga classes. Yoga classes with names like “Power Yoga,” “Flow,” “Kundalini,” “Ashtanga,” “Bikram” and more tempt and puzzle the prospective student - Which one is for me? What is the difference? Can I do it?

Yoga is no longer something novel. It is so well established in our culture that even car manufacturers and pharmaceuticals use images of people doing yoga to sell their products. There are special yoga clothing lines, special yoga mats and a wide assortment of yoga props, there are even yoga shoes… although traditionally yoga is done bare foot.  There are the images of skinny people doing elegant postures on the covers of many magazines, or strong people doing exotic postures, or healthy looking people sitting cross-legged in a peaceful oblivion. Even doctors these days recommend yoga to their patients to help them manage weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, chronic back pain and recover from surgeries.

But what about you? Your hip hurts. You can’t comfortably drop to the floor. You haven’t done anything physically challenging since high school. You have a bad shoulder. You are overweight. You are intimidated by the pretty people in the magazines. You are worried that yoga may interfere with your religion.  You think people in yoga classes speak a funny language you don’t understand….No Problem! Yoga is for you too.

Step 1. First you need to figure out what is it that you need. Is it physical fitness? Are you trying to recover from an injury or from an operation like a hip replacement, or broken arm or an ankle, even an open hear surgery. Do you have chronic condition from back pain to depression? Some people care less about the physical aspects of yoga although they understand that yoga is a great system of exercise. They are more interested in the extraordinary healing potential that it offers for the mind as well as for the body.

Step 2. Call around to find out what is offered locally. Stay away from “One-size-fits-all classes.” Generally classes offered at the gyms are “one-size-fits-all.” They tend to be crowded and the instructors are unable to monitor all students properly. This is not a good environment for a beginner or a person with limitations. Look for Introduction to Yoga classes if you are absolutely new or need a little refresher. If it was your doctor that recommended yoga to you, ask him/her what kinds of things you should avoid doing. Some yoga classes are done in 104 degree temperature with 60% humidity which is an exhausting way to practice especially if you have some heart conditions, if you are pregnant, or if you easily become tired by heat.

Step 3. Try to call the instructors that teach the classes that look most appealing to you. Even if the studios don’t give out the teachers phone numbers, ask at the studio what these classes are all about. Then attend a few here and there. Give a class more than one try. You may be showing up on a day the main instructor is out of town and the class is being subbed. It takes more than once to get an idea of what a class is really about. Look for an instructor you resonate with. Also, look for the kind of environment that suites you. Make sure you let the instructor know if you have any special conditions or injuries.

When you hear the word Hatha Yoga know that this encompasses a variety of styles, so to understand more about what a class is about ask for specifics. Hatha is a very general term. Often instructors will call the class Hatha Yoga in order to indicate that it isn’t any particular style. It’s more like a bag of jellybeans – all colors and flavors mixed in a bag. 

Here are a few general guidelines aboutt the most commonly available yoga styles.

Ashtanga Yoga. The practice of Ashtange is a fast –paced series of sequential postures pioneered by yoga master K. Pattabhi Jois, who lived in Mysore, India and studied with Krishnamacharia, To practice Ashtanga yoga one must undergo training in a pre-Ashtanga class to learn the sequencing of the Primary series and to build up body strength and agility to be able to complete the Primary Series. Classes go fast… no time for adjustments! You will sweat.

Power Yoga.  In 1995, Bender Birch set out to challenge the meaning of “fit” with her book “Power Yoga.  Her intention was to give a western spin on the practice of Ashtanga. Power Yoga’s popularity has spread and teachers such as Byron Baptiste have made it an icon of fitness.  Power Yoga is really Ashtanga with less rules and just as much hard work.  Power Yoga is also known as Power Vinyasa.

White Lotus: Founders – Ganga White and Tracey Rich. This is another form of flowing vinyasa practice which ranges from gentle to vigorous depending on your ability. Class formats incorporate alignment, breath, and the theoretical understanding of yoga. It is very satisfying and it can accommodate people with different levels of ability.

Vinyasa Flow –This is a flowing practice emphasizing the connection between breath and movement. It is creative, unpredictable and intelligent. It continues in the steps of Ashtanga yoga from the Krishnamacharia linage. Shiva Rea, Sarah Powers and Ana Forest are examples of creative yoginies that take the vinyasa form to the level of art. When you happen upon a skillful instructor, the practice is absolutely transformational.

Iyengar. In this type of class postures are typically held much longer, especially standing postures.  Precise muscular and skeletal alignment is GREATLY emphasized.  You will use LOTS of props, including belts, chairs, blocks, blankets… to help accommodate your body in the “perfect” alignment and support.

Integrative Yoga Therapy. In 1993, Joseph Le Page, M.A. founded IYT. His teacher training program was specifically designed for medical and mainstream wellness settings, including hospitals and rehabilitation centers. 

Sivananda. At its core this yoga is geared toward helping students answer the age-old question “who am I?” This yoga is based on the philosophy of Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh, India, who taught disciples to “serve, love, give, purify, meditate, realize/” In order to achieve this goal Shivananda advocated a path that would recognize and synthesize each level of the human experience including the intellect, heart, body and mind.

Kundalini Yoga was founded be Yoga Bhajan in 1969. It stems from the tantra yoga tradition and at one time remained a closed system for only approved practitioners. Yogi Bhajan’s reason for “opening” the system to all is that “it is everyone’s birth right to be healthy, happy and holy” and he believed that Kundalini Yoga is the way. This is a  practice oriented towards total spiritual transformation and enlightenment in the process of which one becomes super healthy and maintains youthfulness. You will practice dynamic breathing practices, chant and meditate on mantras such as “Sat Nam” (I am truth).

Bikram. Bikram is hot! Each studio is 110 degrees Fahrenheit and at least 60% humidity. It’s a siquence of 26 postures only. Acording to Mikram Choudhury, the founder of this yoga style, this is all you need to stay healthy, detox and be youthful. If you have heart conditions, glaucoma and a variety of other disorders you should not attend Bikram classes. Consult your doctor before attending one.