Understanding Yoga Styles

There are many styles or labels in yoga. Which is the best? Which is most suitable to us? Let us explore further.

No style is the best

Styles in yoga are similar to banana skin, while yoga is the fruit that we eat. Some people prefer certain types of banana, while others like different types. Meanwhile, some people have to exclude banana from their diet due to certain illness. Some people prefer deep fried bananas hot from the pan, while some others prefer having bananas accompanied by music, and some others like having bananas while walking or perhaps jumping. Everything depends on individual taste.

Yoga seen as a spiritual practice, and styles of yoga can be likened to organized religion. Both yoga styles and religion can be suitable for one but not another. It is very wrong for a yoga teacher or a yoga style to claim that their yoga will be suitable for everyone, and therefore, is the best style.

Relationship between yoga and the styles are exactly similar to follower of religions. Some followers practice their rituals or conventions very closely, some think in a way that is much more progressive and liberal. Some people embrace their religion to the most fundamental approach, while some others approach the practice in a more secular way.

How nice it would be if we could accept and be open towards these differences. It is not necessary for any yoga centre or their yoga instructors to demand uncompromised obedience from their members to practise only one particular style at a particular place.

Truth is, yoga can teach us to be a pluralist because yoga is universal. Yoga does not heed any differences in religion, gender, race, age, social status, or any other labels. Everyone can practise yoga.

Gather information beforehand

Each yoga style can be very different in terms of how to do asanas. One style perform poses by holding breath for one minute or more accompanied by explanations on how to perform the particular pose with a lot of information. Another style move from one pose to another in fast speed, and other style requires the poses to be performed in specific temperature in order to obtain maximum benefits.

All these are valid, not one is wrong or more right than the other. Each style has philosophic background to how the asanas are being performed. In the end, everyone is doing the same yoga pose. Choices are open to individual yoga practitioner performing the poses.

However, beginners in yoga may want to gather as much information as possible before committing to a certain yoga centre and determine most suitable class according to one’s interests, expectations and characters. In the beginning, it is necessary to have guidance from instructors who are able to provide understanding in how to perform a pose in order to obtain maximum benefits as well as to avoid injuries.

Yoga is not competitive sports and it is merely for one’s own self. Therefore, one should not go beyond capacities. Take suitable practice as offered by yoga centres according to abilities.

There also needs to be close communication between student and teacher. A student should inform yoga teachers should there be any illness or physical issues. Asana is to be practiced by listening to one’s own body and being aware of any sensations or feelings that arise while performing the asana, just like in meditation.

Use every pose as a mirror to look into ourselves, yoga is a mirror to look at ourselves from within.

By Yudhi Widyantoro

This passage is originally published in Indonesian language, freely quoted and translated from Yoga Yuk, biar Fit (Let’s Yoga for Fitness) with author's permission.

If you like what you have just read, please check your local bookstore for the book.

by Yudhi Widyantoro

Yin Yoga, a brief introduction

"We do not use our body to get into a pose, we use the pose to get into our body" 

Bernie Clark

Yin Yoga is distinguished from other styles of yoga mainly from the way the asanas (yoga poses) are performed and the targeted areas. Yin Yoga asanas target connective tissues, which need to be exercised in Yin manner in order to maintain health of the tissues. Exercising the tissues in Yin manner refers to the way Yin asanas are performed, which relies on body weight and gravity (applying passive traction). Due to the characteristics of connective tissues, the asanas in this style of yoga need to be hold in longer time to allow for the connective tissues to respond to the passive traction. In addition, Yin yoga asanas are also to be performed in relaxed manner. Any muscle contraction would prevent us to reach deeper into the articulations because muscle contractions were actually designed to protect internal organs as well as articulations.

Referring to the Daoist philosophy of opposite Yin-Yang, Yin yoga practise is more static, cooling and quiet, compared to its counter-part Yang asanas, which are more dynamic, working on muscle flexibility and strengths. Under the Yin-Yang frame, Yin asanas mostly targets lower part of the body, which is the Yin part of the body. Yin yoga comprises only part of the Yoga practice, or currently, the missing part.

It was discovered that energy lines known as meridian or pranas in Eastern medicine, actually lie in the connective tissues. This brings another benefit from the practice, which is to improve the meridian and in turn, improve health of vital organs such as kidneys, liver, heart and lung.

Yin Yoga is also very close to meditation practice. The long time held asanas give opportunity to observe what is happening in the mind and body, to withdraw all the senses within, the practice of patyahara, one of the eight limbs as being taught in the celebrated Yoga Sutra of Patanjali. Stillness of the body is also supportive to reach certain level of stillness in the mind and the practice brings qualities of patience, surrender, acceptance and gratitude to the mind.

It is with this approach to yoga asanas, one begins  to experience and then comprehends the union between body, mind and breath. Practised mindfully, yin yoga asanas give ample of opportunities to observe how the mind reacts to physical sensations (as with anything else in life) with likes and dislikes. This would in turn, allow for the mind to observe without being agitated. When the mind is relaxed, the body would also be able to open, lengthen the tissues. When the mind is tense, especially in response to the physical sensations during asanas, the body would accordingly become very tense, contracting various muscles unnecessarily. As both body and mind are tense, the breath would follow suit, it would be short and ragged, very uneasy.

After a while, observing how the body and mind react to each other would tend to become a habit. With it, one gains better understanding of what is happening, especially at subconscious level, simply by observing the state of our body and breath at any given time. This usually provides many insights to our decision making process and also takes care of any stresses to the mind, before they build up.

It is only this understanding of mind and body that makes yoga practice really matters.

Supta Virasana (Reclining Hero Pose)

Supta Virasana in Restorative Yoga Class

Named after Virasana, which means hero, the pose is meant to copy the courageousness and valor of a hero. In Supta Virasana or reclining hero, the front body is exposed and it creates space in the torso. This pose is a counter pose to the stress resulting from our daily lives, where majority of our times are spent behind the desk or in the car or other seated position that overwork and strain our back and tighten our hips and legs. 

Many find this pose challenging, especially those who are tight in the quadriceps muscle group, hamstring and psoas. Use of yoga props such as bolsters, blanket, blocks and belt, are recommended. This would enable one to take the practise step by step as the body gradually adjusts to the stretch.

While this pose is good for abdominal stretch, back and legs stretch as well as chest opener, Supta Virasana is also a restorative pose. Performed with abdominal breathing, this pose can be very calming and extremely effective in promoting relaxation and reducing stress. As with many front body opening poses, Supta Virasana may also invite certain hidden emotions or feelings to the surface. As the body opens, the heart may follow suits and thus the process of letting go begins.

More detailed benefits of Supta Virasana are as follow:

• Stretch of abdominal muscles that improve digestion, preventing bloating and diarhea, which is why it is good to be practised after meals,      
• A good stretch on quadriceps, hamstrings, hip extensors and psoas muscles to relieve weary legs and increases flexibility,
• Counteracts our tendency to hunch, due to all day working at a desk or in front a computer, by opening the chest,
• Once a yogi can relax into this pose, a deep relaxation can be reached.

In the beginning, it is suggested to stay in this pose for one-two minutes. Then it should gradually increase to ten-fifteen minutes. This pose is often regarded as intermediate pose and it can be difficult for a beginner to stay for a longer period. Teachers’ assistants with the use of yoga props are very helpful in doing the pose and benefit from it.