(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Yoga is a spiritual mental and physical practice of discipline.
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Whenever I travel to New York or Los Angeles I am surprised to find different versions of yoga. There is hot yoga cold yoga steam yoga kundalini yoga... the list is endless. I even tried attending one of the sessions of hot yoga. The temperature in the studio was raised to 40 degrees Celsius and we were made to sweat it out. Beautiful ladies in their latest designer workout wear were a shade of cherry red! I was amazed at how many people bought into this version of yoga. Over the years I have tried different classes in many countries and I have only been disappointed. Very few people practise yoga the way it needs to be practiced. Simplicity and authenticity is the key to practising yoga.
Yoga is a spiritual mental and physical practice of discipline. The main aim of yoga is to not only transform the body but also the mind. If the mind and body are in sync and at peace with each other big transformations can be achieved. There are many different types of schools of yoga. Hatha yoga focuses on gentle movements with focus on meditation and the correct breathing techniques. Vinyasa yoga on the other hand is a branch of Hatha yoga with special focus on sun salutations. Ashtanga yoga focuses on eight limbs or eight aspects. This is truly a form of power yoga as it is fast paced and involves postures to pump up your heart rate. While Iyengar yoga covers all eight aspects of Ashtanga yoga and also focuses on bodily alignment. Different props like straps blankets and blocks are used to assist in strengthening the body. Standing poses are emphasised and are often held for long periods of time to control and tame the body.
Depending on your personality type and exercise preference you should pick the style of yoga that suits you best. People who think that yoga is not challenging enough have obviously not tried Ashtanga yoga. If you are into relaxation and meditation then Hatha yoga is best suited to you. But if flexibility is your goal then Iyengar yoga should be on your list of things to do.
In the end no matter which school you pick as long as you practise a few times a week you are likely to see results. Initially you will be struggling and your mind will be all over the place. But over the next few months you will notice that your mind is still and in the present moment while practising yoga postures. And this is the main aim of yoga – synchronisation of the mind and the body.
Shivani Adalja is a Dubai-based wellbeing expert. She runs the Alignment Insitute which offers effective solutions that focus on stress management and overall wellbeing. Email alignshivaniadalja.com