Yoga With Pamela McDowell

If you’re wildly confused by the vast array of yoga styles offered in the West you’re not alone.

I am too.

My quick search online was baffling – I encountered so many names for yoga (a few of which were new to me): Viniyoga, Svaroopa Yoga, Sivananda, Kundalini, Kripalu, Kali Ray Triyoga, Iyengar, Integral, Bikram, Ashtanga, Anusara, Ananda, Tantra, Hatha, Jivamukti, Bharata, Ki, Synergy, Shadow, Vinyasa, Power, Hot…

Not only that, some teachers will describe how they teach not by some name of the style but by the names of the teachers that influenced them, such as BKS Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, Swami Satyananda, TVK Desikachar.

And some teachers create their own brand name.

The list seems endless (and it just might be).

And since few people will have a clear understanding of all the styles, each resource you consult will have some limited description (based on the writer’s understanding) of a style that may or may not be a good representation of the practice.

Not only that, some of the names will imply a very specific practice (such as Bikram or Astanga which have set sequences) and others may be more of a catch-all name representing numerous possibilities (Hatha).

And some of the styles can have a wide variety of interpretations depending upon how the session is taught. For example, my training is in the Viniyoga tradition, and using what we learn in extensive teacher training I can create practices ranging from easy to tough, active to gentle, outward to meditative, therapeutic to general purpose. So using the name Viniyoga will give an indication of the approach but not necessarily specify what’s in a particular practice.

Here are a few suggestions for wading through the sea of yoga styles…

- Get clear about what you want out of the practice (read How to Choose a Yoga Video Step 1 and Step 2 for some ideas)

- Read or listen descriptions of different styles from a variety of sources and note which ones appeal to you. (Search “yoga styles” in Google, consult books, talk to teachers and others who practice yoga)

- Keep in mind that what is most popular may not be the same as what is best for you

Once you have a list of your preferred styles I suggest setting it aside and using it as a guide to help select a video. Remember the list is a guide, not a set of rules so stay open to possibilities you encounter when searching for a video, which I’ll write about next time.

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Tags: Health Tips, Yoga Practice Tips, Yoga Video //