Exploring Yoga Styles

By now, you’ve have practiced three different types of asana (the physical practice of yoga). Each one offers different feeling tones and creates different expressions in our bodies and our minds. The qualities we experience in these practices shift from one day to the next, dependent on what is currently happening in and around us. As practitioners, we tend to seek out the physical practice we believe will help us move through a challenging situation. For those of us who find it challenging to sit still, we might choose a power flow or vinyasa practice over a restorative one. We find the restorative practice challenging because it asks us to sit with the monkey mind (the constant chatter in our heads). But all we really want to do is exhaust the physical body with the hope that it will tire the mind too. If this sounds familiar, we encourage you to try the Flow to Restore class or take a Flow immediately followed by a Restorative class. No matter which practice you enjoy the most, we encourage you to switch them up regularly. Sometimes moving out of our comfort zone allows us to deepen our understanding of ourselves.

 

How were the different styles of yoga for you: Restorative, Flow to Restore, Hatha? Did one resonate with you and why? Was there one you didn’t enjoy and why? How is this a reflection of yourself?