Hatha, Vinyasa Ashtanga...what does it all mean?!

Ever look at a yoga class schedule and rather than just saying "Yoga Tuesday at 6pm" you see “Vinyasa Flow”, “Vin-Yin”, and “Ashtanga Flow” and you end up thinking, what does this even all mean?!

Well, I've got you. I've been there and I'm still learning but here's my take on the different styles of yoga from my experience to help you decode the mystery and find your yoga.

Most styles of yoga are influenced by the lineage or school, which then is interpreted by the teacher leading the class. With thousands of lineages and hundreds of thousands of teachers, it’s unlikely you’ll find two classes quite the same regardless of what it's named on the timetable. So keep in mind that it might take some experimentation to find your fit and over time what you’re seeking from a yoga class might also change and evolve leading you to a new style or teacher. This is all okay.

Hatha: The Grounded One

Let's start with Hatha Yoga, often regarded as the foundational fabric of various yoga practices, it feels like a natural place to start. The word "Hatha" itself is a combination of two Sanskrit terms: "Ha," meaning sun, and "Tha," meaning moon. This alludes to the balance between opposing forces, a core principle in Hatha Yoga.

Founded on ancient texts like the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, this style seeks to harmonise aspects of the body and mind. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, attributed to the sage Swatmarama, is a classical manual that introduces practices such as asanas (postures), pranayama (breath control), and meditation, emphasising the importance of physical well-being as a precursor to spiritual growth.

But what does this look like in a Hatha Yoga class? You will experience a blend of asana (postures), pranayama (breath work) and an element of meditation often experienced during relaxation at the end of the class. It’s designed to cultivate strength, and flexibility and deepen the mind-body connection. You might find the poses a bit stop-start, as in you’ll do a pose reset and then move into the next making it a slower pace.

Hatha is often an all-level class and with its slower pace can be a great foundation for beginners or those looking to generally slow things down.

Vinyasa Flow: The Flowing One

Vinyasa flow is a more contemporary style of yoga but still has strong roots in ancient teachings, primarily in the ancient text "Yoga Korunta," which is said to have been discovered by T. Krishnamacharya.

T. Krishnamacharya is often referred to as the father of modern yoga. His teachings, transmitted to influential students like B.K.S. Iyengar, K. Pattabhi Jois, and his son T.K.V. Desikachar, are names that you’ll see associated with more styles of yoga as we go on. 

Where Hatha seeks to balance Vinyasa seeks connection, specifically mind, body, and breath through movement. With a practice made up of postures, breathwork and meditation sequenced in a way I tend to describe as a dance. Sometimes classes will be themed which allows for the expression of creativity. So where Hatha can feel stop/start Vinyasa Flow has a fluidity to the movement, this also means it can (not always) be a faster pace, dynamic and more heating.

I’m going to be biassed here and say it's great and everyone should do Vinyasa Flow as it's what I teach :) In the Western world, we are also likely to gravitate more towards this style as there is a familiarity to it if you're used to choreographed workout classes like step, spin or HIIT workouts (Les Mills and Metafit come to mind).

Ashtanga: The Disciplined One

Ashtanga Yoga is heavily influenced by the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, an ancient and foundational yoga text. In Sanskrit “ash” means eight and “tanga” limb or the Eight Limbs of Yoga as described by Patanjali which create the ethical, physical and spiritual pillars much of yoga as we know it today is based on.

The lineage of Ashtanga Yoga traces back to the legendary sage Vamana Rish and is passed down through many teachers, one being K. Pattabhi Jois who is often credited as being instrumental in bringing yoga to the modern world.

Ashtanga Yoga itself is considered very disciplined in that it follows a predefined series of postures, with six Ashtanga Series in total that progressively advance in complexity. Most practitioners will be more familiar with the primary series or an Ashtanga-style class that is a shortened or adapted version of the primary series. Even in the first series, there are some complex postures requiring a lot of flexibility and self-paced can take anywhere from 90-120 minutes to complete, which is why we often see Ashtanga Style on a class schedule.

Sitting somewhere between Hatha and Vinyasa in that it’s heating and flowing in parts and grounding in others. Ashtanga will appeal to people who like repetition and to see progress in the physical practice as they grow in competency of the primary series and advance. However, classes can often be self-led - as in no instructor is cueing you through that sequence - and can be considered dogmatic, remember no two teachers or two styles are the same this is a generalisation. Ashtanga is heavily rooted in Mysore, India and steeped in tradition so you might see a reference to that either in the class description or the teacher's bio. 

Yin: The Quiet One 

The most modern of all the styles we’ve looked at here is Yin, and its creation is credited to Paulie Zink, a martial artist and Taoist yoga teacher in the late 1970s. Influenced by the ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism, Yin Yoga draws inspiration from the concept of Yin and Yang—the balance of opposing forces.

Slow-paced and nearly always low to the ground, each pose is held in stillness for anywhere from 5-10mins, or longer in some cases. This practice targets the deep connective tissues, promoting flexibility, patience, and a meditative state. Often complimented with candlelight and soft music do not be fooled by its slow pace, Yin can be extremely challenging. While other practices like Vinyasa and Ashtanga can be physically challenging Yin can be extremely challenging on the mind especially if you're not used to mindfulness practices.

There can be physical challenges as well, as the deep connective tissues are engaged but finding stillness, especially in a modern fast-paced world, can be both welcomed and difficult as you get the urge to fidget and move as resistance rises up in the mind. Yin compliments more dynamic yoga and fitness, offering a holistic and balanced approach to practice that can help to improve flexibility and mobility.

Finding Your Yoga

Above are outlined just a few of the vast styles of yoga as we never even mentioned Iyengar, Kundalini or some of the even more modern variations such as ariel or goat yoga! Yoga has a vast and rich history and the only way to find your way is to start.

Some considerations that can help you start that journey, would be what are you looking to get from your yoga practice? Are you looking for a workout and to break a sweat, then maybe look at Vinyasa or Ashtanga. What about something with a stronger spiritual or meditative element, look a little more into Hatha and Yin. If you're working with an injury or just starting out on your fitness journey, Hatha or a slow flow might be for you. 

If you still have questions, ask away!