There are many, many, many different styles of yoga on offer out there which can be very confusing so I wanted to give you a little overview of the styles I offer!
Hatha Yoga
Often named as the ‘traditional’ or ‘original’ yoga, in which many other forms of yoga stemmed from, hatha translates as, sun (ha) and moon (ta) and is yoga of activity and balance. It offers a combination of physical postures (asana) and breath practices (pranayama) designed to align and calm your body, mind and spirit in preparation for meditation.
Somatic Yoga
Somatic means ‘relating to the body’, and could therefore easily describe all yoga. To me, the difference is that somatic yoga allows freedom away from the sometimes ‘rigid’ alignment-based practices as it encourages you to move intuitively and focus on the sensation and experience of movement. What the movement feels like not what the pose looks like.
Yin Yoga
A recent adaptation of traditional yoga, combining hatha yoga and the ancient Chinese practice of Taoism (or Daoism) which emphasises living in harmony and balancing Chi, energy meridians. Chi is the Chinese version of prana in yoga, both meaning energy/vital life force.
The practice is slow, still and passive in its approach. Expect poses to be held for a period of time (typically between 2 and 10 minutes) to target the connective tissues; fascial system, ligaments and tendons, rather than the muscles.
Restorative Yoga
Restorative yoga is a deeply restful practice that invites you to hold yoga poses for a long period of time while using plenty of props (yoga blocks, blankets, and bolsters). It aims for you to feel held, nurtured and fully supported so you can stay effortlessly in the pose.
Relax your body, calm your mind and restore your nervous system.
Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra, commonly known as ‘yogi sleep’, is a guided relaxation technique that induces a state of ‘non-sleep deep rest’ (somewhere between wakefulness and sleep). During the practice you are in a comfortable position (usually supine, on your back) and are guided through an experience that draws your brain away from active state (high-frequency beta waves) into deep relaxation (alpha, theta, and sometimes delta waves), while maintaining conscious awareness.
