Yoga originated somewhere between the fifth and sixth centuries B.C. My mom has been practising it since the 70s and I picked up the habit after her in the 2000s. Today, yoga is being practised in many places and by many people. But the problem that I find with the various places that offer yoga is that they plainly name it as “yoga class” rather than specifying which yoga are they teaching.

From my research, I can tell you about three types of yoga and the differences between them despite their major overlaps.  All three types of yoga have in common three basic elements: they focus on posture, breathing, and mindfulness.

The first type of yoga is Vinayasa yoga, also known as flow yoga.  It includes repetitively doing the following movements- plank, chaturanga, and upward facing dog. There are many poses like warrior I, warrior II, triangle, etc. which you can do instead of chaturanga, but chaturanga is a must! I, myself have done these three asanas (along with many more) in every Vinayasa yoga class that I have taken.

The second type of yoga is Ashtanga yoga. It is a type of yoga that synchronizes your breath with the help of a series of postures. There is a lot of sweating involved because the movements increase your body temperature. Breathing is the prime focus of this style.

The third type of yoga is Hatha yoga.  The main focus of this yoga is physical postures. This is the yoga which is usually offered in gyms, schools, etc. Hatha yoga is considered to be gentler than the other forms of yoga. Personally, when I do this yoga, I feel calmer and happier.

If this information feels overbearing to you, then you can simply consider which part of the body you would like to work on, and then opt for yoga that focuses on that portion of the body. For me, it was my hip area and I resorted to yoga (mix and match) that helped me with making my hips flexible.