naam yoga vs hatha

[ernesttheBavarian]

I want to sign up for a yoga class. I can choose between Naam and Hatha. Never heard of Naam. You tube and other internet searches not really clarified things for me. Can anyone help. What's the difference?

My goal is to become more flexible and also to destress. I don't want anything tooooo slow, but I also don't want vigorous and jiggly.

Recommendations? Thanks

ps courses have ended and next start in February so can't do a try out now unfortunately

I have never heard of Naam yoga, I googled it and it sounds... odd.

Hatha yoga is the generic term for posture-based yoga (as opposed to yoga which focusses on the mind or meditation, for example) - so I would go with that one. Ashtanga and Iyengar yoga are the most popular styles in the UK and they are both based on Hatha yoga

thank you for investigating. I also googled it and thought it sounded odd! but it's the best time/venue combination. Anyway, good news is this coming week is the last one so I am managing to do a try out so if you really want I can report back how odd it is in real life and how it compares.

I've never heard of naam either
hatha is indeed just the asanas
BUT
as with all things it comes down to the teacher - go along - as until you try a class you cannot be sure

I do a class that is technically iyengar / vini but the three teachers are very different ...

I tried a couple of different classes before finding one which suits me - In every case, the teacher was happy for me to do a class for free or to just pay for a single class, even when that's not normally an option. So give it a go, and let us know how weird it really is or not.

this is my favorite style of yoga to watch

I agree with Talkin - it's ALL about the teacher.

I did not know that there were different types of yoga. It all just looks like people putting themselves in improbable positions to me. I save that for the bedroom!

couthy
yoga varies HUGELY between approaches
but within approaches teachers vary more
some get right up my nose, others I could practice with all week
these are the sort of thing I like
www.ekhartyoga.com/videos

OK; I can confirm that naam yoga is not for me. Chanting & singing and way too much of a (what felt like) pseudo spirituality, it actually made me feel uncomfortable.

I want more exercise based class with relaxation. I did a yoga class in London years ago which was perfect, so I know it is possible!

Anyway, I have 2 more to try next week so see how I get on there. Thanks for the replies.

sounds like you're an Iyengar type person ....

oh that's a shame, was watching this thread to see what naam yoga might be like

it's bewildering how many new variants pop up all the time, I like the vinyasa flow type where you get to dance about a bit like a twat swooping in and out of your downward dogs to terrible music, and am much less keen on the (iyengar?) sort where you need various straps or blocks or a chair or whatever (although that is what am doing now in my time of Having A Mild Injury)

any yoga is better than no yoga though I think

I taught myself a new party trick yesterday - Warrior 3 on a bosu

I like vinyasa, too - though when I've done it, there wasn't much music, or when there was, it was quite quiet.

Vinyls a seems to ring a bell. Maybe that's what I did in london. A variety of postures then relaxation where I occasionally fell asleep and snored.

Here at one point we had to lie on our backs shaking hands and feet like dying beetles but for ages. My arms were killing me