Which style of yoga best for a beginner

[Jedimastermama]

Looking to give yoga a try. Not sure which style to go for, Ideally looking for something relaxing where I can zone out and focus on myself at a class each week.

I've not been doing yoga consistently for that long (maybe a year?) but, from my own experience, I think you need to try a few and perhaps not concentrate on the style but the teacher and if you like him/her.

It all depends what mood I'm in really. I like Vinyasa with flow movements but sometimes I like Hatha which is slower. I've lately come back to Iyengar. I tried Iyengar many, many years ago and didn't like it at the time as it was quite slow. Recently, as the teacher who usually does the flow yoga and Hatha yoga classes that I go to was absent, an Iyengar teacher took us and I found I love it. The poses are explained clearly and you use props to help you. It suits me now as I want to understand correct alignment more. However, the teacher was also fab and I enjoyed it because of her.

The Vinyasa, being flowing, means I concentrate on keeping up with the poses and don't have time to let my mind wander. With the other styles I've tried, I've concentrated on alignment and breathing and my mind hasn't wandered either.

I have been to other Hatha and Vinyasa yoga teachers but didn't like their style. I also tried one which was an hour of yoga and 30 minutes meditation - I couldn't cope with that at the time. That's why I recommend you try a few classes and see which teachers inspire you.

Here's a link to a Guardian article for more info about styles:
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jan/10/yoga-beginners-guide-different-styles

Hope you find the right class for you.
x

Thank you Mrs2cats, I will give a few classes. Try and see which teacher and style I am comfortable with.

😊

Beginner’s yoga

Seriously though, whichever style you go for, the class should be pitched at a certain level eg beginners, advanced, all levels.
Personally I would suggest trying Hatha yoga first, ideally beginner’s but if not all levels, because Hatha is the “original” yoga and it’s good for learning the basics and focusing on the essentials. I’m probably biased though as I’ve been doing yoga for years and still prefer Hatha. It depends on the teacher obviously but with a good one it’s usually a good pace, some time spent on postures but not too much, some flow/movement between postures but not too fast, plus attention on the breath as well as relaxation at the end.

There are so many different yoga positions you can choose from.

I suppose it all depends on what style you're looking for - in your case relaxed lol

I found out more here, hope it helps

healthnotepad.com/beginners-guide-to-fitness/

Iyenga is just lovely. Or hatha. Don't go for ashtanga until you've been doing regular yoga for 6 months or more! It's very hard-core

I'd recommend starting with Hatha and then moving on to Vinyasa when you are comfortable with the main poses & flowing between them.