A yoga style

[Aleks454]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been thinking about starting yoga for a while now, but I’m not sure where to begin. My main goal is to reduce stress and release tension, especially in my back and neck. I feel like yoga could help me both physically and mentally.

I’ve heard that there are different styles of yoga, but I’m not sure which one would be best for me. Is Hatha yoga a good choice for beginners, or would Yin yoga be better for relaxation? Or maybe you have other suggestions?

I’d also appreciate any tips on how to get started – is it better to find a teacher or try online classes? Any recommendations for good apps or YouTube channels?

I’d be grateful for any advice or opinions!

Thanks in advance!

Hatha or Yin would be good for you. I teach hatha and it's very good for stress reduction as well as general mobility and strength.

There are lots of teachers around, try a few different classes until you find someone whose style you prefer. Once you have learned the basics, try to do some at home every day too, even if it's just 5 minutes.

Sports massage would also help release tension.

Iyengar is the true, original & most comprehensive yoga system. I'd only recommend Iyengar - it takes years to train to become an Iyengar teacher whereas other schools it can be very quick indeed. Iyengar is certainly best for addressing individual conditions such as back issues, and is also focused on avoidance of further injuries.

Iyengar is one of the many flavours of modern Yoga originating from Patanjali's Yoga sutras.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iyengar_Yoga

I'm not sure it's the most comprehensive and I personally find Iyengar's emphasis on alignment too prescriptive - we're all built differently and have varying abilities.

It's definitely worth the OP trying different teachers and styles though - she may find Iyengar is the one she prefers. 🕉️

There really isn’t any such thing as a “true” or “original” system. Iyengar developed his system in the 20th century after studying with Krishnamacharya; Pattabhi Jois developed the Ashtanga system around the same time and after also studying with Krishnamacharya. Yoga is an ancient, 4000-year-old system of different practices designed to facilitate finding contentment, satisfaction and good health, and saying that there is only one true or worthwhile way to practise is very reductive.

@Aleks454 you could find a teacher offering a beginners’ course, but depending on how confident you are in your physical fitness and mobility you could try different classes local to you and see how you get on.

Some benefit and enjoyment will depend on whether you are interested in the meditation and breath practices because some teachers will include these and others won’t. Maybe find someone who teaches a class you could get to, and see if you can speak to them before you sign up- lots of teachers will offer a taster session, too.

Good luck. There are so many benefits to yoga and if one teacher or style isn’t right for you, do try another as it’s such a huge area and as pp mentioned and you alluded to, different styles will feel very different as you do them, and appeal to different people.

"Iyengar is the truest and the best" says an Iyengar teacher!!!! Hilarious!!!!

Please try different styles different teachers different classes and see what resonates with your body your heart your life ❤️

The thread’s a year old, @YogaGrinch, so hopefully the OP’s found a yoga style that resonates with her body her heart her life ❤️ (live, laugh, love?) by now & is benefiting from it.