To be honest, in the beginning Yoga can be pretty confusing. When most of us beginners, when the term Yoga comes to mind, we think of unusual stretches and toned goddesses wearing skin tight yoga clothes.

It’s a little intimidating.

But it doesn’t have to be! Yoga is all about being mindful, connecting your mind and body to be more in touch with your self. It’s fantastic. And all it takes is just an open mind to get started. 

Here are the most common types of Yoga, (via Matchstick Molly!) 

HATHA: Usually if a class is described as “Hatha,” its going to be pretty slow-paced and gentle and provide a good introduction to the basic yoga poses.

VINYASA Vinyasa means “breath-synchronized movement” and tends to be a more vigorous style of yoga, moving more quickly than Hatha. You’ll warm up with sun saltations and end with deep stretches.

ASHTANGA [or Power Yoga, or Yoga Flow]: Ashtanga is a fast-paced, intense style of yoga. A set series of poses is performed, and always in the same order. It can be pretty physically demanding because you’re constantly moving from one pose to the next. 

IYENGAR This type of yoga is most concerned with bodily alignment. It emphasized holding poses over long periods of time versus moving quickly from one pose to the next (like in Ashtanga).

BIKRAM [or Hot Yoga]: Is the practice of yoga in a room that’s heated at 95-100 degrees. The high temperatures allows for your muscles to loosen, and also gets you pretty sweaty, which is though to be cleansing.

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If you’re just starting out, Hatha is most likely your first choice. It’s great for getting used to basic poses and breathing techniques, that happen at a good pace for learning. 

If you can’t make it out to a Yoga Class, no worries. There are so many online Yoga sites and youtube videos (My favourite is Tara Stiles, she’s awesome) And the best thing is, it’s free! Which is pretty important if you’re broke like me. 

And lastly, remember to breathe. You can take every class in the world, read every book and do every chant but if you don’t take the moment to slow down and just breathe, you’ll totally miss the whole concept of yoga. So that’s my advice for getting started, if you have any questions, feel free to ask! :)