Hatha means any retentive practice until the object or end is achieved. "Ha" and "Tha" means when the Sun and The Moon unite which is the union of Prana and Apana Vayus.

Hatha Yoga involves any physical activities of yoga. There are eight limbs in yoga and there is only one which is called Asana that involves doing yoga poses. When you do Iyengar, this is an example of Hatha yoga. When you do Ashtanga which is also in the category of Hatha Yoga. The Term "Hatha Yoga" has the same meaning as "Yoga".

WHAT IS A HATHA YOGA CLASS LIKE?
A Hatha class will be most likely about doing slow-paced stretching with some simple breathing exercises and maybe also a meditation which is done while sitting. This class is a good one if you want to learn some basic poses, to get used to Yoga and you can also learn about some relaxation techniques.

IS HATHA YOGA SUITABLE FOR YOU?
Everyone has different preference. A lot of people who have tried a Hatha class love the relaxed feeling they get after the class, but there are other people too who think that it is too slow for them.

Raja Yoga or Asthanga is an exact science and it has a purpose to control all thought-waves or mental modifications. Asthanga begins where Hatha Yoga ends.

Asthanga means "eight limbs" in Sanskrit and it is a type of Yoga which is intense and fast-paced. In Ashtanga, a set series of poses are performed and they are always done in the same exact order. Asthanga Yoga is very physically demanding because of the continuous movement from one pose to the next. This movement is called flow in Yoga terminology. Asthanga is the inspiration of what is called Power Yoga which is based one the flowing style of Asthanga, but it is not kept strictly to the Asthanga series of poses.

IS ASTHANGA YOGA SUITABLE FOR YOU?
Asthanga yoga is very popular. It is a vigorous, athletic-style of practice. It appeals to those who are keen on a sense of order and like to do things independently.

The term Vinyasa covers a wide range of Yoga classes. The word itself means "breath-synchronized movement". During class, the teacher will instruct you to move from one pose to the next on an inhale or an exhale. This technique is also called Vinyasa Flow, or simply just Flow because the poses that are done smoothly and they run together in such a way that they look like a dance.

One example of a very simple Vinyasa is called A Cat-Cow because the spine is arched on an inhale and rounded on an exhale. One example of a rather complex Vinyasa is named A Sun Salutation. Each movement in the series is done on an inhale or an exhale.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A VINYASA CLASS?
This class allows you to have a lot of variety but will most likely include Sun Salutations. If your Yoga class schedule lists a Vinyasa class, you will expect to do movement, not just stretching. The class includes chanting and is very alignment-oriented whether or not the class is fast or slow and it depends on the teacher. Asthanga and Power Yoga which are very popular Yoga styles make use of the Vinyasa method, but on a class schedule they will be listed by their individual names.

IS VINYASA YOGA SUITABLE FOR YOU?
There is no exact guidelines or rules that a teacher must follow because Vinyasa's strength is in its diversity, so chances for individual personalities and quirks may come through. And it is essential that you find a teacher that you enjoy. If you are not satisfied with your very first Vinyasa class, you can try different teachers. Vinyasa is most probably right for you if you enjoy having things a little loose, unpredictable and like to move around.

Anusara means Flowing with Grace and is a brand of Yoga that emphasizes on using Yoga to bring joy into the body and open the heart. It was founded in 1997 by an American yog named John Friend.

The principle aspects that define Anusara are:
It believes that all beings are good. A Vinyasa-style practice that focuses on opening the heart through physical alignment and bending the back, including using the props. A focus on translating the lessons learned in Yoga class into daily life

IS ANUSARA YOGA SUITABLE FOR YOU?
This class is positive, fun and light. It is not an easy class for they include Vinyasa flow and numerous alignment works. However, the focus on using props makes it accessible to students with different abilities. Annusara usually appeals to those who want to work on both their physical and spiritual well-being.

Pranayama which means the control of the flow of life force forms an important step in the path towards ascendancy through Yoga.

IS PRANAYAMA YOGA SUITABLE FOR YOU?
Pranayama which is also known as the Yoga breathing exercise is a vital part of developing Yoga practice. Pranayama is one of the Eight Limbs in Yoga. Besides learning to deepen your Yoga practice, learning how to stay calm or refresh the body through breathing will highly give you benefit in your real life.

Breathing is an important part of life. We can not control when or where to breathe but we can definitely control the way we breathe. The core of Pranayama practice is a belief that having different methods of breathing will affect the body's health and life force.

Yoga for kids is a fun way for children to develop important skills in a fun, non-competitive environment.
Even at a young age, children often feel pressure at school academically and socially, plus the added pressure of competitive organized sports. It is easy for girls and boys to become overly self-critical, and lose confidence in themselves as they grow and change. Yoga is a great remedy; there is no judgment in a yoga class about how a child does a pose or plays a game. Doing a pose ‘perfectly’ is not the aim of yoga, which nurtures a child’s inner strength and self acceptance.

This nourishing atmosphere encourages children to relax and have fun while they develop not only strength, coordination, flexibility and balance, but also body awareness, better focus and concentration, and self confidence.

The Universal Style of Yoga (USY) is based on the knowledge of the human structure and universal rules of modifications of this structure. According to the traditional idea of yoga, a human being consists of seven bodies, called shells or maya koshas. These shells, or forms, are called organic, power, psychic, mental, spiritual, causal and absence of form -- or Formlessness. The goal of the USY is to achieve harmony and balance within each shell, between the shells, and between the human being and the outer world. To develop and refine these shells, USY uses a diversity of practical exercises. One may practice the exercises pertaining to each shell separately; however, to speed up the process, USY combines various elements of different exercises that create a simultaneous impact on several shells.

Universal Yoga is a unified scientific approach to achieving liberation of consciousness through a balanced application of physical, energetic and psychic practices. This system reflects Andrey Lappa's experience with spiritual teachers of the Hindu and Tibetan Buddhist traditions of the Himalayas, his decades of personal practice and research, and his belief in complete freedom and creativity in practice.

Andrey Lappa is one of the most qualified and influential masters and professional teachers of yoga in the all ex-soviet territory. All his life he traveled and lived a long time in eastern countries: Mongolia, India, Nepal, Burjatia, Siberia and others, where he developed skills with world known teachers, as well as learned from concealed from general attention but unusually vigorous ezotheric-practitioners. His books: "Dynamic practices in classical yoga" and "Yoga: Tradition of Unification" become best sellers in 1999-2000 in ex-soviet countries. Andrey is also a good computer programmer and he has designed programs for teaching yoga which have proven to be very useful for his many students.