What is hatha?
'Hatha yoga is a generic term that refers to any type of yoga that teaches physical postures. It generally means that you will get a gentle introduction to the most basic yoga postures. You probably won't work up a sweat in a hatha yoga class, but you should end up leaving class feeling longer, looser, and more relaxed.'
When I first started yoga, I went exclusively to hatha classes. They were described as 'gentle' and at the time I was seriously injured and unable to do very much at all, so they seemed the like the perfect option for me. I think it's the same for a lot of people - hatha is a really good thing to pick up, because it's not a fast and energetic practice, it's more gentle and eases you in.
You do a posture, then another posture, and so on, rather than flowing through a series of the same postures time and again. That doesn't mean it's easy, you still get your sense of achievement and learn stuff, but once you start doing anything more energetic, like vinyasa flow, or disciplined, like ashtanga, you realise that hatha is a softer entry point into the world of yoga.
What is vinyasa flow?
'Vinyasa (pronounced "vin-yah-sah") is a Sanskrit word for a phrase that roughly translates as "to place in a special way," referring—in hatha yoga—to a sequence of poses. Vinyasa classes are known for their fluid, movement-intensive practices. Vinyasa teachers sequence their classes to smoothly transition from pose to pose, with the intention of linking breath to movement, and often play music to keep things lively. The intensity of the practice is similar to Ashtanga, but no two vinyasa classes are the same.'
After a few years doing Pilates instead, along with some gym classes and home practice to Youtube videos, I came back to yoga, feeling much more confident about the state of my abdominal muscles. I started out doing vinyasa flow classes at work. Vinyasa is a form of ashtanga, a flow where the poses will change each class. I learnt a lot and after a while, it made me realise that I really enjoy a more energetic practice, and then I made the call to go back to my old studio (The Yoga Hutch). I, possibly foolishly, decided that having been doing vinyasa flow and really enjoying it, I would start ashtanga.
What is ashtanga?
'Ashtanga is based on ancient yoga teachings, but it was popularized and brought to the West by K. Pattabhi Jois in the 1970s. It's a rigorous style of yoga that follows a specific sequence of postures and is similar to vinyasa yoga, as each style links every movement to a breath. The difference is that Ashtanga always performs the exact same poses in the exact same order. This is a sweaty, physically demanding practice.'
Ashtanga is a disciplined practice where you work through sun salutation sequences and then into standing and seated sequences. Let me tell you, that first class was bloody difficult. I didn't know what I was doing, couldn't keep up with anyone else and sweated like a pig. However, I had a great time, and ended up deciding that this was the practice for me. I started going to the ashtanga classes on Sundays regularly and slowly started making progress. I found I was able to keep up with the others and started to slowly appreciate the sequence of moves. But I wasn't able to do it at home - I didn't know where I was going or what I was doing.
What is mysore, then?
At some point, my teacher Sarah mentioned the mysore class to me. I'm pretty sure she did, as I'm not sure I would have had the balls to turn up by myself. As I've spoken about previously, it's a really great ashtanga self-practice class, where you work through the sequence by yourself. The first time I turned up, she handed me a piece of paper - it was a '45 minute shortened sequence' of the practice.
Basically, the way it works is that you work on that, and when you're comfortable/they think you're ready, you can move on to the full sequences, but even that takes time to learn. I'd been doing the shortened version for months and trying to remember it, and at some point I just decided I wanted to do the full sequence, and so picked up a bit of paper with it on and started working on it - actually I think when Sarah was away (perhaps I'm scared of being spectacularly rubbish in her eyes so I have to hide little things from her to avoid my completely idiotic fear of letting her down?!).
I managed to pick up the sun salutation sequences fairly quickly, although it took me until this weekend to realise I needed to hold the ending downward dogs for five breaths instead of just panting my way through, but the standing and seated sequences have been harder. I've been working recently on learning the standing sequence, and I'm almost there. I still get things in the wrong order, but I know that the more I do them, the easier it will get. The seated sequence I am working on learning, but there's a lot to it and it's going to be slow going.
The great thing about the mysore classes is that they enable you to pick up actual sequences of moves that you can do by yourself. To really feel like you're making the practice your own and that you don't have to listen to a teacher to know what you're doing (well, you do, but you can get through it without so much help).
I'm a mysore convert, clearly, but the thing is, I am also pretty open to all kinds of yoga and I think different kinds suit different people and different life stages. Some may never change, some may only ever do a yoga class at a gym or watch a Youtube video, but that's cool too. I think the only kind I struggle with is restorative, because I don't find it comfortable, but that doesn't mean someone else shouldn't do it.
What is yin?
'Yin targets the connective tissues, such as the ligaments, bones, and even the joints of the body that normally are not exercised very much in a more active style of asana practice.'
It's a floor-based practice which is mostly about deepening and releasing into stretches. It's about finding your edge and going with it. It's fantastic if you have a yang practice (i.e. an energetic practice like vinyasa flow or ashtanga), because it balances you out. We could all do with more balance
You shouldn't do yin prior to an ashtanga practice, but after is fine and will really benefit you. Poses might include frog, hamstring stretches using a strap and your head, pigeon, etc. You'll hold the poses for up to five minutes, and the teacher will encourage you to stay with it, even if it's hard, because the benefits are so great.
You will probably feel achy and old when you come out of poses (my teacher often says 'you will feel like a 90 year old') because you're holding poses for longer periods, so when you come out, you've really worked that fascia and those muscles and they will feel different – achy, shocked perhaps, but not in a bad way.
It's very soothing and often paired with a yoga nidra practice (yoga nidra is sleep yoga, a meditative practice that leaves you totally chill). I would highly recommend checking out workshops or classes for one or both, as they're both exceptionally good for your mental health!
Hope that helps!