Being curious and exploring different yoga modalities bring us huge rewards towards more and deeper mental and emotional exploration
One of the things I love for Yoga practice/ teaching is the amazing versatility that if offers. I always say that he/she who can move even a little, can practice yoga: Many modalities are available and plenty of opportunities to adapt the practice to individual needs, level of fitness and personal likes.
Although everyone goes for a specific yoga modality or tends to practice more one than the others, I consider that mixing and matching different styles of yoga can be very beneficial for body and mind.
Emphasising in one specific modality is almost unavoidable, however I consider it’s important to adventure and try a different teacher and/or a different style of yoga from time to time. In my particular case, for a while, I was resistant to do Ying Yoga because I enjoy Hatha and Vinyasa Flow a lot. But after I decided to have a go with YING and KUNDALINI, I found it very useful in many different and deep levels.
Now I love to practice different styles depending on my "moment" needs. Moving from one style to another offers me the opportunity of contrast and richness with body, mind and emotional exploration. Having the chance to emphasise on muscles through active yoga and then on connective tissue through YING, and flow activation through Vinyasa for example, makes my practice more complete, effective and joyful.
Benefits of Committing to One Style
Specific benefits of practising one style of yoga include:
· Satisfaction with each class
· Mastering the movements, perfection on the asanas.
· Getting the maximum benefit associated with the type of yoga
· Familiarity with specific breathing techniques
· Avoiding confusing between classes
· Sense of safety and confidence in the asanas/movements/routines.
By committing to a single style of yoga, each class and each day of practice feels comfortable. The poses, pace and breathing techniques are known variables and cause feelings of serenity.
The downside of practising one style…Although there are benefits to using only one style of yoga, there can be some disadvantages for certain individuals. These include:
· Limited growth on a physical level
· Getting complacent, which may result in accidental injuries
· Cautions to explore new styles.
In the beginning of one’s yogic journey, it’s easy to see how practising one style of yoga will always result in benefits, but there is the potential that one’s personal goals and abilities will change over time. The initial style of yoga being mastered might not always be the best fit for future plans. It is also possible that injuries may occur due to complacency when the classes become too routine.
For some individuals it can be advantageous to engage in several styles of yoga. In general, it is best to wait to incorporate a variety of styles until after identifying which styles are particularly interesting, sufficiently challenging and appropriate for personal fitness and mental health goals.
The benefits of using several yoga styles include:
· Getting the maximum benefit to both the mind and body
· Reaching fitness goals while maintaining meditative focus
· Learning about different options that are available
· Maximising the crossover between styles
· Deepening on the exploration at mental and emotional levels.
· Working on both muscles and connective tissues, activatiting and slowing down.
Yoga styles won’t always fit nicely into a category. Many of the styles have crossover techniques, poses and style elements. But given that, it is possible that using several styles of yoga can help improve fitness, mental health and spiritual goals.
Depending on the style of yoga, the specific focus of each class will vary. For example, some styles are slow and meditative with a focus on breathing and mental concentration. Other yoga styles focus on the physical aspects of poses and fast movements, which result in better fitness and flexibility. By practising both styles, it is possible to get the maximum benefit of mental concentration, spirituality and physical fitness.
Ultimately, it’s a personal decision whether to use one style of yoga or many styles. For beginners, it may be best to commit to try different options and select a specific style until after learning the poses and basic breathing techniques. When you feel more confident around one style you can start to try another one and so on.
More advanced practitioners may be able to balance various styles at one time, making the most of each style/modality. Getting the intimate communication with the body, I think, gives the practitioner an amazing intuition and sense of safety to recognise the best yoga style or combination.
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