Which yoga is for you now?

Yoga and feng shui are natural partners. Feng shui works on the harmony and balance of the space around you. Yoga works on the same thing inside your body. In both, the idea is to keep good chi moving.

The hard part is choosing a class. A studio timetable can read like a menu in a language you do not speak. So here are the main styles in plain words.

The main styles

• Hatha. Physical yoga, generally slower, with gentle movements. It is the usual introduction for beginners, and a good choice if you want a less strenuous pace.
• Kundalini. The movements are more repetitive and the poses change more quickly. There is a strong focus on the breath.
• Iyengar. Precise. Alignment is everything, and each pose is held for a long time, which is the opposite of the quicker pace of kundalini.
• Ashtanga or power yoga. Fast and intense. The poses follow a set order and the emphasis is on the flow from one to the next.
• Hot yoga or Bikram. Practised in a room heated to about 40 degrees C. More on this below.
• Kripalu. Hatha yoga with an emphasis on healing, meditation and the spiritual side of practice.

There are plenty more, but these will get you through most timetables.

Hot or not

In a hot room the heat lets your body stretch deeper and gets your circulation going. Plenty of people find it leaves them with the same feeling as a good session at the gym.

Two things to know before you go. You will need to drink plenty of water. And be careful not to stretch too far. Your body loosens so quickly in the heat that it is hard to tell when you have gone past your limit.

Heat is only one way to get intensity. Some people swear hot yoga is harder, but an unheated flow or ashtanga class can be every bit as demanding. The more you breathe and move, the higher the intensity.

How to choose

Try a few. That is the honest answer. Go to different classes and notice which one you find yourself looking forward to. You can also follow free classes online first, in your own living room, where nobody is watching.

If you tried yoga years ago and decided it was not for you, it may be worth another look. There are more kinds than most people realize.

And listen to your instincts. If the energy of a class feels right, it is probably right for you.

From the archive. First written for my journal years ago, and rewritten for life after 50.