The Art of Teaching Yoga: Understanding 8 Different Types and Their Ideal Timing

While yoga originated in the East, it has become increasingly popular all over the world. With increased popularity, comes increased options. In many cities, it is hard to go a few blocks without encountering a yoga studio and for those of us who like to practice at home, there are an abundance of options online. But with so many options to choose from, it can be tricky as an instructor to know exactly how to curate the best and most aligned experience for your students. In this article, we will cover the most common types of yoga, their ideal application, and the best time to teach each. 

1. Hatha Yoga

Hatha yoga is a traditional practice that focuses on balanced physical postures and breath control. This practice is great for yogis of all ability levels and experience, and is ideal for students who are looking to increase a sense of grounding, balance, and stability in breath and body. This class is appropriate for students of all ages, experiences, and ability levels, as there is sufficient time to offer adequate cueing and modifications of various poses. For these reasons, it is a favorite for beginners to yoga. Because Hatha is an active flow with grounding components, it serves as a great practice for early morning to feel centered and stretched for the day, or late afternoon to reinvigorate the body and align the breath to combat any midday slump in energy. Some popular poses for this type of yoga include repeated Sun Salutations, Tree Pose, and Warrior II

2. Vinyasa Yoga

Vinyasa yoga has become synonymous with “flow yoga,” and is a dynamic faster-paced practice that aims to link the breath with seamless movement from one pose to the next. Vinyasa yoga is made to be energizing and promotes creativity and fluidity. Vinyasa yoga is also appropriate for students of all ages, experiences, and ability levels. Because the instructor designs the sequence of poses for a Vinyasa class, he or she can include poses and pacing that is appropriate for the audience of students on any given day. The ideal time to teach a Vinyasa yoga class is mid-morning after the brain and body are more awake and alert, or early evening to expend any excess energy before the day winds down. 

3. Ashtanga Yoga

Ashtanga yoga is one of the most structured and rigorous practices, as it follows a specific sequence of postures. If you are teaching a full Ashtanga class with each pose included, the practice typically takes around 90 minutes to complete. This type of yoga aims to build discipline, strength, and endurance, as such repeated postures that increase in difficulty tend to fatigue the body and mind. Ashtanga yoga is great for early morning, as it also serves as a meditative practice to clear the mind while the body enacts each movement eventually from memory. This class is ideal for students who have a previous experience with yoga and understand adequate alignment, find it difficult to focus in a class and find repetition of known poses soothing, or for those who enjoy working up to more challenging poses at the end of a class. The instructor of this class serves not only as a point of reference to cue each pose, but also to encourage participants to breathe and keep going even though it is challenging, or to take rest in child’s pose when needed. 

4. Iyengar Yoga

Iyengar yoga focuses on proper alignment of the body in each pose and use of props is encouraged in order to achieve the precise postures. The intention of Iyengar yoga is to enhance concentration, body awareness, and posture. When the body is supported in a pose through the use of props, the student has to strain less to maintain a certain pose and can instead focus on breathing. Eventually, the student may understand their bodies natural tendencies, such as leaning too far forward in chair pose, and be able to more readily pick up on any misalignments and adjust to find the proper alignment. This type of yoga is ideal for students who may be newer to the practice, have less confidence in their physical abilities, are recovering from an injury or are injury-prone, or for seasoned students who are in need of practical reminders to support ideal alignment. Iyengar yoga can be practiced any time of day with yogis of all ages, experience, and abilities, as each student will be able to find support in their body’s expression of each pose through the use of appropriate props. Some example poses might include Half Moon pose with the balancing hand resting on a block, or even a Shoulder Stand with blocks or the use of the wall.

5. Bikram Yoga

Bikram yoga, like Ashtanga, is a set sequence of poses. It includes a 26-posture sequence that is practiced in a heated room, with the intention to detoxify and build stamina and flexibility. This is a challenging class with more advanced poses such as Bow pose, and is therefore recommended for students with more experience in yoga. This class is ideal for students who have a higher degree of athleticism and body awareness, who require higher intensity workouts in order to feel relaxed, or those who are looking for cardiovascular activity that is different than running or cycling. The most ideal times to teach a Bikram class are typically early morning or late evening, after students have typically digested their latest meal or prior to eating.

6. Yin Yoga

Yin yoga is a slow-paced practice that includes holding postures for longer periods, typically between 2 to 5 minutes, in an effort to offer a deep stretch of the fascia and cultivate patience. It is a class that is equally challenging for the mind as it is the body, as there are long periods of waiting and a high reliance on breathing through any tension to allow for a deeper release in tight muscles, which can at times be uncomfortable. Yin yoga is great for students who are highly active and may need more deep stretching, who work in environments that require a lot of sitting or standing, or who struggle with muscle tension that requires deeper stretching to release. The ideal time to teach Yin yoga is late evening or just before bedtime, as the heart rate typically stays low and the body is able to relax before bed. The ideal length of a Yin class is typically 75 minutes in order to allow adequate time in each pose. The use of low lighting such as a salt lamp or battery operated candles is also a nice touch to create a relaxing ambiance for this class. Sample poses might include reclined Butterfly pose, Pigeon pose, or Cow Face pose.

7. Restorative Yoga

Restorative yoga is a gentle, restful practice that utilizes props such as bolsters, blankets, and blocks, to support the body. There is no stretch or strain as in yin yoga, but instead the body is supported in order to fully let go and relax. A Restorative yoga class does not include any active or flow poses, and instead aims to facilitate deep relaxation, healing, and recovery. This form of yoga is great for students who may have experienced trauma, are pregnant or are recovering from the birth of a baby, have high-stress jobs or carry the weight of the responsibilities in managing a household, or experience physical manifestations of stress such as headaches or muscle tension. The ideal time to teach a Restorative class is in the evening or before bed. Some sample poses might include Supported Child's Pose, Reclining Bound Angle Pose, and Legs Up the Wall. To curate the most relaxing environment for your students in a Restorative yoga class, low lighting, soft music, and light essential oils are recommended. 

8. Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra is a form of guided meditation that aims to lead students into a state of conscious relaxation. Some students may fall asleep in this class, though this is not the goal. It is helpful to let your students know what to expect at the start of class, and let them know that if they begin to snore or indicate other signs of sleep, you may gently tap their foot in order to wake them and bring them back into the space in order to re-engage with the meditation. Yoga Nidra is a powerful practice in reducing stress and offering deep relaxation for students who may work in high-stress jobs, be experiencing a major life event such as the end of a relationship or grief over the loss of a loved one, or simply have little time during the day to be fully present. Similar to Restorative yoga, this class is ideal for late evening or before bed and the environment should be set with low lighting, soft music, and necessary props such as blankets. A sample sequence might include a guided body scan, progressive muscle relaxation, intention setting, and guided visualization.

In conclusion, it is important to match the different styles of yoga to their most aligned environment and time of practice in order to offer the greatest benefit to your students. Whether you have familiar faces in class or have a room full of new students, it is important to offer a brief explanation of what the expect at the beginning of class so students understand how best to engage and what they should hope to get out of the experience. For example, if you are teaching an Iyengar class, but do not inform students that props are encouraged in order to achieve adequate alignment, students may stretch and strain and ignore their breath to achieve a pose how they think it “should” look, rather than offer their own body what it needs. For instructors, the importance of spending the time to tailor classes to meet the emotional and energetic needs of students cannot be overstated, as teaching yoga mindfully has incredible opportunities for transformation.