Best Types Of Yoga To Aid Relaxation

The stresses of modern life mean that it’s hugely important to find ways to relax. It’s all too easy to fall into a pattern of comfort eating or too much TV and end up feeling sluggish! When it comes to relaxation, yoga is just about one of the best things that you can do to chill out and unwind. There are many different types of yoga; here come some of the best styles to help you to de-stress and relax. 

Yin Yoga 

Yin yoga uses mainly floor poses and is a very slow and gentle form of yoga. The idea of Yin is to work deeply into your body and relax your muscles and bones. In Yin Yoga, you will hold poses for between 3 and 5 minutes. The idea is to stimulate deep tissues, ligaments and joints. When you hold each Yin pose,  the pose is passive (yet encouraging circulation and flexibility). As you hold each posture, you are encouraged to meditate or focus on the breath. Yin helps to reduce stress and allows one to relax fully. It’s a great idea to practice a late evening Yin class to help you to get a good night’s sleep. 

Restorative Yoga 

During restorative yoga, you’ll complete a sequence of no more than five or six poses. You’ll hold each for 5 minutes or even longer. Props are used to support your body in full relaxation and rest. Most poses are floor-based and may comprise of, for instance, backbends, folds or twists. Often, restorative yoga is used to help those with injuries to restore themselves gradually. Having said this, whether you have injuries or not, restorative yoga is fantastic for easing stress levels. A restorative yoga class is a great idea when you’ve had a hard day and wish to stretch your body and calm your mind. There are many different types of yoga, and restorative is a style less about cardio and more about healing.  

Hatha 

Hatha comprises of both standing and floor poses, breathing exercises and meditation. Most forms of yoga use Hatha as a basis; here you’ll find the basic poses from cat and cow stretches to downward dog and cobra pose. Hatha involves deep breathing, focusing on the present moment and holding static poses. It’s a far slower form when compared with Vinyasa or Ashtanga. Due to this, you can really allow yourself to move your body in a gentle way; from one posture to another. Hatha can be an excellent idea if you’d like to relax but would prefer something a little more up-tempo than Yin or Restorative Yoga. For those who like to practice with a partner, why not check out some couples yoga poses (these are such fun)!

Most classes involve relaxing music, scents or candles. Gentle classes are great to practice after a vigorous session at the gym. Often, when you’ve had a tough workout, your mind and body could do with some relaxation before bedtime. Slow types of yoga are often easier in a class atmosphere as opposed to alone. Your instructor can show you how to lay in a pose using props comfortably.

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