History and Types of Yoga

Home » Web Guides » Health » Fitness » Yoga

In This Guide

Most Popular

Yoga

Given its many benefits, it's no wonder that the 5,000-year-old practice of yoga has boomed in modern times. You don't have to travel to India, yoga's birthplace, to learn how yoga works to purify the mind and body. The Web boasts diverse resources for yoga that run the gamut, from where to find trend-worthy yoga clothing to excerpts from ancient philosophical texts.

Expand All Guide Sections

Yoga Basics

Aside from taking a class from a qualified teacher, the best way for someone with a sincere ... read more »

History and Types of Yoga

While the variety of yoga being taught is as diverse as the community of yoga students, most asana classes that are offered today trace their influence to a handful of teachers who studied from the same master but took different approaches to sequencing yoga postures. The sites below explore the history of yoga and explain some of the more common styles of yoga practiced today.

Dulcinea's Insight

Most yoga classes teach the same basic yoga postures. However, differences in pace, sequencing, variations in alignment and breathing technique differentiate the teachings.

It's easy to take a fast-food approach to yoga, but note that more advanced yogis tend to have practiced one form for years at a time, with highly experienced teachers.

Dulcinea's Picks

For the history of yoga ...

Yoga Basics presents the history of yoga, from the pre-classical period to the modern period.

go to site »

Daily Reading may be a primitive site but it offers a breakdown of "The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali," the ancient sage upon whose teaching yoga is based.

go to site »

The Bhagavad Gita Web site covers "The Bhagavad Gita" text, considered the most renowned of the Yogic scriptures. View an illustrated version, listen to an audio version and read commentary on the text.

go to site »

For the types of yoga ...

MedicineNet.com describes hatha, bikram, kundalini and ashtanga yoga, the four most common types practiced in yoga studios and gyms around the U.S. Learn what each type of yoga entails, and the health benefits associated with each.

go to site »

Yoga Site explains how the different styles of yoga have a common lineage and presents 12 different styles with brief descriptions. Some of the styles link to external Web sites with more information.

go to site »