Yes, but what kind of yoga?

When I started telling people that I was training to be a yoga instructor, I thought that statement would be self-explanatory.  But instead I was asked, what kind of yoga?  (This happened primarily at my high school reunion in Ohio--nobody here in the DC area asks me that.  Not sure why the regional difference.)  So I would mutter, you know, yoga, or say Hatha Yoga because I'd heard of that (without really knowing what it meant).  Then I would explain that I wanted to focus my teaching practice with people who are struggling with mental health issues.  Such as depression and anxiety.  I even found someone at the reunion who also focuses on this population.  But as far as I can tell that kind of focus doesn't have a name, unless you consider it therapeutic yoga.

So now that I'm in a yoga teacher training program, I'm paying more attention to the different kinds of yoga.  There are so many, and it's so confusing, that people have written articles about the different types (and often who's associated with them).

With that in mind, I went through the Fall 2010 yoga schedule at my local yoga studio and cross-referenced the names to descriptions from a couple of articles.  "My" yoga studio says "...we believe in a holistic approach to the study of yoga...bringing in teachers with an eclectic background of yoga".  So that explains why I study yoga, just yoga.  Level 1, 2, 3 and 4.  But the studio also offers Anusara Yoga (that's John Friend's--he was written up in the NYT magazine in a less-than-favorable light.   The Yoga Mogul.  Anusara seems to be a type of reformed Iyengar.  Iyengar, which I hear much about, seems to be very rigorous, with people staying in poses for a long time.  Several minutes maybe. And during that time they're making adjustments to perfect their technique.  Iyengar teacher sometimes referred to as the yoga Nazi.  I've been afraid to take the class.  Although the devotees apparently love it.

Then there's integral yoga, founded by someone named Dr. Dean Ornish, which our studio describes as "a holistic approach to yoga that incorporates a complete hatha routine, deep relaxation, pranayama, chanting and a short meditation".  But that describes many of the no-name yoga classes I take, so I'm not sure what the difference is.   And Kripalu-inspired yoga; Kripalu yoga founded by Amfit Desai, named after his teacher Sri Kripalvananda who according to one article founded Kundalini yoga.  Not sure founded is the correct word.  Anyway, Kripalu "focuses on listening to your mind, body and spirit," according to the class description.  And Kundalini is a "unique yoga practice integrating hand positions, breath, posture, sound and motion".   Then there's Vinyasa yoga, which kind of sounds like Ashtanga, which was founded, discovered, invented, by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois--oh, the Astanga.com web site says Jois "transmitted [Ashtanga] to the modern world".  So Jois transmitted Ashtanga, which "involves synchronizing the breath with a progressive series of postures—a process producing intense internal heat and a profuse, purifying sweat that detoxifies muscles and organs," according to Ashtanga.com

Ashtanga sounds a little like hot yoga, but it's not--they don't turn up the heat.  In fact we're always asking them to turn on the a/c in the studio.  So our studio doesn't offer hot yoga.  Which also is called Bikram.  But if you call it that, apparently Bikram will sue.  Bikram yoga was developed by Bikram Choudhury from Hatha Yoga, according to bikramyoga.com.  Bikram studios are heated to 104 degrees F.  Again, according to bikramyoga.com.  Then there's power yoga, which we also don't do.  At least I don't think so--I haven't looked it up.  Well, I just did--apparently this can be another name for Ashtanga yoga.  You know, the yoga transmitted to the modern world by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois.

Given all these different yogas, I figure I'll come up with a sanskrit-y name to describe my practice--and/or come up with a new first name.  Cindy Yoga won't get very far, I suspect.  I've got several months to come up with something.  But I read recently that Indians are getting annoyed with all the people who are copywriting their own versions of yoga, and a move is afoot to "...try to block anyone from cornering the market on the 5,000-year-old discipline of stretching, breathing and meditating..."  (See USAToday article from 2006.)  So maybe we'll go back to doing yoga.  Just yoga.