Seven Yoga Positions For You To Try Over Seven Days

Zak Muggleton-Gellas, Year 2

To compensate for the busy and stressful student lifestyle, a relaxing outlet is vital to upkeep mental and physical health. In fairness, eating ice cream and watching Netflix is a well-known and successful way to unwind, but I have found practicing yoga to be invaluable, especially a more own-body weight strength style..

But is there only one type of yoga? Where all members sit cross-legged and hum? I, too, initially believed this to be true, but in reality there are 11 ‘strands’ of yoga practice, and all have their respective benefits.

The 11 Strands of Yoga Practice

1. Vinyasa – Most athletic yoga style that coordinates a series of poses in combination with specific breathing.

2. Hatha – All other strands of yoga that involve a main physical component that is not vinyasa.

3. Iyengar – Focuses on detailed and precise movements that involve perfecting specific poses down to every minute detail.

4. Kundalini – Spiritual and physical duality that releases energy said to be trapped, with chanting, mantra and meditation .

5. Ashtanga – translates to ‘eight limb path,’ and is a specific series of movements that each member completes at their own pace.

6. Bikram – Sequence of set poses in a room set to 40.5 degrees and 40% humidity, also known as ‘hot’ yoga.

7. Yin – Slow-paced yoga with seated poses for long periods of time, known to help find inner peace.

8. Restorative – Focused on relaxing the body and cleansing the mind after a long day.

9. Prenatal – For pregnant women to include pelvic floor work, breathing and bonding with the baby.

10. Anusara – A more modern form of hatha, focusing on the mind-body-heart connection to let one’s heart open to the world.

11. Jivamukti – Vinyasa-flow-style yoga that includes Hinduism as a core influence, and looking after the planet.

So, now onto the seven yoga positions for you to try, and I truly wanted to make sure I found awkward and weird poses. Put on some meditative music and maybe a candle and try these out! :

1. Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana)