What type of yoga is best?” A yoga student using KRIYA booking recently asked this question. However, the answer is that every type of yoga is beneficial, regardless of the year. Yoga is always fresh and can leave you feeling energized and calm.

The new year is a great time to start practising yoga, but there is no set time or date to begin, and no one type of yoga is superior. You can start whenever you feel ready to do so.

Why Yoga?

According to Natalie Nevins, DO, a board-certified osteopathic family physician and certified Kundalini Yoga instructor in Hollywood, California, “The purpose of yoga is to build strength, awareness and harmony in both the mind and body.  While there are more than 100 different types, or schools, of yoga, most sessions typically include breathing exercises, meditation, and assuming postures also called asana or poses that stretch and makes your various body muscle flexible.

She further adds that Yoga’s incorporation of meditation and breathing can help improve a person’s mental well-being. “Regular yoga practice creates mental clarity and calmness; increases body awareness; relieves chronic stress patterns; relaxes the mind; centres attention; and sharpens concentration.

Which Yoga is Best for You?

Below are some yoga classes that are believed to be the best for combating stress, viruses, and boosting immunity, among other benefits. You can get the answer as which yoga is best for you.

1. Yoga for the heart

Yoga for the heart are those yoga poses that boost cardiovascular health. Yoga for the heart includes simple poses to promote flexibility, stress relief, and relaxation.

Yoga also improves heart health by increasing circulation and blood flow. In addition, practicing yoga can help lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose levels, as well as the heart rate which can all add up to a lower risk of hypertension, stroke, and heart disease.

Find here the heart benefits of doing yoga.

Few Yoga poses best for heart

1. Mountain Pose

Being one of the easiest yoga postures, this is extremely helpful in upsurging breathing, relieving tension, and enhancing blood circulation. It also helps in strengthening the vertebral column and the heart. Practicing this asana regularly not only increases the stamina and energy but also regulates the blood pressure levels.

2. Tree Pose

The Tree Pose has numerous benefits. Not only does it improve the spinal column and enhance both balance and poise but also expands the shoulders and opens the heart. Practicing this pose regularly improves blood circulation and keeps heart ailments at the lowest.

3. Cobra Pose

This yoga pose helps in relieving a lot of diseased conditions. The cobra pose not only helps in getting rid of  excess fat but also stretches the chest cavity and invigorates the heart muscles.

4. Warrior Pose

The warrior pose improves balance in the body and increases stamina. It also relieves stress and enhances overall blood circulation. By keeping the heart rate at a check, it reduces the risks of arrhythmic conditions.

5. Sitting Half Spinal Twist Pose

The twisting of the upper side of the body works on the whole spine and opens the sides of the chest when performed on the left and right sides. It also stimulates the heart muscles, removes stiffness from the vertebral column, and normalises the pulse rate. Practising it regularly prevents cholesterol build-up in the blood and reduces the risk of heart attacks and heart blocks.

2. Yoga for Immunity

Many know which yoga is best for you when it comes to health issues. These days everywhere immunity is the most popular talk of the town. Did you know that yoga also helps your body build your immunity. We lack immunity when we suffer from a disease or stressful life.

Yoga gives a holistic enriching approach to the body and works great in alleviating stress levels, relieving congestion, aiding digestion, enhancing heart muscles, strengthening lung tissues and thereby boosting overall immunity.

Few Yoga poses best for immunity

1. Mountain Pose

As said above this yoga pose is extremely helpful in combatting mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and disorientation and improves body balance and gut health. It also calms breathing, upsurges awareness, dismisses tension and enhances blood circulation. Not only does it increase stamina and energy but also harmonizes the mind and body.

2. Cross-legged Sitting Pose

Sukhasana as it is called is pivotal in the case of respiratory anomalies. It stimulates the blood flow to the lungs and also washes out the harmful toxins from the body. This asana not only increases your focus and concentration but also helps to increase overall immunity and prevent the body from various seasonal infections.

3. Sitting Half Spinal Twist Pose

This asana is highly significant in providing relief from breathing difficulties, stress, and tension. The twisting of the upper side of the body induces deep breathing and thus enhances the muscles of the lungs and aids in better circulation of oxygen in the lung cavity. It also plays a crucial role in boosting the immune system and removing toxins from the body.

4. Forward Bent Pose

This inverted posture is extremely beneficial in enhancing your immunity. It conveys prana and blood flow to the sinuses, which relieves congestion.

The mucus membranes and the sinus gland are the body’s first line of defence mechanism that shields against infections, so keeping them healthy ultimately boosts overall immunity.

5. Legs Up The Wall Pose

This posture is one of the relaxing poses that allows you to lie flat on the ground without much twisting. It is one beneficial yoga that allows lymphatic drainage, evens out blood circulation and releases pressure from the back. It not only boosts the lungs but also prevents the body from getting sick.

3. Yoga for the Mind

The human mind is the most important organ to clean daily. My mind is full of clutter. You think a lot, your mind is filled with emotions. If the mind is not pure or cleansed then your body shows up imbalances. Yoga for the mind thus calms your restless mind.

Which yoga is best for you then? The best yoga for the mind is Pranayama and KRIYA yoga. You need to learn and perform certain breathing exercises and do meditation. All these practices combined can help switch the mind from a state of turbulence to the bliss of tranquillity.

Find here yoga poses for your healthy mind.

4. Yoga for the Soul

Most important is yoga for the soul because ultimately it’s the soul that leaves your body in the end of your life and you need to nourish your soul and uplift it. Many define yoga for the soul as spiritual yoga.

You can perform meditation practices, like Kundalini Yoga.

Kundalini yoga is a form of yoga that involves chanting, singing, breathing exercises, and repetitive poses. Its purpose is to activate your Kundalini energy and take this energy upwards to your mind. This is a spiritual energy that’s said to be located at the base of your spine.

As Kundalini yoga awakens this energy, it’s supposed to enhance your awareness and help you move past your ego. You become aware of yourself and come to know the purpose of your life.

Also yoga for the soul or Yoga Nidra is a form of guided meditation, a method of withdrawal of senses that allows you to scan the body and tap into a state of relaxed consciousness as the mind settles in a place between wakefulness and sleep.

Then there is Zen Yoga. The philosophies of shanti yoga, qigong, and tai-chi are combined to help increase flexibility and improve the flow of breathing and open joints. The philosophy of Zen is incorporated through being mindfully aware of the present moment. 

The basic principle of Zen Yoga is that simple breathing, movement and stretching exercises are available to anyone regardless of age, fitness, or health.

Remember whether you are teaching yoga or you are seeking yoga to learn, every type of yoga is beneficial. It’s your choice to keep yourself fit and healthy and know which yoga is best for you.

As we’ve seen, yoga offers numerous benefits for both the mind and body and which yoga is best for you. From improving heart health to boosting immunity and calming the mind, there’s a yoga practice to suit everyone’s needs.

It’s worth noting that the benefits of yoga go beyond just physical exercise; it’s a holistic practice that incorporates breathing exercises, meditation, and mindfulness. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced yogi, there are endless options to know which yoga is best for you and choose to start or continue your yoga journey.