What Are The Differences Between Iyengar And Ashtanga Yoga
The difference between Ashtanga Yoga, also called Fitness Yoga, and Iyengar Yoga is that the former lays more emphasis on strength, toning up and physical fitness. A more energetic form of yoga, Ashtanga is quite different from Iyengar yoga.
- Iyengar Yoga, developed decades ago by Sri B.K.S Iyengar, is considered by a lot of people as the ultimate textbook to Yoga. Its primary focus is on body alignment, slow pace and above all it encourages the use of props to help to make things easier for the student. Iyengar yoga is excellent for developing balance, flexibility, strength and endurance. This style is all about doing asanas (poses) that bring about proper physical alignment together with coordinated breathing. Meditation also happens to be a vital part of Iyengar yoga.
- Iyengar yoga focuses on spirituality through physical techniques. Asanas (poses) Pranayamas (breathing exercises) and meditation is all an integral part of the practice. The essence of Iyengar yoga is that each pose calls for deep concentration. For that you will have to bring yourself to a meditative state of mind.
- Iyengar Yoga uses props to help make the practices easier. This way, it has been found, all people from the young to the elderly find it easy to practice the asanas (poses). Props include cushions, blankets, straps and wooden blocks. Iyengar Yoga is both safe and user-friendly and focuses on proper physical alignment while doing the asanas (poses).
- In Iyengar Yoga there is a proper order for doing all poses. This style of Yoga is considered great for beginners, since it is based on precision technique.
- Ashtanga Yoga, on the other hand, is often called Flow Yoga or Power Yoga. In this discipline, the pace is faster; there is a specific constructed series of dynamic asanas (poses), and connected poses in combination with deep, strong breathing. They have a fixed set of asanas (poses) done in a fixed sequence with coordinated breathing in a manner that encourages focus, enhances concentration and balance but calls for quite a bit of strength and stamina to start with.
- Ashtanga Yoga is all about fitness and is considered excellent for toning up the body while building up a strong, powerful physique. Ashtanga Yoga strengthens and stretches all the muscles and you are supposed to hold all the asanas (poses) for a certain length of time. The poses in Ashtanga Yoga are particularly great for strengthening the arms and legs.
- Ashtanga practice starts with Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations that warms up the whole body. This also leads to profuse perspiration and a higher heart rate. Ashtanga Yoga, the practitioners claim, purifies the body, largely through detoxification. Iyengar Yoga, n the other hand, helps increase your strength and flexibility without being half as rigorous and without raising the heart rate.
- Ashtanga Yoga is excellent for those intending to loosen up stiff muscles and joints and increase flexibility as quickly as possible. Iyengar yoga is also excellent for developing flexibility, but are more time consuming and the results will also take longer to show.
