Hatha or Vinyasa, which one suits you best? Both Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga build up strength and flexibility of the body, improve breathing, bring peace and calm to the mind and support overall health and vitality.
Though the goal is the same – constant evolution of body and mind – the methods both styles use are a little bit different.
Since in Hatha Yoga the movement and transitions are slower, we tend to associate it with Yoga for beginners. The truth is, Hatha can be much more challenging than other more dynamic Yoga styles, exactly because it is slower. Less external activity and action means we are required to have a more quiet and stable mind. Because the motion is slow, we become aware of everything that is happening in the body. We learn to endure, transcend the bodily and mental limitations and let go.
Because we hold it, we must breathe. Because we hold it, we must be comfortable in our own bodies and often in our own silence.
Having said that, Hatha Yoga requires initially less strength and stamina and in that respect it may be easier to start with for people who are not physically active and fear to “over-do it” in the beginning.
Vinyasa is a dynamic flow, when one Yoga asana turns into the next. It will help you build up the strength required for holding the poses for prolonged periods of time, it will give you a little feel of a cardio-workout and it will help you learn to connect to your breath and combine it with the motion, until it starts coming naturally and without a strain.
It is very good for people who have a sitting job or life style and need a bit of an “after-hours action”.
If you are a very active person, constantly in action and motion, you may naturally seek and enjoy the more dynamic and powerful styles of Yoga. But very often Hatha is just what you need, to balance, ground and de-stress yourself. Take it as another form of challenge, avoid impatience or annoyance, and a new dimension will slowly unfold for you.
Hatha vs Vinyasa in a nut shell:
- Simply put – Vinyasa is faster, Hatha Yoga is slower.
- Vinyasa works with series of movements. It is a flow, resembling the Sun Salutations, where one pose is transformed into the next, all in connection to the breath. This has more impact on the cardiovascular system but stretches are less intense.
- Hatha Yoga is about focusing on individual postures, rather than transition and movement. It gives you time to “get to know” every asana inside out, and learn your body’s reactions. It also gives you more time to try to concentrate your mind and steady the thoughts.
