Dream of finding your center while striking Warrior pose on a beautiful beach? Then a Costa Rica yoga retreat may be in your future. But with so many different types of yoga, choosing a style to practice can be stressful and intimidating.
Read on for a breakdown of five of the most popular yoga types, as well as information on how to make your Costa Rica yoga retreat dreams a reality.
Bikram Yoga
Good for: Students who can take the heat
What it is: If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of a Bikram yoga class. Also known as “hot yoga,” Bikram is practiced in a 100 degree Fahrenheit room. The high temperature increases sweat production, which flushes out toxins and allows fresh blood and oxygen to circulate. With only 26 traditional postures and a focus on alignment, Bikram yoga is a good choice for beginners.
Hatha Yoga
Good for: True beginners who want to take it slow
What it is: Combining basic poses with relaxation techniques, Hatha yoga is one of the most popular yoga types for total beginners. Hatha yoga classes are gentle slow-moving classes that focus on meditation, postures (asanas) and regulated breathing (pranayama). Hatha yoga is the foundation of all Yoga styles and is a great way for beginners to learn the basics.
Vinyasa Yoga
Good for: Students who want a more vigorous, high-energy yoga session
What it is: Like an amped-up version of Hatha yoga, Vinyasa also focuses on basic poses and breath-synchronized movement, but changes poses much more frequently. This form of yoga is also called “Vinyasa flow” or just “flow,” referring to the practice of flowing from one pose to the next. Sun Salutations, a series of 12 breath-synchronized poses, are also a part of Vinyasa Yoga.
Ashtanga Yoga
Good for: Fit students looking to sculpt their bodies and get some cardio in
What it is: Also called “Power yoga,” Ashtanga is a physically demanding yoga type that requires constant movement. This fast-paced practice incorporates lunges and push-ups to sculpt the body.
Iyengar Yoga
Good for: Students with a physical ailment who want to use yoga as a form of physical therapy
What it is: With a focus on body alignment, Iyengar yoga incorporates different props, such as blocks, straps and harnesses to help strengthen the body. Standing poses, which help to improve balance, are also incorporated and often held for prolonged periods.
Costa Rica Yoga Retreat
Ready to learn yoga in Costa Rica? At School of the World, we offer Iyengar based Hatha Yoga, Power Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, and Anusara based classes for beginners and experienced yogis. Check out our yoga retreats, and think about combining your studies to also include surf lessons, photography classes or Spanish immersion language lessons.
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