WHAT TYPE OF YOGA MATCHES MY PERSONALITY ?

WHAT TYPE OF YOGA MATCHES MY PERSONALITY?

The title above is the question we often hear when we are just about to take yoga class. There are many choices that we can choose, from hatha yoga, vinyasa yoga, iyengar yoga, yin yoga, inside flow yoga, hot yoga or bikram yoga, aerial yoga and acro yoga which we do with a partner, and many more. So, how do we know which one suits us?

One way to know is by trying them all and choose which one that you like best. However, with this method, you might miss the type that your whole being need the most. I said your whole being meaning not only what your physical body needs, but also your mind and emotions as a person.
The other way to know is by knowing what type of person you are. You can check your Ayurveda type, whether you are a vata (air), pitta (fire) or kapha (earth) person. For example, a "type A" of person is a person who likes to be active, needs to do everything in fast pace, and doesn't like to be idle. For this type, being idle is boring and so unproductive. They feel guilty if they take time to break and their minds need to be stimulated all the time. These are qualities of "type A" or pitta in Ayurveda. This type has more of fire element and there are many people in this group, including me. There is nothing wrong with it. However, we need to balance the fire within us, otherwise we'll get burned out because we keep pushing and forcing.

So, in the case of choosing yoga type of class, it is almost certain that we will choose power yoga like ashtanga or vinyasa yoga that makes us sweating, because in modern society being sweaty always mean positive that you burn fat, you are detoxing, etc. whilst yoga is way more than that. Nonetheless, power yoga only cannot help us to be balanced in life. We need the opposite, which is a more gentle type of yoga that moves slowly and mindfully, or even static, of only slight movement, so we get the opportunity to know what is going on within our body, mind, and emotions. Checking-in .... that is what we need to harness. I know it is not easy and it might be so boring and give uncomfortable sensations. But once we can manage to stay within the pose until the end, there is this feeling of proud of accomplishing something and you can get to know your whole-self better. You have more loving kindness and gentleness toward yourself. You learn to let go of judgments you have about yourself and be surrender. So, this opposite practice actually helps you to release tension and become more relax, becoming more of who you are. Our "fire" is not getting scattered anymore, but is in focus. On the contrary, for those who are a kapha person, they are likely to feel more "heavy" and need more fiery practice, like vinyasa to keep them balanced.

So, the key to know which type of yoga that suits us is to know ourselves first. Do the practice of listening to your body. Your body is your teacher. It will guide you towards what you need. What you want and what you like do not necessarily mean what you need. Therefore, choose wisely and have everything in moderation a.k.a. balance.