Hatha

What it is

    By definition: a physical yoga practice, which is pretty much all yoga you'll find in this hemisphere. One of the six original branches of yoga, "hatha" encompasses nearly all types of modern yoga. In other words, hatha is the ice cream if styles like ashtanga and Bikram are vanilla and chocolate chip. Today, classes described as "hatha" on studio schedules, alongside vinyasa and prenatal, for example, are typically a basic and classical approach to yogic breathing exercises and postures. 

 

Best For    Calming down, de-stressing, and too many physical benefits to list. (See the rest of the yoga articles here on the site to get an idea!)

Who's gotta have it    Everyone! You choose the pace and style best for you.

Need to know    Hatha was originally intended to prep the body for meditation. The other five branches are bhakti (yoga of devotion), jnana (yoga of the mind), karma (yoga of selfless service), raja (yoga of self-control), and tantra (yoga of rituals - not sex as commonly believed). They may be hard to find at your local yoga studio, but give 'em a shot if you get the chance.

Trends and trivia    Commonly mispronounced, it's HAH-TA, not HAH-THA. The poster child for hatha yoga is probably Rodney Yee, one of the first commercially successful yoga teachers with a collection of instructional DVDs, books, and gear in his wake.