“Hot yoga” and “power yoga” give you a pretty good idea what you’re getting into, but “yoga flow” is a little vague. While the original Sanskrit names like vinyasa and ashtanga are beautiful, they don’t give primarily English speakers insight as to what the class might entail.
Yoga is difficult to boil down into a quiz, but here’s a simple one to give you an idea of where you might fit:
1. What’s your level of experience practicing yoga?
a. I love inversion poses, not just for fitness but also to awaken my kundalini energy.
b. I practice yoga often, and it’s one of my preferred workouts.
c. I’m heading out or Zooming into class as we speak!
d. I’ve done a few classes, and I know I’ve planked before.
e. It sounds fun…
2. What’s your overall fitness level?
a. I thrive on building muscular and spiritual strength.
b. I relish working out every day and seeing the visible results.
c. I have a regular workout regimen and am in good shape.
d. I work out whenever I have time.
e. I want to try yoga because it’s supposed to be less strenuous than other workouts.
3. Are you looking to become more spiritual in your yoga practice?
a. I’m a spiritual warrior!
b. No, I took it up for fitness and health.
c. I’m pretty spiritual as it is and want to deepen this part of my yoga.
d. Sure, I’m up for almost anything!
e. Just give me something easy, at least to get started.
4. How do you want to feel after yoga class?
a. I want to feel like I tested my spiritual and physical boundaries.
b. I want to feel like I pushed my body to the max.
c. I want to feel like I accomplished something good.
d. I want to feel ready to take on the day.
e. I want to feel peaceful — not stressed like I normally am.
If you answered mostly As:
You’re a longtime yogi who values both the physical and spiritual benefits of the practice. To keep yourself inspired and challenged, you could try a yoga teacher training, Acroyoga, ashtanga yoga or even paddleboard yoga.
If you answered mostly Bs:
You’re a fitness junkie who loves a good challenge and a decent sweat. Working out is your hobby, and yoga is just one of the ways you get to do it. You could enjoy power yoga or Bikram yoga.
If you answered mostly Cs:
You’ve learned all the basics about yoga and want to expand your practice spiritually and physically. You might want to try ashtanga yoga, anusara yoga or kundalini.
If you answered mostly Ds:
You’ve tried yoga before and have no physical or mental issues you’re trying to address — you’d just like to learn more about its spiritual and physical aspects. You could enjoy vinyasa yoga or hatha yoga.
If you answered mostly Es:
You may never have tried yoga and are looking for a gentle way to get active or stretch out as a means for healing injuries or emotional turmoil. You could enjoy a basic, peaceful and passive practice like yin yoga, restorative yoga or gentle hatha.
Photo: Alex Hope at the Dells Prescott by Blushing Cactus Photography