Different Types of Yoga and Where to Practice them in South County

Yoga has incredible benefits for your body – like enhanced flexibility, strength and weight loss – with the added bonus of clearing your mind and melting away stress. But not every yoga class is for everyone. Here’s a primer on the basics so you can choose what’s right for you.

Vinyasa is the kind of practice that people envision when they’re thinking about trying yoga: students make slow, intentional movements that link the body with the breath, creating poses that are challenging but attainable even to first timers, and leaving with a quiet mind. The Island Heron, 34 Narragansett Avenue, Jamestown. 560-0411.

Yin Yoga offers a practice that’s opposite of the yang of vinyasa. Rather than moving through different asanas (series of poses designed to work together), yin yoga puts you in one gentle pose for a much longer period of time. It’s more mentally challenging than physically challenging, but the deep stretches you attain leave you feeling totally rejuvenated. Grace School of Yoga, 35 Weaver Road, North Kingstown. 667-2800.

Ashtanga Yoga is similar to vinyasa, and focuses on slow, intentional breath connected to yoga postures. It promotes coordination, stamina, concentration, balance and clarity of mind. Ashtanga Yoga Rhode Island, 26 High Street, Westerly. 932-5650.

Buti Yoga is a high-intensity yoga practice that happens in a heated room. It helps to sculpt long, lean muscles and strengthen the core. It incorporates power yoga, tribal dance and plyometrics. RI Yoga Center, 99 Fortin Road, Kingston. 284-0320.

Heated Core Yoga is a practice unlike any other. It’s physically challenging, designed to be both a workout and a way to promote overall health through breathing exercises and deep stretching. You don’t have to be in perfect shape to try it – that’s what the practice is for. All That Matters, Locations in South Kingstown and East Greenwich. 

Power Yoga is a more active practice, which is great for people looking for a different kind of workout rather than a way to bliss out. The room is heated to 90 degrees to boost both stretching and your body’s ability to detox. Rhode Island Power Yoga, 1360 Ten Rod Road, North Kingstown. 500-5168.