If you’ve never done yoga before, choosing the right class can sometimes seem rather daunting. In truth, even if you have a bit of experience, it’s easy to get lost. At Green & Blue Studios we offer around 20 yoga classes per week ,so, to avoid making you even more confused, we’ve put together this guide to help you to get started. If you’re still confused once you’ve had a read, don’t hesitate to get in touch, we’d be more than happy to help.

Types of yoga

The goal of this post is not to get into the history of yoga but rather to give you enough information to take your first steps at Green & Blue Studios. There are lots of different types of yoga and we’ve outlined some of the most popular at the end of this post but, for now, it’s enough to know that most of the classes offered at our studio in Haslemere are what is known as vinyasa yoga. Vinyasa, or "flow" yoga, is dynamic and relatively physical. In a vinyasa class, postures (also known as asanas) are linked together to form a sequence and movements are usually performed in time with the breath.

Just one more important point before we move on, as this is something that comes up fairly regularly. Yoga is an ancient practice which has been around for thousands of years. While it has its roots in religion, it’s evolved over the centuries and is not in itself a religious practice. At Green & Blue Studios, we believe that, as with any culturally significant activity, it’s important to be aware and respect the fact that yoga means different things to different people. For some, it’s a deeply spiritual activity while for others it’s simply a way of staying strong and flexible. If you are a spiritual person, it can be rewarding to learn more about that side of your practice. But equally, if that’s not for you, please don’t let the weight of all that history put you off. There is no reason not to enjoy yoga as your would any other physical activity and take part in a class because you want to keep fit or simply because its fun.

Top tip: Feel free to bring your own mat, or you can use one of ours.

Am I good enough for that class?

We’re often asked which of our classes are best for beginners. You may have noticed that most of them are listed as “open level” on our schedule. This means that anyone can take part. Open level classes work because most asanas have a number of different variations with varying levels of difficulty. During a class, the coach will ask you to do the easiest version of an asana first. They will then sometimes offer variations allowing the more experienced (and/or adventurous) people in the class to try something more difficult. As you get more comfortable in your yoga practice, you will start to find some asanas more challenging than others.

By working with the variations offered by the coach, you have the flexibility to advance with different asanas at different speeds: You can try the variations for the asanas you’re more comfortable with, but stick with the simpler version for the ones you find more difficult. Unless it’s stated in the description, you can assume that a class is open level.

One further point about choosing which class to try. Many people are keen to try hot yoga (not surprising when it’s so horrible and cold outside). If you’re very new to yoga, please be aware that hot yoga classes can be more challenging than classes at normal room temperature. We usually heat the room to around 28ºC to 30ºC for our hot classes. We would suggest avoiding the hot classes for your first few.

Top tip: When you’re looking at our schedule, yoga classes are purple coloured. The deeper the colour, the longer the class.

Our Yoga Classes

Although yoga is an ancient practice, many of the varieties commonly taught today were developed in the 60s and 70s, or even more recently. We consider ourselves so lucky at Green & Blue Studios that we were blessed with high ceilings and that we’re able to offer a some of the exciting new developments such as Hot Yoga and Aerial Yoga. Most studios just don’t have the facilities to handle these classes.

Hot yoga

Hot Yoga was invented by Bikram Choudhury in the 1970s. Classes are taught in a room heated to 41ºC and follow a set routine of 26 asanas and 2 breathing exercises. The heat is intended to replicate the conditions experienced by the first yogis in India and, while it can feel uncomfortable at first, it does offer some very clear benefits (and many people grow to love the heat over time). The most obvious one is that the heat makes the muscles more pliable allowing an increased range of motion and deeper stretches than at normal temperatures. The heat also leads to increased lung capacity, causes you to burn more calories, helps to reduce stress and increases sweating, while pushing more blood towards the skin (great for your complexion).

Unfortunately, Mr Choudhury abused his position of power and after a series of sexual assault and harassment lawsuits, he fled from the United States to Mexico where he lives today. We have no desire to contribute to his legacy, but we do appreciate the demand for the type of classes he developed. If you’re looking for what would have a Bikram class, try our 26+2 sessions (26 asanas + 2 breathing exercises). We also offer a range of vinyasa classes (hot yoga flow, Dynamic yoga) in the heated room which are much less rigidly structured that the 26+2 classes.

As a rule we don’t heat our room as high as the 41ºC found in a typical Bikram class. In fact, we generally don’t exceed 30ºC. We feel this temperature gives enough of the benefits of a hot yoga class without using so much electricity. On balance we find it hard to justify those extra 10ºC when we know the extra energy consumption is damaging the environment.

Aerial yoga

Aerial yoga, also known as antigravity yoga, is a new addition to the yoga family and was developed as recently as the early 2000s. It uses a hammock or sling suspended from the ceiling to support the body in various asanas. Some benefits of aerial yoga include:

Increased flexibility and range of motion: The hammock allows for deeper stretches and more dynamic movements than may be difficult to achieve on a mat.
Improved core strength: Aerial yoga requires the use of the core muscles to stabilize the body and maintain balance.
Reduced stress and tension: The sensation of being suspended in the air can be calming and relaxing, and the inversion poses can also help to relieve stress and tension in the body.
Low-impact exercise: Aerial yoga is a low-impact form of exercise, which can be beneficial for people with injuries or chronic pain.
Fun and dynamic: Aerial yoga is a fun and dynamic way to practice yoga. There’s generally a lot more laughing than you would expect from another kind of yoga class. It’s a really fun, engaging way to practice yoga.

We offer aerial yoga classes with both the sling and the hammock. Classes using the hammock are best suited to beginners while those using the sling can be a little more difficult. At the time of writing our beginners/hammock classes are held on Wednesdays.

Power Vinyasa

Power Yoga is a dynamic and physically demanding style of yoga that emphasizes strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness. It is a faster-paced, athletic version of traditional yoga, with a focus on building heat and endurance through a series of flowing sequencess. Power yoga usually includes sun salutations, standing poses, balancing poses, and backbends.

Classes vary in intensity depending on the teacher but all of our Power Yoga classes are open level so beginners are always welcome. It is a great workout that helps to improve overall fitness, build strength, and increase flexibility. It is also known to be a good stress reliever, and it is suitable for people of all fitness levels.

Restorative yoga

Restorative yoga is slow-paced and focuses on extended holds and deep breathing with the aim of improving the parasympathetic nervous system function, allowing the body to relax, recover, and balance itself. Our weekly Yoga for Cyclists and Runners class is an example of restorative yoga and others appear on the schedule from time to time.

Yoga for cyclists and runners

This popular Saturday morning class is designed to help athletes improve their physical performance, recover from training and races, and prevent injuries. The class includes a combination of physical poses (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama), and relaxation techniques to help athletes develop strength, flexibility, and mental focus. Yoga for cyclists and runners also incorporates specific stretches and poses that are intended to address common areas of tension or weakness in runners and cyclists, such as the hips, lower back, and legs.

One to one sessions

All of our classes are taught in a group setting however 1-to-1 sessions are also available. If you have a particular goal, would like to improve more quickly, or are training for an event or race, you could really benefit from the focus provided by training one-to-one with one of our instructors. Let us know if you’re interested in learning more or giving it a try.

Common types of yoga

In case you’re interested, the following are some of the more common types of yoga. At Green & Blue Studios, we tend to focus on Vinyasa and Restorative but you will find others on the schedule from time to time.

Hatha Yoga: Hatha is a broad term in that it refers to any type of yoga that involves physical postures (asanas). As a rule, hatha classes are usually fairly slow-paced with the focus on achieving proper alignment in the asanas.
Vinyasa Yoga: Vinyasa, also known as "flow" yoga, is dynamic and relatively physically demanding. In a vinyasa class, postures are linked together to form a sequence and movements are usually performed in time with the breath.
Ashtanga Yoga: Ashtanga classes involve a set series of postures that are practiced in a specific order. Ashtanga classes typically involve a lot of movement and a focus on holding the postures for extended periods of time.
Iyengar Yoga: Iyengar yoga is a type of Hatha yoga. It emphasizes proper alignment in the asanas and students use props, such as blocks and straps, to help them to achieve it.
Restorative Yoga: Restorative yoga involves holding passive poses for extended periods of time, often with the use of props (blocks, bolsters, etc.) to support the body. Restorative classes are typically more relaxing.

Yoga at Green & Blue Studios, Haslemere