The 5 most popular types of yoga in Vietnam that you should try

1. The benefits of yoga are no stranger on the road – we all know that practicing yoga is the training of not only your body but also your mind and soul

There are nearly 20 different types of yoga available in the world at the moment, from ancient practices from a long time ago, to new ones developed by excellent teachers to fit with the modern practice. Each one has different meanings and approaches to training your body.

Choosing the right practice for you is very important and will help you improve the process much faster. In this article, Metta Voyage will help you distinguish between the 5 most popular types of yoga in Vietnam, how they approach your body and mind, and some general guidelines.

a. Ashtanga Yoga

Ashtanga is the practice of 8 limbs of yoga to build your strength (Asht- “8”; tanga- “limbs”) namely Yama (restraint), Samadhi (total absorption), Dhyana (Meditation), Dharana (Focus/Concentration), Pratyahara (Sense of withdrawal), Pranayama (Regulation of Breath), Asana (Physical Posture), and Niyama (Observance).

Ashtanga yoga practice normally contains a fixed series of posture concentrating on all 8 components mentioned above, and you are required to do these postures properly until moving on to the next series. Ashtanga is quite an advanced style and requires focus, discipline to master the flow.

Ashtanga is among the most popular types of yoga in Vietnam because it is one of the ancient practices of yoga, so almost every teacher knows about this type to guide the students.

Moreover, the journey of practicing Ashtanga yoga is not the same for everybody, it focuses on one person individually so you move at your own pace. The main reminder is to keep the breath going while doing a series of fast flow, this is why a lot of Vietnamese people enjoy doing Ashtanga.

With the advanced level required to practice this type, it is suggested that you consult a teacher or trainer while doing Ashtanga yoga. In Vietnam, it is easy to join a class at a yoga studio or get a personal trainer for $15- $25 per session.

b. Hatha Yoga

Hatha Yoga is also one of the most popular yoga types in Vietnam. Hatha is the practice of harmonizing the 2 main energies which are considered to be the most important in one’s body: sun and moon energy. To balance this, you need to combine strength, flexibility, breathing, and meditation.

Unlike Ashtanga Yoga, Hatha yoga doesn’t require you to practice a fixed series of posture every session, there are hundreds of implications that you might feel free to try, and Hatha yoga is created for you to relax your mind, so it is less extreme than other practices.

With many benefits that Hatha Yoga brings such as helping you release and balance the energies inside you, stretching your muscle to reduce muscle pain, boosting your immune system, etc…., it is no doubt that Hatha is among the most popular types of yoga in Vietnam. Hatha yoga is also easy to practice even for beginners and easy to access in every studio. A few suggestions of studios in Vietnam would be Om Factory Yoga in Hanoi and Danang (link: https://www.facebook.com/omfactoryhanoi), Yoga Pod Saigon (link: https://www.facebook.com/yogapodsaigon), California Fitness and Yoga center with a few centers in big cities in Vietnam (link: https://www.facebook.com/cfycvn).

c. Yin Yoga

Yin Yoga is an interesting type of practice which channels your focus into some floor posture, it doesn’t require you to move fast rather than holding them for 5 minutes or more.

Metta Voyage already had a detailed article about Yin Yoga, you might visit the link here: https://mettavoyage.com/yin-yoga-vietnam-complete-guide/

By helping you relax deep in the muscle, Yin Yoga is a lot of people’s favorite in Vietnam. It is for all levels of participants, whenever you feel like you want to slow down and let your body get some rest, this yoga type is perfect for you.

Yin yoga is famous in Vietnam also because it is quite easy to get access to, you don’t necessarily need to join a class to practice this. Some nice suggestions to practice Yin Yoga in Vietnam would be a nice beach, public park, deep in the forest, or even in your room if you feel comfortable.

d. Power yoga

Power yoga is a more modern practice inspired and developed from the ancient Ashtanga Yoga. It concentrates on doing the traditional yoga flows but at a faster pace to create cardio effects just like when you do other kinds of workout. It has some similar aspects to Ashtanga Yoga like practicing in high intensity and training your core strength as well as your flexibility.

A lot of people in Vietnam consider Power Yoga one of their favorite types of yoga because it is more active and requires big concentration to perform the movement with little time to adjust your pose. You also need to control and maintain your breath constantly throughout the session to achieve the best result. Power Yoga is suitable for people who are used to active working out and also interested in strength training.

Power Yoga brings so many benefits that you might want to give it a try. It proves to increase the metabolism in your body, strengthen the cardiovascular system by practicing in high intensity. It also helps burn calories and fat since you are moving constantly with little rest in one class. Since Power yoga requires a certain set of skills, it is recommended for people with experience or at an advanced level.

e. Aqua Yoga

This might sound unfamiliar to some people, but Aqua Yoga is a new and interesting way of practicing that will bring as many benefits as other types. By combining the yoga poses with the pressure of holding them underwater, Aqua yoga not only shapes your focus but also relaxes muscle joints in a more fun and different way.

Let’s find out more about Aqua Yoga through Metta Voyage’s detailed article in this link: https://mettavoyage.com/aqua-yoga-unique-workout-trend-under-water/

In Vietnam, Aqua yoga is one of the most famous yoga types for people who enjoy underwater exercises, since the whole session will be performed with water pressure. It is also suitable for people that can get access to the pool easily and conveniently so they can keep the consistency of the practice. There are lots of public pools as well as private pools in Vietnam with good quality that you can try Aqua Yoga in.

There are a certain set of poses that you can do more easily underwater. We will give you some suggestions below so you can try on your next session:

• Warrior III pose:

This pose is quite hard on the normal surface but with the water pressure, it is much easier. You should begin the pose with the water level at your waist and reach your arms further so your body can balance better.

• Tree pose:

You should use the help of water at your chest level to practice this pose. Try to keep the constant inhale and exhale while balancing on one leg and keep the other leg tucked in as high as possible. Your arms should be held up high with palms touch to maintain balance.

• Triangle pose:

This pose is harder to do underwater, but once you can balance the pose it will stretch your muscle better in the pool. You should start by facing your back in the pool wall at waist level, ideally at the lower part of the pool, and then work your way into a triangle shape with one arm reaching up. Remember to gaze your look in the sky so it helps your breathing, you don’t want to hold your breath underwater because there will be fewer effects on the body muscle.

Whatever pose you attempt to try with Aqua yoga, don’t forget to equip yourself with the right form of clothes and some supporting gears such as swimming floats to achieve the best result.