Q&A: Should I Focus On One Style of Yoga or Many?

This is a question yoga instructors get asked a lot. Is it better for people to focus on one style of yoga class or practice multiple styles? There are merits to both.

Sticking with a single style of yoga has its benefits. You get a deeper understanding and appreciation for it. A single style has many different variations too. There might be a set sequence of poses but as you advance in a style you will start to experiment with variations.

Yoga is like any other form of exercise. If you focus on one form you will become a master in it. But that might mean that other parts of your body aren’t being worked. This is where the argument can be made for sampling many styles and approaches.

Trying multiple yoga styles means that your body is kept guessing, which is a good thing. Just how a personal trainer has you rotate between legs, arms, chest etc., practicing different forms of yoga means different parts of your body will get worked in different ways.

Doing different styles may also keep your interest in the practice. Doing the same poses may become mundane. But for others, the repetitive nature of focusing on one style really helps them focus on the spiritual or meditative aspects of yoga.

What it comes down to is a personal choice.

If one day you want a relaxing Yin yoga class and another day you want to sweat it out in a Pilates class that is okay. Experimenting with different styles can also help you learn which one you are really captured by. Once you find one that you really connect with focusing on it solely isn’t a bad thing.

As time passes you may find yourself returning to sampling styles or switching to focusing on another style. Yogis often report health, age, energy levels, and time as reasons that they’ve moved on from one style.

No one should determine whether or not you should practice one or many styles of yoga except yourself. Yoga is a fundamentally personal practice. Every person has a unique and individual way of approaching it and that should be celebrated.

If you feel your heart pulling you to try multiple styles, then we say go for it. If you feel like settling down and focusing on one then do that. Whatever makes your yogi heart content is the right path!

Come down and visit our yoga studio. We offer a variety of classes so check out our schedule. We hope to see you soon. Namaste!