Ashtanga

Ashtanga consists of six set sequences that you memorize over years. You do the same thing day in and day out, five or six days a week, without verbal instruction from the teacher. You lead yourself through the portion of the sequence that the teacher has given you (as opposed to Vinyasa, in which the teacher leads by verbal cues and may change the sequence daily based on her desires and goals for the class). Over time, you truly see progress, and it’s great for strength and flexibility. It’s also great for somebody who’s used to being really athletic, because it’s very physically demanding. Practicing Ashtanga can also benefit yoga teachers, because you are teaching the poses to your body over time, which gives you the room to learn how you accomplished what you did and then to figure out how to articulate that in your own words to students.