Hatha yoga is the yoga tradition most familiar to Western culture. The term is derived from the Sanskrit ha, meaning “sun,” and tha, meaning “moon.” The practice aims to unite the active and receptive qualities represented by each celestial being. Hatha yoga is a popular tradition that reinforces equilibrium, flexibility and strength. The primary elements of the Western practice are yoga poses (asanas) and breath control.The word Hatha is usually meant to refer to slow-paced classes with a strong focus on stretching and long holds of poses. These classes may also incorporate breathing practices or detailed alignment cues to incorporate within these poses, as the longer time in the pose allows for a bit more fine-tuning.

Power yoga is a general term used to describe a vigorous, fitness-based approach to vinyasa-style yoga. Though many consider power yoga to be superficial “gym yoga,” this style of yoga practice was originally closely modeled on the Ashtanga method.

Therapeutic yoga is an adaptation of yoga that applies yogic principles and methods to heal various human ailments. It is a blend of restorative yoga, gentle yoga, breath work, meditation and chakra stimulation. Therapeutic yoga is preventive as well as restorative.Yoga therapy empowers individuals to transform their health and wellness through yoga asana, mindfulness and breathing practices, self-care tools and lifestyle changes. It provides a methodology to heal lives, reduce pain and stress, and relieve physical symptoms and psychological suffering.Yoga therapy recognizes that the healing process is unique to each individual and modifies practices appropriately depending upon the individual characteristics.