Both Hatha and Vinyasa yoga work to increase flexibility and strength, improve breathing and quiet the mind. Each form of yoga aims to create fitness of the body and mind, though the way to these goals differs. The science of Hatha, or Hatha Vidya, originated in 15th-century India and earned a reputation for purifying the body in preparation for meditation. Vinyasa yoga, also called Ashtanga yoga, is a fast-paced series of postures or asanas that focuses on the flow between movements, rather than individual poses.
Hatha Yoga
Because Hatha yoga’s pace is slow and gentle, it is an ideal starting place for people who are new to yoga. One of the more challenging aspects of a yoga practice is combining movements with breathing control, or pranayama; a slow pace assists newcomers in moving correctly with the breath according to Hatha principles. Students of Hatha yoga hold each pose through several breaths; Vinyasa students take one inhale or exhale for each pose.
Vinyasa Yoga
Vinyasa yoga requires a working knowledge of yoga and is more advanced than Hatha yoga, in that it demands more physically through the poses. This form of yoga is a series of postures that work the cardiovascular system with its flowing movements and quick pace. All of the poses are linked and combined with a rhythm of inhalations and exhalations aimed to build heat in the body.
Calories Burned
If your primary goal in taking up yoga is weight loss, you need a form of yoga that burns fat. To burn fat, you need to raise your heart rate to an aerobic level. Various styles of yoga burn calories at different rates. Hatha yoga’s gentle, slow pace will help build lean muscles over time that will help boost your metabolism and burn calories more efficiently. You can burn roughly 175 calories performing a Hatha yoga sequence, the equivalent to walking two miles in an hour, or about 445 calories doing 60 minutes of Vinyasa yoga, according to FitDay, an online calorie tracker and fitness journal.
Objective of Hatha Yoga
According to Indian tradition, one of the primary objectives of Hatha yoga includes deepening concentration, called Dharana, to enhance meditation and bring energy and health to the body and mind by opening the nadis, or channels of Kundalini energy. The opening of nadis through Hatha helps promote spiritual growth and understanding, according to Indian tradition.
Main Purpose of Vinyasa Yoga
The purpose of Vinyasa yoga is internal cleansing. By synchronizing the asanas with breathing control, your internal temperature rises. According to Ashtanga, the asanas performed in Vinyasa heat the blood, subsequently thinning it so it flows more freely in the body, which creates a healthier, lighter and stronger mind and body.
References
Writer Bio
Tina Boyle has been writing since 2000. Trained as a journalist, she has traveled to over 150 US cities. She specializes in travel, culture, pets, business and social networking and regularly publishes in newspapers, magazines and on Web sites. She received a Bachelor of Arts in writing from the College of Santa Fe.