5 Types of Yoga to Improve Balance and Strength

If you're looking to improve your balance and strength, yoga is a great way to do it. There are several types of yoga that can help you relax, stay fit, reduce stress, and improve your posture and balance. Power yoga is based on the sequence of Ashtanga yoga poses and helps you to be more flexible and balanced. Tree pose is an excellent asana for strengthening the entire leg, from the thigh to the calf, ankle and foot muscles.

Sianna Sherman's Way of the Warrior yoga sequence also offers a variety of challenging balancing poses. Kripalu yoga begins with slow movements that hardly cause sweat and progresses through three deeper levels of mental and body awareness. Alex Hardfields' Bind & Balance class at TINT is a great way to practice a challenging yoga sequence with the maximum posture of the Bird of Paradise. When practicing yoga for balance, it's important to move slowly and consciously to your poses.

Hold each position for 2 to 4 breaths before going down, and hold it for 5 to 10 breaths before switching sides. Raise your hands in prayer next to the center of your heart. It's also important to bring attention to the center line of the body. Patience and regular practice will soon improve your sense of balance and give you a sense of achievement.

If you're new to yoga but still want to improve your balance skills, these five beginner yoga poses are the perfect starting point:

• Power Yoga
• Tree Pose
• Way of the Warrior Yoga Sequence
• Kripalu Yoga
• Bind & Balance Class at TINT

Yoga is also beneficial for pregnant women as it helps them relax, stay fit, improve their strength, be more flexible, and reduce stress, anxiety, and the side effects of pregnancy. However, if you have a vestibular disorder, avoid Bikram, Ashtanga or Vinyasa as they use a flow sequence that could be problematic. Iyengar yoga (a precision practice) is useful for people with vestibular disorders.