In short
Choose Hatha for slower, held postures with breathing and rest — the best foundation for beginners. Vinyasa and power yoga flow faster and feel like a workout. Ashtanga follows a set, demanding sequence. Iyengar focuses on precise alignment with props. Yin holds passive stretches for minutes. Aerial uses a fabric hammock. All of these are taught somewhere in Kochi.
Class timetables in Kochi read like a menu in a language nobody explained: Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, power, aerial. Pick the wrong one for your first class and you can come away convinced that yoga is either boring or brutal, when it is neither.
We teach one style — traditional Hatha — so I have no reason to oversell the others, and no reason to pretend they do not exist. This is an honest guide to what each style actually feels like and who it suits. For our own class times in Fort Kochi, see the guide to yoga in Fort Kochi.
- Best first class
- Hatha, or gentle Iyengar
- Most like a workout
- Power and Vinyasa
- Most structured
- Ashtanga
- Most restful
- Yin and restorative
- Most novel
- Aerial
- What we teach
- Traditional Hatha only
The styles at a glance
| Style | Pace | Feels like | Beginner-friendly? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hatha (traditional) | Slow | Held postures, breathing practice, rest between | Yes |
| Vinyasa | Moderate to fast | Continuous movement linked to the breath | With some basics first |
| Power yoga | Fast | A strength-focused, sweaty workout | If you are already fit |
| Ashtanga | Fast, set sequence | The same demanding series every time | Best learnt slowly |
| Iyengar | Slow, precise | Detailed alignment, often with blocks and straps | Yes |
| Yin | Very slow | Passive floor stretches held for several minutes | Yes |
| Restorative | Very slow | Supported resting postures, deeply relaxing | Yes |
| Hot yoga | Varies | A set class in a heated room | Take care with heat |
| Aerial | Moderate | Postures supported by a fabric hammock | With a qualified teacher |
| Kundalini | Varies | Breath, repeated movement, chanting, meditation | Yes, if you like breathwork |
Hatha: the word that means two things
Here is something most timetables do not explain. Strictly, all physical yoga is Hatha Yoga — Vinyasa, Ashtanga and Iyengar all grew out of it. But on a class timetable, "Hatha" has come to mean the slower, traditional style: postures held for several breaths, breathing practices, and rest between postures.
It is the best foundation because it gives you time to learn what a posture is before you are asked to move through it quickly. It is also what we teach, in two-hour classes rooted in the Sivananda tradition, and we explain it fully in what Hatha Yoga really is. If that tradition interests you, see our guide to Sivananda yoga in Kochi.
Vinyasa and power yoga
Vinyasa links postures into flowing sequences, one movement per breath, and changes from class to class. Power yoga takes that flow and emphasises strength and heat. Both feel closer to a workout, and both are excellent if you already have the basics and want to sweat. For a complete beginner, a fast flow can mean learning shapes badly at speed.
Ashtanga
Ashtanga Vinyasa follows the same set series of postures in the same order every class, with a specific breathing and gazing technique. It is demanding and deeply rewarding for people who like structure and progress they can measure. Learn it slowly, ideally with a teacher who introduces the series a few postures at a time.
Iyengar
Iyengar yoga is about precision: detailed instruction on alignment, postures held longer, and props such as blocks, straps and chairs so that every body can reach the right shape. It suits beginners, people recovering from injury, and anyone who wants to understand exactly what their body is doing.
Yin and restorative yoga
Yin holds passive floor stretches for several minutes each, targeting the hips, spine and connective tissue. Restorative yoga goes further, using cushions and bolsters so that you can rest completely in each posture. Both are calming, good for stress, and a useful counterbalance to a fast practice or a hard week.
Hot yoga
Hot yoga is practised in a deliberately heated room. The heat makes muscles feel looser and the class more intense. Take care: drink plenty of water, and speak to a doctor first if you have heart problems, high or low blood pressure, or are pregnant. In Kerala's natural heat, many people find an unheated class quite warm enough.
Aerial yoga
Aerial yoga uses a fabric hammock suspended from the ceiling to support postures and inversions. It is playful, builds core strength, and lets people experience hanging upside down with support. Choose a teacher specifically trained in aerial work, and check with a doctor first if you have high blood pressure, glaucoma, a heart condition, recent surgery, or are pregnant, because of the inversions. Studios in Fort Kochi and Ernakulam offer it; we do not.
Kundalini
Kundalini-style classes combine breathing techniques, repeated movements, chanting and meditation, and tend to focus more on energy and the mind than on postures. We teach some Kundalini-focused practices in workshops, though not as a daily class.
How to choose, by what you want
| If you want… | Try… |
|---|---|
| A solid foundation as a beginner | Hatha or Iyengar |
| A workout that leaves you sweating | Power or Vinyasa |
| Structure and measurable progress | Ashtanga |
| Stress relief and better sleep | Yin, restorative, or a slow Hatha class |
| Care after an injury | Iyengar, restorative, or private sessions |
| Something new and playful | Aerial |
| Breathwork and meditation | Kundalini, or a traditional Hatha class with pranayama |
Can you mix styles?
Yes, and many experienced practitioners do: a flowing class for strength during the week and a slow one for balance. The usual advice holds, though. Learn the foundations slowly first. Postures learnt carefully in a Hatha or Iyengar class make every faster style safer later.
If you are choosing a class in Kochi specifically, our guide to choosing a yoga class in Kochi covers schools, studios, gym classes, tutors and online options.
Practise with us in Fort Kochi
Traditional two-hour Hatha Yoga classes, mornings 7:30–9:30 am and afternoons 3:30–5:30 pm. All levels, no booking needed. Message us for the day’s schedule.
If weight is part of the reason you are choosing a style, yoga for weight loss: an honest answer compares what each actually does.
Common questions
What is the difference between Hatha and Vinyasa yoga?
Hatha classes hold postures for several breaths with rest between them and include breathing practices, so they are slower. Vinyasa classes link postures into continuous flowing movement, one breath per movement, so they feel faster and more like a workout.
Which type of yoga is best for beginners?
Traditional Hatha or Iyengar. Both move slowly enough to learn postures properly, and Iyengar uses props to make postures accessible. Restorative and Yin classes are also gentle, though they teach less about active postures.
Which type of yoga is best for weight loss?
Faster styles such as power yoga and Vinyasa use more energy per class. But weight depends far more on regular activity and diet than on the style of yoga, so the best choice is the one you will keep doing.
Is aerial yoga safe for beginners?
Generally, with a teacher trained in aerial work. Because it involves inversions, check with a doctor first if you have high blood pressure, glaucoma, a heart condition, recent surgery, or are pregnant.
What is Yin yoga?
A slow style in which passive floor stretches are held for several minutes each, mainly targeting the hips, spine and connective tissue. It is calming and a good counterbalance to a more active practice.
What kind of yoga does Santhi Yoga teach?
Traditional Hatha Yoga, in two-hour classes rooted in the Sivananda tradition. Each class opens with relaxation, moves through pranayama, sun salutations and postures for all levels, and ends with deep relaxation. We also run workshops in pranayama, mudras, alignment and Kundalini-focused practices.
Known to his students as Achu, Aksharanand trained in the Sivananda tradition and holds an Advanced Teacher Training Certificate. He has taught Hatha Yoga, pranayama, meditation and Vedanta philosophy in Fort Kochi for over fifteen years, across more than 5,000 group classes.