Hatha · a tradition and a balanced class
Hatha has two common meanings. Historically, it is a broad family of physical and energetic Yoga methods: posture, breath regulation, mudrā and bandha, used in the service of concentration and spiritual liberation. Many modern posture-based approaches, including Vinyasa, draw from that wider inheritance.
On a class timetable, “Hatha” usually means a more measured class, with individual postures held and explored rather than linked continuously. That gives room for strength, balance and careful transitions, with breathing and rest alongside the physical work.
You may also hear ha associated with the sun and tha with the moon: a traditional symbolic account of bringing complementary energies together. It is not the literal translation of haṭha, which carries the sense of force or effort.
Yin · supported shapes, longer holds
Yin generally uses seated or lying postures held for several minutes with relatively relaxed muscles. The sustained, manageable loading is intended to work with connective tissues around the areas being targeted. Bolsters, blocks and blankets help support a position rather than push the body further into it.
Modern Yin developed through teachers including Paulie Zink, Paul Grilley and Sarah Powers. Many approaches bring together Yoga, Daoist ideas and the meridian system of Chinese medicine. A sequence may therefore be organised around an energetic theme, such as the Kidney or Liver pathways, as well as a physical region.
Vinyasa · the transition is part of the practice
Vinyasa links postures into a sequence, often using an inhalation or exhalation to guide a transition. A teacher can repeat a flow, change its direction or build it towards a particular action. Sun Salutations are a familiar example of linked movement.
The main contrast with a timetable-style Hatha class is the continuous organisation of the sequence. Vinyasa can still be slow and deliberate; it does not have to mean racing through poses or including a difficult arm balance.
Ashtanga · structure, repetition and progression
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga uses established series of postures, coordinated breathing and a chosen gaze, or dṛṣṭi. In a led class everyone follows the teacher’s count; in a Mysore-style class each student works through their practice with individual guidance.
The recurring sequence makes progress easy to recognise, but the work should still be adapted to the student. This modern method is distinct from Patañjali’s eight-limbed philosophy, also called aṣṭāṅga.
Kundalini · mantra, energy and meditation
Kundalini is described in some Yogic and Tantric traditions as latent spiritual power, often symbolised by a coiled serpent. Practices concern its awakening and the transformation of consciousness.
Modern classes using this name may combine repeated movements, kriyā sequences, mantra, meditation and distinctive breathing practices. Lineages differ considerably, so it helps to ask what a particular class includes; some breath methods are vigorous and need suitable guidance.
Kriya · breath, meditation and inner transformation
Kriya Yoga is a meditative path that works with breath, concentration and prāṇa, the life energy described in Yogic tradition. One influential lineage was brought to a wider international audience by Paramahansa Yogananda. In his teaching, students develop a foundation in meditation before learning the specific Kriya technique, with the intention of deepening inner stillness and spiritual awareness.
The name also has an older meaning in Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras, where Kriya Yoga brings together tapas (disciplined practice), svādhyāya (self-study) and Īśvara praṇidhāna (devotion or surrender to the divine).
Iyengar · precision with purpose
Iyengar Yoga gives particular attention to alignment, the order of postures and time spent within them. Props such as belts, blocks, chairs and blankets can make an action accessible or help a student understand it more clearly.
A class may explore a smaller selection of postures in considerable detail. The prop is part of the method, not a sign that you are doing a lesser version.
Yoga Nidra · the practice of conscious rest
Yoga Nidra is usually practised lying down while a teacher guides a structured journey through awareness. Depending on the approach, it may include a resolve or saṅkalpa, a rotation of attention around the body, breath awareness and imagery.
Often translated as “yogic sleep”, it explores the threshold between wakefulness and sleep while maintaining a thread of awareness. It is a meditative practice, rather than a sequence of physical postures. Falling asleep can happen; it does not make the session a failure.
Modern names on the timetable
Nervous System Regulation Yoga often brings together gentle movement, breath awareness and rest. It may include somatic movements: slow, exploratory movements guided by how your body feels, with time to notice tension and adjust your effort. Restorative Yoga focuses on resting in still, supported postures, using bolsters, blocks and blankets so the body can settle with very little muscular effort.
Yin Yang Yoga combines active, flowing movement with the longer, quieter holds of Yin. Power Yoga is usually a stronger, more physically demanding practice. Aerial Yoga uses a suspended fabric hammock to support stretches, balances and, in some classes, inversions. Teachers may blend several of these approaches, so the class description can help you find the pace and experience you are looking for.