If you are planning to study yoga in India, two names come up more than any others: Hatha and Ashtanga. Schools advertise one, the other or both, and the words are used so loosely that it is hard to know what you are signing up for. This article explains where each comes from, how they differ in practice, and how to decide which suits you.
Two meanings of "Ashtanga"
The first source of confusion is that "Ashtanga" means two different things. In Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, ashtanga simply means "eight limbs": the eightfold path of yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi, which we explain in 8 Limbs of Yoga Explained Simply. In the context of a yoga class, though, "Ashtanga" almost always means Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga, the dynamic style taught by K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore in the twentieth century. This article is about that second meaning.
What Hatha yoga is
Hatha yoga is the older and broader term. It refers to the tradition of physical and energetic practice described in medieval texts such as the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, compiled by Svatmarama around the fifteenth century. That text treats asana as one part of a wider system that also includes pranayama, mudra, cleansing practices and meditation, all aimed at preparing the body and mind for stillness.
In a modern class, "Hatha" usually means a slower, more varied practice: postures held for several breaths, rest between them, and attention to alignment and breath. The sequence changes from class to class, and teachers adapt it to the people in the room. Most of the major Indian schools of yoga teach within this broad Hatha tradition.
What Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga is
Ashtanga Vinyasa is a specific, codified method. Its defining features are:
- A fixed sequence. Students learn set series of postures, beginning with the primary series, and practise them in the same order every time.
- Vinyasa. Each movement is linked to an inhale or exhale, and postures are joined by flowing transitions, so the practice is continuous and generates a lot of heat.
- Ujjayi breath, bandhas and drishti. A steady audible breath, engagement of the energetic locks and a fixed gaze point for each posture keep the mind focused.
- Mysore-style practice. Traditionally, students practise the sequence at their own pace while the teacher moves around the room giving individual adjustments, and new postures are added only when the student is ready.
The limbs of Hatha yoga
Patanjali's Yoga Sutra describes eight limbs, but the Hatha texts organise the path differently, starting from the body. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika presents four main parts of practice:
- Asana: postures that make the body steady, healthy and light.
- Pranayama: breath control, including kumbhaka, the retention of the breath.
- Mudra and bandha: seals and locks that direct prana.
- Nadanusandhana: meditation on the inner sound, leading towards samadhi.
It also describes the shatkarmas, six cleansing practices such as neti and kapalabhati, to be used where they are needed. The Gheranda Samhita, another classical Hatha text, lists seven limbs: shatkarma, asana, mudra, pratyahara, pranayama, dhyana and samadhi. In both, the body is the starting point, but the goal is the same stillness of mind that Patanjali describes.
How the two compare
- Pace: Hatha is generally slower, with longer holds and pauses; Ashtanga is continuous and vigorous.
- Structure: Hatha sequences vary; Ashtanga follows the same series every day.
- Physical demand: both can be challenging, but Ashtanga asks for more stamina and builds heat quickly. Hatha leaves more room for rest and modification.
- Breadth: a Hatha training typically gives more time to pranayama, meditation and the cleansing practices; Ashtanga concentrates on the asana sequence and the breath that drives it.
- Self-practice: because the Ashtanga sequence is fixed, it is easy to practise alone once learned. Hatha self-practice requires you to design your own sequence.
Which should you choose?
For most beginners, and for most people training to teach general classes, Hatha is the better starting point. It teaches the foundations of alignment, breath and adaptation that every other style relies on, and it prepares you to teach the widest range of students, including older people and those with injuries. That is why our 200 Hour YTTC is built on classical Hatha yoga.
Ashtanga suits people who enjoy structure, want a strong physical practice, and are drawn to the discipline of doing the same thing every day and watching it change. It is also an excellent way to build a consistent home practice. If that appeals to you, our 10 Day Ashtanga Immersion in Uttarkashi is a focused introduction.
The two are not rivals. Many experienced practitioners do both, and the deeper aims, a steady body, a steady breath and a quieter mind, are the same. If you are not sure which fits you, tell us about your practice and we will suggest a starting point.
Read next: Types of Yoga: The Classical Paths and Modern Styles
