The many styles of yoga in Christchurch

Breathe in, bliss out, balance or burn – whatever you need, there’s a yoga style to suit, writes Tamara Pitelen.

From hot, steamy studios to serene slow flow and gravity-defying aerial yoga, Ōtautahi thriving wellness scene offers yoga for every body and mind.

Here’s a few of the styles and where you can find them. For movement lovers, flow yoga, also known as vinyasa, syncs breath with motion for seamless transitions between poses. Improves cardiovascular health, flexibility and mental clarity. Find it: Soul Studio, Flow Yoga, O-Studio, Koha Fitness, Your Vital Life.

Hot yoga – held in heated rooms, promotes deep detoxification. The warmth softens muscles and encourages a powerful sweat, easing tension and boosting circulation. A cousin to hot yoga is 26-2 yoga (formerly Bikram), which follows a strict 26-pose sequence, offering structure for those who thrive on routine, while enhancing flexibility and mental endurance. Find it: Flow Yoga, Soul Studio Hot Yoga.

Power yoga – a variation on styles like Ashtanga and Mysore, it turns up the intensity. A dynamic, fitness-driven practice, it builds strength, balance and confidence. Perfect for a challenge and a release. Find it: Uprising Yoga, City Fitness, Soul Studio.

In contrast, yin yoga is stillness in motion. Long-held stretches work into deep connective tissues, allowing emotional release. Designed to recreate the brainwaves of recovery and sleep, yin yoga helps the body repair and reset. Find it at Flow Yoga, City Fitness, O-Studio,
Soul Studio.

Aerial yoga: If you like a little gravity-defying fun with your yoga, aerial yoga is a great way to decompress the spine, strengthen core, body, and do supported and safe inversions, and deeper backbends. Here in Ōtautahi, find it at FlyHigh Yoga by Christchurch Yoga.

Something a little different? How about yoga with cats? Enjoy plenty of laughs with downward dogs in a room full of playful cats. After class, enjoy cat cuddles and a cuppa. Find it: The Catnap Café.