Teacher training isn’t just about learning the poses; it is about understanding the origin, style, and systems of yoga and how each type affects one’s mind, body, and spirit. Whether one is just starting out with yoga or aiming to sharpen the practice, understanding different major styles, Hatha, Vinyasa, and Kriya, will allow one to tailor the journey for oneself and make it worthwhile.

Let’s explore the most common styles covered in yoga teacher training and how each one can transform your practice—and your future as a teacher.

Hatha vs Vinyasa Yoga: Which One Fits Your Flow?

These names have become common in the yoga circuit, and with them came the question: What exactly differentiates Hatha Yoga from Vinyasa? 

Hatha Yoga

Original Hatha focuses on alignment, balance of mind and body, and mindfulness. Therefore, it is slower and, when coordinated with the breath, suited to building strength and flexibility. The style is perfectly suited for an absolute beginner or an injured party.

Benefits:

• Calms down the wandering mind
• Builds basic physical strength
• Focuses on mindful breathing

Vinyasa Yoga

Vinyasa is very flow-oriented and dynamic. It connects movement with the breath, resulting in a kind of dance sequence. It is best suited for students who wish to sweat, invigorate, and keep their minds active.

Benefits:

• Works the heart
• Improves coordination and balance
• Enables creative expression

Power Pick: Strength and flow? Why not a Hatha-Vinyasa mix little Hatha in the morning and Vinyasa in the evening for the perfect day!

Unlocking the Power of Kriyas in Teacher Training

They are yogic acts of cleansing that purify the body and mind. In the context of yoga teacher training, they are introduced much more as detoxifying agents to prepare the aspirant for deeper spiritual work.

Some of the common kriyas include:

• Neti (nasal cleansing)
• Kapalabhati (skull-shining breath)
• Trataka (gazing meditation)

Why They Matter:

When practitioners do kriyas correctly, they increase their concentration, improve their breath, and increase their energy. These are the foundation practices of advanced techniques such as Kriya Yoga. 

Commercial Insight: By learning, you’ll set yourself apart as a knowledgeable and holistic teacher. These skills are rarely taught in regular classes!

Kriyas in the Curriculum

In the training, kriyas are taught under the right guidance, as they require precision and discipline. The students learn when and how to introduce these to their students and apply them in their own day-to-day sadhana.

What Is Kriya Yoga—and Why It’s Transformational

It refers to a spiritual science, and it is more than a practice. Yogananda is known for popularizing yoga, which mixes breath control, meditation, and awareness of one’s body’s subtle energy to speed up spiritual development.

You Learn These Things in Yoga Teacher Training:

• How to move energy inside the chakras
• Simple exercises for a calm mind
• Exercises and motions that align your energy

This path means a lot to students who aim to go deeper into what they do and who they teach.

If you’d like to expand your teaching beyond physical poses, you may find it to be your next challenge.

Yoga Breathing Exercises for Beginners: Start Strong

Learning how to move your breath is important in any type of yoga, but some breathing techniques help a lot when you’re new to yoga.

Best Basic Breathing Exercises for Yoga:

• Ujjayi breathing: Helps both body and mind relax
• It works on balancing your left and right brain hemispheres.
• Box Breathing: Increases your attention and helps you feel calmer almost immediately

What Makes Yoga Breathing Helpful:

• Reduces the amount of cortisol in your system.
• Helps you breathe deeply.
• Helps to keep your emotions in check

They increase your skill level and are simple to pass on to your students. For this reason, they should be included in every yoga teacher training curriculum.

Real Benefits of Yoga Beyond the Mat

The physical and emotional connection of yoga is well-documented, but yoga teacher training allows you to experience them firsthand.

Here’s what students often report after completing a comprehensive program:

Benefit	Description
Stress Relief	Reduced anxiety and improved mental clarity
Improved Flexibility	Gradual and sustainable body openness
Better Posture	Awareness and alignment training helps daily posture
Emotional Balance	Tools like meditation and journaling support mental health
Career Opportunities	Ability to teach classes, retreats, or private clients

Power Move: Your transformation begins the moment you commit to the training, not just when it ends.

Why Understanding Different Yoga Styles Matters in Training

Each kind of yoga is meant for something specific, and figuring them out helps you teach in many ways.

Let’s Focus on What You’ll Benefit From:

• Knowing how to teach in several ways
• Finding your way of telling your unique story
• A reputation for being a well-rounded yoga professional

A lot of yoga studios are now searching for instructors familiar with several teaching styles. If you know about Hatha, Vinyasa, and Kriya, you’ll be better equipped to teach a variety of students.

Dive Deeper: Philosophy and Anatomy

Training to become a yoga teacher today includes more than just doing yoga. The area also involves:

• Yogic philosophy covers the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Eight Limbs of Yoga, and living ethically.
• Anatomy and physiology: By knowing this, you realize that postures influence various parts of your body
• The structure of classes: Discover how to provide instruction for everyone comfortably

These modules help you avoid doing the same thing all the time and give your teaching more thought.

Understanding the purpose of a pose helps as much as being able to do it correctly.

Start Your Training with Confidence

Yoga isn’t the same for everyone. That’s no different than what happens in yoga teacher training. Going further into your study will help you determine which style will work best for your energy, your aims, and what you want to achieve in teaching.

The journey includes Hatha, Vinyasa, kriyas, and powerful kriya yoga and is both rich and worthwhile. Along with learning basic yoga breathing, you will learn tools to help you in life, health, and transformation.

Start on your path to teaching with Salty Prana by exploring, training, and evolving.

FAQs

Why is it important to go through yoga teacher training?

Training to teach yoga will boost your own practice, increase your confidence and set you up to teach Hatha, Vinyasa and Kriya.

What is the difference in training between Hatha and Vinyasa yoga styles?

While Hatha pays attention to how you stand and move, Vinyasa involves moving with each breath. Teaching both elements is common in most training courses.

Are kriyas practiced in yoga teacher education courses?

Kriyas can often be offered to cleanse the body, soothe the mind and equip us for more advanced spiritual activities.

What is the practice called Kriya Yoga, and why is it held in great regard?

Kriya Yoga consists of combining breath, meditation and energy work. It encourages you to grow spiritually and become aware of yourself.

What breathing exercises for beginners do yoga teachers teach?

Box Breathing, along with Ujjayi and Nadi Shodhana, are the basics beginners usually practice to maintain attention, calm the breathing and support the emotions.