Hatha Yoga is a style of yoga that has been practiced for thousands of years. To this day, it is the most widespread type of yoga in the world. Hatha yoga combines physical exercises called asanas with breathing exercises called pranayama. The term is derived from Sanskrit: next to “ha” (sun, power) is “tha” (moon, silence).
Vinyasa Yoga is a dynamic style of yoga. The physical exercises, the so-called asanas, are not practiced individually, but are strung together in flowing movements. A unifying element of the styles is breathing: as in Hatha Yoga, the exercises in a Vinyasa Flow should be performed in sync with the breath.
The term “Vinyasa” comes from the ancient Indian language Sanskrit. “Vi” means “in a certain way” and “nyasa” means “to set, place, lay”. That is, the movements in Vinyasa Yoga are composed in a certain way. How exactly, each yoga teacher decides for himself. That’s what’s special about Vinyasa Yoga: no two classes have to look alike. So Vinyasa is a free, creative style.