If you’re new, start with hatha. If sitting still sounds unbearable, try vinyasa. If you’re tired or stressed, try yin or restorative. If you want to sweat and feel you’ve trained, try hot, power or ashtanga. If breathwork and chanting interest you more than poses, look at Kundalini.
Those five lines will point most people in the right direction. The table has the detail, and the notes below it explain what each class feels like and where to find it in Malta.
How do the main yoga styles compare?
| Style | Pace | Heat | Intensity | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hatha | Slow to steady | None | Low to moderate | Beginners, learning poses and breathing |
| Vinyasa | Moderate to fast, flowing | None, unless labelled warm or hot | Moderate to high | People who like movement and variety |
| Ashtanga | Steady, in a set sequence | None added, but you’ll get warm | High | Structure, stamina, building a routine |
| Power | Fast | Usually none, though hot power exists | High | Strength and a fitness-style workout |
| Hot | Varies by class | Heated room, commonly 32 to 42°C | High | People who enjoy heat and heavy sweating |
| Yin | Very slow, long holds | None | Low effort, but the holds can feel strong | Stiffness, winding down, balancing active classes |
| Restorative | Very slow, fully supported | None | Very low | Rest, stressful weeks, low-energy days |
| Kundalini | Varied, repeated movement with breath and mantra | None | Low to moderate | Breathwork, chanting, a spiritual practice |
Use the table as a guide, because style names aren’t regulated and teachers vary. Lotus Room in Żebbuġ, for example, lists both gentle and energising versions of vinyasa flow.
What is each yoga style like in practice?
Hatha
Hatha is the broad, traditional base of most modern yoga: postures, breath control and some meditation at a pace you can follow. Read more on our hatha yoga page. In Malta it appears at Feel at Harmony in Msida, on the timetable at Cynergi in St Julian’s, where the hatha class is pitched at beginners and included with gym membership, and with Yellow Rock Yoga in Gozo.
Vinyasa
Vinyasa links poses to the breath, so you rarely stop moving. Classes differ from teacher to teacher, which keeps it fresh but also means levels vary. Our vinyasa yoga page goes further. Island Yoga in Sliema teaches it and also runs a 200-hour vinyasa teacher training, and Katarina Migale teaches it in Mellieħa as Malta Yoga.
Ashtanga
Ashtanga follows the same demanding series of poses in the same order, so you can measure your progress. It suits people who like routine and don’t mind hard work. HotYogaMalta in Mosta teaches it unheated, and LivingWell at the Hilton has it on its members’ timetable.
Power
Power yoga borrows ashtanga’s athleticism but drops the fixed sequence, so every class is different. It’s the closest yoga gets to a gym session. Look at PowerYogaWorld, or the sunrise power class run by Yoga Malta, an outdoor-led operator that shares a similar name with this site but has no connection to it.
Hot
Hot classes take place in a heated room, and you will sweat a lot. The heat can make you feel more flexible than you are, so go easy on your first few sessions. The sweat doesn’t detox you either, whatever you may read. HotYogaMalta includes a 90-minute 26-and-2 sequence, Island Yoga has infrared-heated classes at its Fire studio, and Tropical Temple in San Ġwann runs hot classes plus milder warm flow. None of the three publishes a set room temperature, so ask if that matters to you.
Yin
Yin means holding mostly seated or lying poses for minutes at a time. It’s physically quiet, but mentally it can be the hardest class you try. See our yin yoga page, or find it at Hale in Mġarr, Zen Yoga Studio in Mellieħa and, by candlelight, at LivingWell.
Restorative
Restorative yoga has you lying supported by bolsters and blankets, doing very little on purpose. It’s a good choice after a bad week. Feel at Harmony teaches it alongside yoga nidra, and Freemyme in Sliema lists it too.
Kundalini
Kundalini combines repeated movement, breathwork, chanting and meditation, and it aims to raise energy from the base of the spine. That’s a spiritual belief, so it will appeal to some people more than others. Regular weekly classes look scarce in Malta: PowerYogaWorld lists it through a guest teacher’s workshops, and Shesha Veda lists it among the styles at its Gozo retreat.
Which yoga styles need more care?
Talk to your doctor before starting yoga if you have a heart condition, high or low blood pressure, a recent injury or surgery, or if you’re pregnant. Be especially careful with hot yoga, since overheating is a real concern for some people, and Malta’s summer already gives you plenty of heat. Fast styles and deep forward folds aren’t right for every back or wrist, so tell the teacher about any problems before the class starts.
Yoga isn’t a treatment for an injury, even in a gentle class. If you’re pregnant, choose a class built for that: Lotus Room, Yellow Rock Yoga and Anna Aerial all list pregnancy or prenatal classes.
Does the teacher matter more than the style?
Quite often, yes. A patient teacher who offers options will make an average timetable work, and a hurried one can put you off a good style. The setting matters too. Some people relax in a class capped at ten, as at Lotus Room, while others prefer the anonymity of a busy studio or the fresh air of a seaside class. If you’d like full attention, see classes vs private lessons.
Spiritual content varies as well. Some centres keep things physical, while others teach yoga within a tradition. Ananda Marga in Gżira, for example, sets its classes within a spiritual tradition, so check that the tone suits you.
How do you find the right style for you?
Try two contrasting classes in your first fortnight, one active and one slow, and notice how you feel an hour later and the next morning. Being a bit worked is fine, but sharp pain or feeling worse is not. Before you book, compare costs on our prices page, since a pack only saves money if you stay with that studio. Then check what to bring to your first lesson, as studios in Malta differ on mats and walk-ins.
Your first choice doesn’t have to last. Plenty of people start with hatha, move to vinyasa and later add yin when life gets busy.