What’s Your Perfect Practice?
Not all yoga classes are the same, and different styles of yoga have their own benefits. It is very important to choose the type of yoga that is best for you so you can see the best results possible after your practice. However, you do not need to stick with just one style and never try the others because the benefits of the different styles could work better for you at different times, and it is good to have a variety of options. The type that is best for you could even change day to day based how your body feels and what you want to get out of your yoga practice.
Yin
What is it?
Yin yoga is a highly meditative, slower style of yoga. It involves holding poses for a much longer period of time than other types of yoga, so it takes patience and learning to sit with your thoughts and looking inward into your mind. This also allows for a deep stretch that lengthens tissues in your body, and you learn to breathe through the discomfort as you deepen into the poses.
Yin yoga targets your connective tissue, such as your fascia. Fascia surrounds every structure in your body, including every bone, muscles, and nerve fiber. When this connective tissue is not used, it becomes tight and causes pain and limited mobility. This is why it is so important to lengthen your connective tissue and keep it elastic, which is exactly what yin yoga does when you hold poses for a long time and gently make these tissues longer and stronger.
What is it good for?
● Increased flexibility - By lengthening connective tissue, it increases the elasticity of the fascia and the mobility of joints, leading to better flexibility.
● Increased circulation - When you focus on breathing deeply into each pose, more oxygen enters your body which increases your blood flow and boosts your circulation.
● Reduced stress - The meditative aspect of yin yoga reduces stress levels and anxiety. It is calming and like a reset for your body.
Who is it good for?
Anybody can do yin yoga, and the slow pace makes it great for beginners. However, this does not mean it is limited to beginners, and the benefits are influential for anyone who needs to find a balance between their fast-paced, active lives. Yin yoga is a good restorative, slower counterpart to finish out a workout, and it is also good for people recovering from injuries or dealing with chronic conditions.
Vinyasa
What is it?
Vinyasa is a type of yoga where you flow through the poses and move authentically with your body. During this style of yogayou are really connecting your mind and body as you move in an organic way along with your breath at each inhale and exhale to length and deepen the poses. It is a fluid, dance-like workout where you are moving more quickly through the postures in an active, dynamic way.
What is it good for?
● Increased cardiovascular fitness - As you transition from one pose to the next, your heart rate increases.
● Increased endurance and stamina - Even though it is a low-impact practice, your body is still working hard over a period of time at a moderate intensity which helps build endurance and stamina.
● Strengthen muscles - Specific poses will target certain muscle groups, and working through the yoga practices with the resistance of your bodyweight will strengthen those muscles.
● Increased flexibility and mobility - the flowy, dynamic nature of vinyasa yoga moves your muscles and joints through the different poses in many directions and ranges of motion, naturally lengthening the muscles and increasing flexibility.
● Reduced stress levels - vinyasa yoga is a form of moving meditation. You’re connecting your mind and body as you connect your breath with your movements.
Who is it good for?
Anybody can benefit from vinyasa yoga, especially people who are looking to relax and get out of their head and be more in touch with their body. It is also good to do in between more demanding workouts. There are variations of poses that an individual can take to fit their skill level, so vinyasa yoga can be for beginners, but they should be aware before going into the class that it will be more active and fast-paced.
Power
What is it?
Power yoga is a form of vinyasa yoga where movements are connected and you are still flowing from one pose to the next. Power yoga has more vigorous movements that are focused on strength building and cardiovascular endurance. It is an intense physical activity that will get your heart rate up and make you sweat, and it often incorporates more difficult poses including arm balances and inversions. Even though it still requires mindfulness, it is more active and dynamic than meditative.
What is it good for?
● Cardiovascular health - Power yoga strengthens your heart and lungs and lowers your risk for chronic conditions. It raises your heart rate which helps with the circulation of blood and oxygen throughout your body. This also helps with your endurance, energy levels, and overall fitness.
● Full-body strength - Holding your body in certain positions strengthens your muscles in many parts of your body.
● Weight loss - It is a fast-paced workout that burns calories and tones muscles.
● Reduced stress - Even though power yoga is less meditative than other styles of yoga, it can still decrease the stress hormone cortisol in your body.
● Overall health - Power yoga is also associated with better sleep and a stronger immune system.
Who is it good for?
While yoga can always be modified for beginners, for this type of yoga you should at least be an athletic beginner. There needs to be some experience and basic understanding of vinyasa poses, as well as a certain level of strength and fitness to be able to keep up. It is a fast-paced, challenging style of yoga, and it is important to have some athletic abilities to be able to participate in the activity safely.
Comments