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Health & Fitness

Yoga for Everyone

There are many different types of yoga. When decided to begin taking a yoga class, the student should make sure they do their research into the type of yoga being taught.

Many times when people ask me about the yoga classes I teach, I often hear, “oh, yoga is too passive for me, I want something more physical” and I always tell them that Yoga can be practiced in many ways and for many different reasons. 

When considering starting a yoga class, it is important to think about what you want out of your practice and understand that there are many different types of yoga, so one must do their research before joining a class.  

Some people are looking only for the fitness aspect of yoga, while others are looking for a more “yogic” experience. The style yoga taught in my classes is Vinyasa flow which means we work on connecting the breath to the movement and the movements flow from one to the next almost like a dance. In my classes we do not touch on the spiritual side of yoga.

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I’ve been to Vinyasa classes taught by other instructors who do chant or meditate for prolonged periods of time during savasana (relaxation and meditation time) and people take those classes for that reason — personally, I enjoy that part of yoga, but its not what my students want from their practice.

The interesting aspect of Vinyasa is the variety of ways in which it can be taught.  When I first started taking Vinyasa I took it as a power yoga class.  Power yoga incorporates Pilate-type exercises into the flow and the combination makes for a great workout. 

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However, after teaching my own power class for several years, I found that the students in my particular class preferred a more traditional style Vinyasa that uses traditional asanas (postures) and almost no Pilate-type exercises as part of the practice. 

Taking it a step further, many in my class also wanted a class that was more relaxing so I began leading a gentle flow Vinyasa class in additional to the traditional class.

In this class we concentrate even more on breathing techniques, linking the breath to the movement, and moving through the asanas in a slower manner usually using only the modified versions of the asanas. 

So it easy to see how this one style of yoga really can meet the needs of a variety of students using basically the same moves but in different ways. This is why it is so important for the potential student to know what type of class is being offered.

 The following are some tips on how find a good yoga class:

  • Find out what style of yoga is being taught in the class and investigate the methods used beforehand or ask to observe a class.
  • Know the environment.  Where is the class being taught and is that environment what you are looking for from your practice?  Keep in mind that yoga can be practiced anywhere and it’s all good, just make sure it is right for you personally.
  • Find a instructor who has gone through some type of formal yoga training and ask if they receive any type of continuing training.
  • Look for an instructor who is willing to work with students who present physical challenges (back, wrist, knee issues, etc), provides alternatives to how the asanas are practiced, and makes either verbal or physical adjustments to students.
  • Get a feel for how the students respond, whether or not there is camaraderie in the class. 

 Once you find the right class and instructor you will find that yoga will become a vital part of your life by keeping your mind and body in balance.

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