Tag: Power Yoga

Maharshi Pathanjali, an adept who is known to have written the famous Yoga aphorisms (The Yoga Sutras of Pathanjali), which concisely describe the path and experiences of Yoga. Pathanjali describes constant practice and detachment as the means of Yoga. However, Pathanjali states that this practice becomes firmly established when properly and consistently attended to over a long period of time. The obvious question now is What to practice? For this, Pathanjali describes the Ashtanga Yoga (the 8 limbed path to Yoga) which serves to prepare us for the experience of Yoga (Self realization).

The eight limbs of Yoga are:

1. Yama – restraints

Non violence (absence of desire to kill or injure )

Truthfulness and sincerity

Non- stealing

Sexual restraint

Greedlessness

2.Niyama – observances

Purity

Contentment

Constant practice

Self study

Self surrender or surrender to lord

3.Asana – postures

4.Pranayama – breath regulation

5.Pratyahara – control and withdrawal of senses

6.Dharana – concentration with effort

7.Dhyana – meditation or concentration without effort

8.Samadhi – cognitive absorption.

Constant Practice:

The first 6 steps are to be practiced constantly over a long period of time. The last two steps happen on their own. The Yama and Niyama are for training the mind for Yoga.

Pathanjali does not emphasize any particular techniques for Postures, Breath control and Meditation as they require guidance from a teacher. This is where we resort to Hatha Yoga classes wherein the postures and breathing techniques are described in great detail. Contemporary schools of Yoga like Ashtanga Vinyasa, Iyengar, Power Yoga etc also teach various postures and breathing techniques. One is free to follow any school, but the most important thing to do is constant practice over a long period of time. One cannot ignore any of the first six limbs if one is seriously pursuing Yoga; just practicing postures is not enough in Yoga.

Detachment:

In modern Yoga there is hardly any emphasis given to detachment. Yoga today has become attached to performance or achievement of various states, especially in schools of Hatha Yoga. When practiced with attachment, the practice does not become a spiritual practice; it just becomes an exercise to make you physically fit. Therefore, it is very important to do the practices with a feeling of detachment, and with an open mind. Through the constant practice of detachment, the causes of our suffering will also eventually be eradicated.

Thus it is only through constant practice and detachment that we can progress in the journey of/to Yoga, irrespective of what school of practice we resort to.

Yoga Styles: Guide to the Most Popular Types
The image of yoga has changed during the past years. If once, the first picture that popped your mind was of a group of white wearing weirdoes standing on their heads and breathing loudly, now you are probably thinking about Madonna’s well shaped arms. Currently, yoga is one of the most popular fitness activities worldwide. One of its appeal is that it can be practiced by elders and it can improve the overall physical fitness of athletes.

If you want to start practicing yoga, here is a quick guide to the basic types of yoga. While most of them are based on the same ancient postures, each yoga style has a different focus. Some of the yoga styles focus on strengthening the body while others focus on flexibility. Other types of yoga focus mainly on breathing, relaxation, and meditation.

Most of the yoga styles that were adopted in the west, were derived from the Hatha Yoga, which is a general term that refers to the physical branches of the ancient Indian philosophy. The purpose of the traditional Hatha Yoga was to achieve balance between mind and body through moral discipline and physical exercises, which are expressed by a series of asana: postures, panorama: breathing and meditation.

Western culture adopted mainly the physical aspects of the Hatha Yoga and ignored the moral aspects, usually even the breathing and meditations aspects. All the yoga styles that were derived from the Hatha Yoga share the same basic principle that mental balance can be achieved through practice of physical exercises and postures. Each yoga style chooses to focus on different aspect.

Ashtanga Yoga:
This focuses on the flow of postures in order to improve strength, stamina and flexibility of the body. During a Asthanga Yoga class, the participants jump from one posture to another. Therefore, this type of yoga is not the ideal for beginners. People who are not well fit may find it too difficult and demanding. However, if you are interested in improving your strength, flexibility and stamina and you are fit enough to deal with an hour of jumping from one posture to another, Asthanga Yoga can suit you.

Power Yoga:
This is an American development of the Asthanga Yoga that also adopted several elements from other types of yoga styles. You can find Power Yoga classes mainly in fitness and health clubs. Power Yoga focuses on strengthening the body by performing Hatha Yoga postures for a longer time to improve both physical flexibility and mental focus. Power Yoga can be a good exercise for athletes, people who practice types of fitness activities and people who want to tone their body.

Bikram Yoga:
A Bikram Yoga class features a series of 26 Hatha Yoga postures practiced in a heated room. It is also known as Hot Yoga. The purpose of the heat is to allow the participants to get into each of the yoga poses in a deeper and safer manner. The heat also helps clean the body from toxins promoting sweating. Bikram Yoga focuses more on the workout of the entire body, including the internal organs and less on flexibility. Bikram Yoga is not recommended to pregnant women and people who suffer from high blood pressure and heart conditions, but it can improve the physical fitness of people who recover from injuries.

Iyengar Yoga:
This focuses on the physical alignment of the body and the accurate performance of each posture. Some of the Iyengar Yoga postures are practiced with the assistance of props such as blocks and belts that are designed to help the participants achieve the most accurate posture and to protect their bodies from injuries. Since the flows between postures are not practiced, Iyengar Yoga classes are less intense and therefore more suitable for people who are less fit. Iyengar Yoga improves body strength and flexibility and can fit people of any age and every physical condition.