This entry was posted on Mar 26, 2025 by Charlotte Bell.
Vinyasa (aka stream yoga) has been the preferred type of asana apply for some time now. Based mostly on ideas launched by means of Ashtanga Yoga, vinyasa contains a yoga “routine,” a flowing motion sequence. In hottest lessons, college students stream by means of the sequence at a reasonably good clip. Transferring rapidly from one pose to the following raises the center charge. In some lessons, lecturers flip up the warmth, which induces sweat. This is sensible for Western practitioners.
Within the West, train has virtually at all times included these two elements, amongst others. In order yoga has built-in into Western tradition, it seems to be like a mixture of asana apply and Western train. Placing collectively a novel yoga stream provides lecturers a possibility to flex their inventive muscle tissue. Surya Namaskar (Solar Salutation) has taken all types of enjoyable and progressive flights of fancy within the creation of vinyasa’s reputation.
However a few of us, old-school yogis and extra meditative varieties, like to chill the temperature. I take pleasure in linking poses in a sequence, however I desire to gradual my stream. For me, yoga apply is a time to calm my nervous system by means of conscious motion. I desire weight coaching and strolling in nature to construct muscle and lift my coronary heart charge. What I really like about yoga asana is its capacity to foster mindfulness. Slowing my stream fosters the body-mind connection.
Right here’s Why You Ought to Strive Slowing Your Circulation Yoga
- Unfolding: While you spend time in every pose, your physique has an opportunity to unwind tender tissue resistance. It takes time to maneuver into stillness in a pose. Our our bodies and minds want time to regulate to every new place, and it’s solely once we can calm down into the pose that yoga’s “magic” can unfold. That magic is the combination of physique and thoughts, by means of letting go of effort. Keep in mind that “mastery” of asana within the yoga sutras is outlined like this (in Alistair Shearer’s translation): “It’s mastered when all effort is relaxed and the thoughts is absorbed within the Infinite.” Taking your time in every pose, lets you make changes so to calm down effort.
- Mindfulness: One of many key parts of working towards mindfulness is slowing down. Practising gradual stream yoga provides us time to tune into the ever-changing course of of each asana. Slowing down permits us to really feel the method of respiration, how the breath strikes our our bodies, and the method of letting go of effort in order that we will “be” the pose somewhat than “doing” the pose.
- Props: It’s fairly difficult to include yoga props into a quick stream. By the point you’ve set your props up, the remainder of the category has usually gone on to the following pose. Yoga props assist us apply with structural integrity. That structural integrity permits us to let go of effort and be the asana.
- Transitions: That is in all probability my favourite means of slowing the stream. I consider every vinyasa as one lengthy asana. Fairly than seeing stream yoga as a succession of poses, I make the transitions between poses simply as essential because the formal asanas. Slowing down makes this simpler. Strive giving equal consideration to the actions between the formal poses. This promotes mindfulness in movement.
Your Particular person Circulation Observe
If a fast-paced yoga stream is your favourite apply, by all means, proceed. However typically, you may need to attempt slowing it down. Get to know every asana differently. Really feel the transitions. Slowing your stream apply at instances may enrich your quick stream apply.
About Charlotte Bell
Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and commenced instructing in 1986. Charlotte is the creator of Aware Yoga, Aware Life: A Information for On a regular basis Observe and Yoga for Meditators, each revealed by Rodmell Press. Her third ebook is titled Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Defending the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Ache (Shambhala Publications). She writes a month-to-month column for CATALYST Journal and serves as editor for Yoga U On-line. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte performs oboe and English horn within the Salt Lake Symphony and folks sextet Pink Rock Rondo, whose DVD received two Emmy awards.