Power Yoga Explained (Updated)
Since its inception, yoga has been defined by a complete set of commandments to keep human beings fit and healthy, both physically and mentally. It is composed of a dynamic set of instructions that encompasses both physical and metaphysical elements and help the practitioners in getting close to the ultimate spirit of the universe. According to this doctrine, this way, we can be as fluid as possible and shed off all the burden that is weighing us down and preventing us from achieving a higher spiritual plane, while weakening up in our bodily form.
For a layman, yoga is just some ridiculous poses that people do when they have nothing more important to do. In reality, yoga is a complete set of rules that will help with both physical and mental pain and suffering. It has evolved with the passage of time which shows the fluidity and mobility inside the system. There are many popular types and shapes of pursuing yoga. These days, one of the most popular forms is Power Yoga!
This is at the center of modern yoga because of its emphasis on physical strength and athleticism. If you are a yoga practitioner in the United States, there is no way you have not heard about this emerging and extremely popular yoga form in your circles.
Different Nomenclature For Power Yoga
For those who are looking for a universal nomenclature or common designation, it is hard to relate so many things with one. This makes it very cumbersome to define the many forms and shapes of this prolific yoga form. Here are some of the names that different circles use across the nation:
• Power Yoga
• Power Vinyasa Yoga
• Power Flow
• Hot Power Yoga
• Baptiste Power Yoga
And so many based on where you are living and who you ask.
In the sections below, we will discuss it in detail so that you can have a better idea of what it is all about.
Iyengar VS Power Yoga
Iyengar is a form of yoga in which practitioners use assistive tools like wooden blocks to get the proper alignment of the body for authentic posture. If someone says that he or she practices Iyengar and that they are both the same thing, there is some truth in that. BKS Iyengar was the main force behind this practice. His sole aim was to popularize yoga by making constructive variations in the primitive one.
With his efforts, it has become one of the most popular group exercises in the United States that says something to those who say yoga and all of its forms are futile simulations. Iyengar itself has gone through several phases of variations and now there are as many Iyengar as there are practice circles in the world.
The same happened to Power Yoga. It is not what it was meant to be at the beginning. According to some of the original creators, it was like a “gateway yoga” where practitioners would start for physical gains and then decided to stay for deeper benefits.
Definition Of Power Yoga
It is due to the many variations that it is so hard to exactly define what power yoga is, but you can still get the air of what it is all about.
All you need to do is think about:
• A group of highly energetic people in tights
• That is listening to the loudest music ever
• A room with a hot environment – something around 90 ? | 32 ?+
• Showing a lot of movement
This should get you the picture of what Power Yoga is all about!
It is defined by active and frantic movements under loud music. This may seem to many people like the exact opposite of yoga. In yoga, the music is soothing and the movements are subtle with the aim to make you as fluid as possible, emphasizing the spiritual state so that you can be one with the spirit of the universe.
Power Yoga is more energetic in the outlook. For instance, you may remember a friend from your high school days that used to part a lot, staying out all night, maybe under the influence of chemicals. In Power Yoga, the influence achieved by substances, a feeling of elation or euphoria is achieved by strong muscle movements. For the most part of your Power Yoga session, you will remain on your feet. This is the main point about this power thing – it stresses so much on cardio and gets your heart pumping right away!
As mentioned earlier, this was developed as the “starter” to the proper yoga. It was full of activity, hectic movements, and the basic premise of being a part of a group. This helped shape yoga for the modern world and made its entry possible into the athletics sphere.
Origin Of Power Yoga
The original yoga was first unearthed from a book in India. It has several poses, illustrations, and the underlying philosophy about the importance of harmony between mind and body. This still makes the bedrock of yoga in the twenty-first century. Since its starting days, yoga has gone from a form of exotic art to become a serious way of life to boost healthy living and productivity.
As for Power Yoga, there were many practitioners and influencers. But there are two individuals that had shaped Power Yoga into its most recognizable form and coined the term – Power Yoga.
It was in the late 1980s when two practitioners came up with the idea of taking things up a notch. They were Beryl Bender Birch and Bryan Kest who are credited with coming with the idea to make the yoga physically more dynamic or fluid.
Beryl was a master in her own capacity. She used to teach Ashtanga Yoga in New York and she was really interested in the different aspects of the manifestation of yoga. In her sessions, she found out that the runners and athletes were the worst when it came to the physical part of yoga!
We take it as a given that athletic people are just more of everything; they are more agile, flexible, sturdy, and all the great things that can be associated with having a sound body. But she found out that even star athletes had limited movements that served them well on the track and playing field but they could not do any better on the mat!
That was when she developed and modified the Ashtanga Yoga practice to assist people in becoming more “agile” in the areas that were obviously lacking.
She was excited about the results and feedback from the practitioners because she thought about how marvelous this practice was for the people who were professional sportsmen. She believed in doing more than just stretching before going to the real deal. In the rugged terms, she wanted to get the sweat going!
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