What Is Vinyasa Yoga?
While I knew that there were different forms of Yoga, I had never heard of Vinyasa Yoga until recently. As far as I was concerned, Yoga was Yoga and it all had the same basic outcome. Well, apparently I was wrong as there are all different forms of Yoga dedicated to cultivating different areas of the activity. Vinyasa Yoga, for instance, is considered to be a much faster paced and a more strenuous form of Yoga. It is like a step up from beginners’ Yoga.
The interesting aspect of Vinyasa Yoga is that it is a rhythmic stretching and posing program that is synchronized with one’s rate of breath. A typical class would start out with some deep breathing skills, and some mild stretching and warm up exercises. As the class got into full swing, a pace that was in tune with the deep breathing would be implemented into more difficult stretches and poses while the end of the class keeps the same pace but implements the most difficult of the class’ stretching poses.
Vinyasa Yoga covers a wide range of various classes that are taught in this style. The actual poses, the goal of the class (for example body alignment versus emotional centering) may vary. It’s a term that is as widely used as ice skating. Just as ice skating can indicate hockey skating, figure skating, speed skating, or just skating around in circles, Vinyasa Yoga applies to the speed and timing of the class rather than the specifics.
Kundalini Yoga, like Vinyasa Yoga, is movement that is synchronized with the breath. However, Kundalini is indicative of a specific goal, which is to release trapped energy within the lower extremities and core and bring it to the upper extremities and core to increase overall feelings of energy, health, and self imposed power. While the two are equally concerned with creating controlled breath-based movements, the ultimate way the class runs and the end result are not quite the same.
Forrest Yoga, which is rapidly becoming a favorite form of Yoga in the United States, is also based on breathing. However, the goal of Forrest Yoga is to focus on the deep release of emotions focusing on the core. The idea is that if we release our negative emotions and our pain from our bodies then the process of healing wounds (emotional or physical) can begin. Doubling as a strength conditioning form of Yoga, Forrest Yoga will offer the core muscles a very firm, very intense workout every single time.
What is really very interesting to me about all of this is that the many forms of Yoga are unknown to most of us. Usually, when we sign up for a Yoga class we have no idea if it is a good match for our needs until we get in there and start the class. Online classes have the added benefit of allowing you to select and try out different styles to find the right fit. As we all know, choosing the wrong style can turn you off completely to the benefits of Yoga while choosing the right style will make you a Yoga fan for life.
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