This entry was posted on Mar 26, 2025 by Charlotte Bell.
Vinyasa (aka move yoga) has been the preferred type of asana follow for some time now. Primarily based on ideas launched by way of Ashtanga Yoga, vinyasa encompasses a yoga “routine,” a flowing motion sequence. In hottest lessons, college students move by way of the sequence at a fairly good clip. Shifting shortly from one pose to the following raises the center charge. In some lessons, academics flip up the warmth, which induces sweat. This is smart for Western practitioners.
Within the West, train has nearly all the time included these two components, amongst others. In order yoga has built-in into Western tradition, it appears like a mix of asana follow and Western train. Placing collectively a singular yoga move offers academics a possibility to flex their artistic muscle mass. Surya Namaskar (Solar Salutation) has taken every kind of enjoyable and progressive flights of fancy within the introduction of vinyasa’s reputation.
However a few of us, old-school yogis and extra meditative sorts, like to chill the temperature. I take pleasure in linking poses in a sequence, however I choose to gradual my move. For me, yoga follow is a time to calm my nervous system by way of conscious motion. I choose weight coaching and strolling in nature to construct muscle and lift my coronary heart charge. What I like about yoga asana is its potential to foster mindfulness. Slowing my move fosters the body-mind connection.
Right here’s Why You Ought to Attempt Slowing Your Stream 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 chill out into the pose that yoga’s “magic” can unfold. That magic is the mixing of physique and thoughts, by way of letting go of effort. Do not forget 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, permits you to make changes as a way to chill out effort.
- Mindfulness: One of many key components of working towards mindfulness is slowing down. Working towards gradual move yoga offers 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 fairly than “doing” the pose.
- Props: It’s fairly difficult to include yoga props into a quick move. By the point you’ve set your props up, the remainder of the category has typically gone on to the following pose. Yoga props assist us follow 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 manner of slowing the move. I consider every vinyasa as one lengthy asana. Moderately than seeing move yoga as a succession of poses, I make the transitions between poses simply as vital because the formal asanas. Slowing down makes this simpler. Attempt giving equal consideration to the actions between the formal poses. This promotes mindfulness in movement.
Your Particular person Stream Observe
If a fast-paced yoga move is your favourite follow, by all means, proceed. However typically, you may need to strive slowing it down. Get to know every asana differently. Really feel the transitions. Slowing your move follow at occasions may enrich your quick move follow.
About Charlotte Bell
Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and commenced educating in 1986. Charlotte is the creator of Conscious Yoga, Conscious Life: A Information for On a regular basis Observe and Yoga for Meditators, each revealed by Rodmell Press. Her third guide 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 people sextet Pink Rock Rondo, whose DVD gained two Emmy awards.
