01 Feb Hey Yoga… I just wanna know ya!
I am GUILTY! I love the heart pumping, sweat inducing, loud music playing type of workouts. I am type-A all the way and if it is not intense and HARD I am bored!!! Soooooo…in the past when I have tried yoga, I have typically wanted to hit the snooze button during class. But, because there are so many benefits of yoga, I recently decided to search within myself and FIND a love for it!
For those of you who fall into the camp of what I used to feel, here are all of the reasons you SHOULD re-consider yoga. Not only is it an relaxing and fun way to shake-up your workout routine, but it will help you stretch your muscles and help relieve the built up tension from your iron pumping at the gym. Yoga is a GREAT way to de-stress, and it CAN be quite a challenging workout!
Yes, I said it! Yoga CAN be a challenging workout!
Hot power yoga is NO JOKE and IS an intense heart pumping, sweat inducing, calorie burning WORKOUT.
So, as I make the decision to up my yoga practice and incorporate Hot Power Yoga into my fitness routine, I want to help you unravel “yoga confusion”. To do that, I am going to share with you the various types of yoga in the hopes you will find a style which suits you. It is not a matter of doing the yoga your friends do, but finding one that works for you, so you can be a yoga lover too!
What are the different types of popular yoga?
Ashtanga- Six established and strenuous pose sequences practiced sequentially as progress is made. Ashtangis move rapidly, flowing from one pose to the next with each inhale and exhale. This style will get you cut fast through repetition of the athletic poses. Great for weight loss, no-time-for-breath-catching cardio and strength gains sans weights.
Bikram- It is a 90 minute class practiced in a heated room (105F) with 40% humidity. These 26 postures 
systematically work every part of the body, to give all the internal organs, all the veins, all the ligaments, and all the muscles everything they need to maintain optimum health and maximum function. You practice the same 26 postures in the same sequence every class. You can burn 350-600 calories in one class if you can stay in the room long enough!
Hatha– Typically a basic and classical approach to yogic breathing exercises and postures emphasizing proper alignment. It’s great for beginners to yoga or if you need some calming down, de-stressing, and it has too many physical benefits to list.
Iyengar– Props like blocks, straps, harnesses, and incline boards are used to get you more perfectly into positions. Appropriate for all ages and abilities, Iyengar yoga is all about precise alignment and deliberate sequencing. It’s great for learning the fundamentals, which builds a superior foundation for other styles. Plus it systematically works every part of your body, giving you great muscle definition, not mass.
Power– An active and athletic style of yoga. Power yoga doesn’t stick to the same sequence of poses each time like ashtanga does, so the style varies depending on the teacher. Classes called “vinyasa” or “flow” in your gym or studio can be vastly different but, in general, stem from this movement and from ashtanga as well. Burn, baby, burn. Isometric movements recruit every muscle in the body, which sparks metabolism and results in more calories burned.
Vinyasa-Like Hatha, Vinyasa is a general term that is used to describe many different types of classes. Vinyasa, which means breath-synchronized movement, tends to be a more vigorous style based on the performance of a series of poses called Sun Salutations, in which movement is matched to the breath. A Vinyasa class will typically start with a number of Sun Salutations to warm up the body for more intense stretching that’s done at the end of class.
What to know before class?
As with any exercise life will be easier if you arrive well hydrated. Check out my smoothie and juice recipes for pre-yoga fuel (avoid eating 2-3hrs before class) and hydration. Bring a mat, water bottle, and a towel. Keep your eyes on your own mat. This is one place where you can give your competitive spirit a rest. Wear fitted clothing- teachers like to be able to check your form and alignment. Finally have fun and remember you are doing this for yourself. To feel better, to look better, to BE better!!!
Many Yoga studios even offer a free week trial period so check out your local studio…
Namaste! –
Natalie Jill
Bloat, Fat, and Fatigue BE GONE! Give me 7 days to teach you the habits to get the weight off and change your life FOREVER! Start HERE
REFERENCES:
www.bikramyoga.com
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/yoga/
Photo credits: Steve Wetherbee photography, Courtney Cathleen Makeup. Workout top: Forever Faith
