Posts Tagged ‘Vinyasa Yoga’

Development of the Core with Power Yoga

Power yoga is a term used to describe a new approach to the to vinyasa-style yoga which is vigorous and fitness-based. Developing the Core, Power Yoga is the translation from the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit, meaning”Asthanga Yoga” – meaning power Yoga. These poses help to develop the core of the student in power yoga so that the foundation of the body is strong. Power yoga develops these core muscles especially because they are used in almost every pose that is held in the practice of power yoga. There are many power yoga DVD’s and classes that teach students how to develop their bodies using simply their body weight and different poses which are held for a certain length of time. With this yoga poses, the stomach muscles are engaged and grows stronger by the minute whether the pose is sitting, standing or balancing.

Improving your Core health with Power Yoga

All the Core Power Yoga poses require that the individual hold his own body weight throughout the series of five or more deep breaths that he needs to take before the pose is over. This requires strength from the muscles that the respective asana concentrates on. The back is kept in better alignment throughout the day as it maintains a better posture whether sitting of standing. Developing the core with power yoga helps individuals who enter the class with back problems. Developing the stomach muscles helps the body to support the torso through the use of the stomach muscles rather than using the back muscles so much. In addition to the core’s development in power yoga, the flexibility that is gained in conjunction with the core development allows individuals with back problems to have looser muscles in the back and hamstrings, which also helps to alleviate pain.

Importance of Breathing in Core Power Yoga

The term “power yoga” became widely used, in the 90s, when some yoga teachers were looking for a way to make Ashtanga yoga more accessible to students. The students are also taught to breathe properly so that the people can breathe deeply even in the midst of strenuous exercise. The individual is taught how to relax all other muscles in the body other than the ones that are being used to hold a particular pose. These breaths are controlled and are taken in and out through the nose. The breaths are drawn from the diaphragm so that they are slow and full, supplying much needed oxygen to the entire body. These breathing methods are important life skills as well to help calm the person down and reduce stress levels. In addition to these looser muscles and developing the core in power yoga, there are other health benefits as well, like stress reduction and helping the person’s concentration levels.

Yoga for Weight Loss?

Yoga is renowned for its capacity to reduce stress, enhance flexibility and improve muscle tone and strength. However, it’s not so well known for its contributions to weight loss. Yoga isn’t typically your first thought when it comes to burning off calories. So it can be surprising to discover that it can actually be an effective way to boost your weight loss efforts.

Conventional yoga isn’t a vigorous type of exercise. While it conditions and tones your muscles, you’re not likely to work up a sweat during a yoga session. The fact is, though, that you’re working your muscles, which means your body is burning calories. So, cardiovascular exercise will yield better results if you also practice yoga regularly.

At the core of yoga is the discipline of both your body and mind. This should lead to stronger motivation to stick with your fitness routine and to eat healthfully. A core tenet of yoga is to develop the relationship between your mind and body. Therefore you feel more motivated to care for your body. This is great if you want to lose some weight but have difficulty motivating yourself.

If you plan on using yoga by itself to help you drop some pounds, there are some new variations on the traditional practice of yoga. You get the benefits of cardio and yoga all in the same workout. It’s worth your while to investigate the wide assortment of yoga DVDs that are available for this purpose.

Here’s a look at some of the more common kinds of yoga.

Vinyasa Yoga: This particular form of yoga involves moving from one pose to another, all the while paying attention to your breathing. There are lots of different poses that you might recognize the name of, including the Sun Salutation. This style of yoga is typically performed in an overheated room so that you sweat profusely.

Ashtanga Yoga: This is an intricate approach to yoga, integrating six series of individual poses, or asanas. They increase in complexity as you progress, so you must perform them in order, improving your skill as you go.

Power Yoga: This modern adaptation of yoga mixes active, high-speed actions with yogic breathing.

These yoga techniques offer more of the heart-healthy benefits of aerobic exercise than the usual kinds of yoga. They won’t quite give you the workout of a cardio class. But you will still experience the benefits of cardiovascular health and muscle toning, along with improved flexibility. This will no doubt help your weight loss efforts. And these kinds of yoga are great for people who are too busy for more than one workout routine.

On the surface, aerobics and yoga have few similarities. Nevertheless, yoga training can boost the benefits of cardiovascular exercise. And the newer styles of this ancient practice can be a great replacement for your usual aerobics. If you’re dissatisfied with the results you’re seeing from your normal exercise program, why not give yoga a try.