There exist 8 dominant branches of Yoga of which one happens to be Vinyasa. After reading this article you will have more clarity on all that this form of Yoga entails.
Vinyasa Yoga refers to a style of Yoga that involves several Yoga poses being performed one after another. A Vinyasa Yoga practitioner transitions from one movement to another seamlessly by breathing in a certain manner. The breathing technique adopted during Vinyasa Yoga is Ujjayi Pranayama (or Victory Breath).
Vinyasa Yoga has a variable nature as the sequence of poses adopted in one round of Vinyasa Yoga may not be the same as those adopted in the next round.
Listed below are some of the variations of Vinyasa Yoga.
In contrast to classic Vinyasa Yoga which involves different Yoga poses being adopted each time it is practised, Ashtanga Yoga employs the same Yoga positions consistently.
This form of Vinyasa Yoga also features a defined set of postures as opposed to them being freestyle. It is practised in a hot and humid room where the temperature is set to 32 degree Celsius.
This form of Vinyasa Yoga is accompanied by music that helps relax the body and mind.
Vinyasa Yoga poses provide your body with several benefits provided they are practised on a regular basis. Some of these benefits have been mentioned below-
Endurance and Strength Training
Owing to the fact, this form of Yoga requires you to perform challenging poses in quick succession, it helps your body develop muscle strength and improves your level of fitness.
Stability and Balance
When you practice Vinyasa Yoga on a regular basis, you enhance your balancing skills and become more stable.
Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Vinyasa Yoga has been found to help lower feelings of stress and anxiety.
Ideal Workout
The physical challenge of Vinyasa Yoga makes it ideal for those seeking to do a low-intensity cardiovascular workout.
Given the fact that Vinyasa Yoga is variable, there exist many different sequences that a practitioner can perform under Vinyasa Yoga. Follow the steps listed below to create a good Vinyasa Yoga sequence-
Step 1. Determine what the theme of your Vinyasa yoga sequence will be. It should feature a peak posture that determines what the remaining poses will be.
Step 2. Each Vinyasa yoga sequence must begin with a warm up pose.
Step 3. You can incorporate a Surya Namaskar or “Sun Salutation” into your Vinyasa yoga and modify it to add an element of variation.
Step 4. The main poses that constitute your Vinyasa yoga sequence should be powerful and should help strengthen the largest muscle groups of your body.
Step 5. Incorporate yoga poses that require you to balance yourself and twist. These poses should ideally be incorporated into the middle of the Vinyasa yoga sequence when energy levels are likely to be high.
Step 6. Following a yoga pose that requires you to balance, you can incorporate a more challenging yoga pose at this stage of your Vinyasa yoga sequence provided you are able to do it with ease.
Step 7. Wrap up your Vinyasa sequence with a forward-fold pose or a yoga pose that helps open the heart.
Beginners with no previous exposure to Vinyasa Yoga must understand that it may take some time for them to acquire the “flow” that is synonymous with this branch of Yoga. Beginners must ensure that they only attempt to practise Vinyasa yoga under the guidance and instruction of a trained Yoga instructor.
A single session of Vinyasa Yoga can be practised 3 to 5 times a week depending on how advanced the practitioner is. It is crucial to rest between each Vinyasa Yoga session as it helps your body recuperate.
Before you attempt to practise Vinyasa Yoga, it is important that you take into account the following considerations.
In the event that you find it hard to keep up with the pace of Vinyasa Yoga, you should slow down and take a break.
Do not attempt to practise Vinyasa Yoga if you experience chronic pain in your knees, neck, shoulders or back. The same holds true in case you have injured any of these parts of your body.
Vinyasa Yoga must not be attempted by pregnant women unless it has specifically been modified to accommodate their pregnancy.
Vinyasa Yoga must be practised on an empty stomach.
Vinyasa yoga and its variations are often followed by people seeking to follow a healthy lifestyle. However, even though one might take several precautions such that they remain in the pink of health, life is unpredictable, and they can fall sick at any point in time. In order to adequately protect yourself in the event that such a situation arises, consider buying a viable health insurance plan. This plan is important as it can provide you with coverage in case you fall ill or injure yourself in an accident.
Three different forms of Vinyasa Yoga include the following-
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
Baptiste Yoga
Power Flow Yoga
Unlike traditional Vinyasa Yoga wherein practitioners do varied Yoga poses each time they do a Vinyasa sequence, Ashtanga Yoga has a predetermined set of Yoga postures practitioners must perform each time they wish to do this style of Yoga.
Owing to the fact this form of Yoga requires you to perform challenging poses in quick succession, it helps your body develop muscle strength and improves your level of fitness.
Baron Baptiste is the yogi credited with developing Baptiste Yoga in 1952.
You must wait at least 4 hours after finishing a meal before you attempt to practise Vinyasa Yoga as it is best performed on an empty stomach.