This entry was posted on Oct 5, 2023 by Charlotte Bell.
Vinyasa (aka movement yoga) has been the most well-liked type of asana observe for some time now. Based mostly on ideas launched by way of Ashtanga Yoga, vinyasa contains a yoga “routine,” a flowing motion sequence. In hottest courses, college students movement by way of the sequence at a fairly good clip. Shifting shortly from one pose to the subsequent raises the guts charge. In some courses, lecturers 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 elements, amongst others. In order yoga has built-in into Western tradition, it seems to be like a mix of asana observe and Western train. Placing collectively a novel yoga movement offers lecturers a chance to flex their inventive muscle tissues. Surya Namaskar (Solar Salutation) has taken all types of enjoyable and modern flights of fancy within the creation of vinyasa’s reputation.
However a few of us, old-school yogis and extra meditative varieties, like to chill the temperature. I take pleasure in linking poses in a sequence, however I choose to sluggish my movement. For me, yoga observe 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 skill to foster mindfulness. Slowing my movement fosters the body-mind connection.
Right here’s Why You Ought to Attempt Slowing Your Move Yoga
- Unfolding: Once you spend time in every pose, your physique has an opportunity to unwind smooth 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 after 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. Keep in mind 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 so as to chill out effort.
- Mindfulness: One of many key parts of training mindfulness is slowing down. Working towards sluggish movement 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 moderately than “doing” the pose.
- Props: It’s fairly difficult to include yoga props into a quick movement. By the point you’ve set your props up, the remainder of the category has usually gone on to the subsequent pose. Yoga props assist us observe with structural integrity. That structural integrity permits us to let go of effort and be the asana.
- Transitions: That is most likely my favourite approach of slowing the movement. I consider every vinyasa as one lengthy asana. Slightly than seeing movement 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 Move Apply
If a fast-paced yoga movement is your favourite observe, by all means, proceed. However typically, you would possibly need to strive slowing it down. Get to know every asana otherwise. Really feel the transitions. Slowing your movement observe at occasions would possibly enrich your quick movement observe.
About Charlotte Bell
Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and commenced educating in 1986. Charlotte is the writer of Aware Yoga, Aware Life: A Information for On a regular basis Apply and Yoga for Meditators, each printed 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 Purple Rock Rondo, whose DVD received two Emmy awards in 2010.
