Originally developed in India as a spiritual practice, yoga is a multi-faceted discipline intended to unite the individual self with the universal consciousness through physical postures, mediation, and breath control. In recent times, yoga has come to be appreciated in the U.S. for its many physical benefits, leading to the development of several different styles of physically demanding yoga.
Yoga in America
Yoga first came to America in the early part of the 20th century as Indian philosophers began bringing the yogic teachings to the U.S. In the 1920s, many Westerners began traveling to India to study yoga, and returned to open studios. In the 1960s and '70s, yoga grew in popularity as both a spiritual practice and a form of exercise, according to Yoga Journal. The latter part of the 20th century has seen the development of physically intense forms of yoga such as Bikram yoga and Power yoga.
Types
Many yoga studios offer vinyasa or vinyasa flow classes, which features a series of postures linked by the breath. Ashtanga is a fast-paced vinyasa class using six specific series of postures that increase in difficulty. Ashtanga provides an intense mind-body workout in which there is little or no time for adjustment. Power yoga is a variation of Ashtanga yoga that was developed to make it more appealing to an American audience; however, unlike Ashtanga yoga, Power yoga does not use a set series of postures. Bikram yoga, also referred to as hot yoga, is practiced in a room that is heated to approximately 105F to help warm the muscles and create a purifying sweat.
Postures
Intense yoga classes typically involve a combination of standing and seated postures. Vinyasa-style classes involve repetitions of postures to build heat in the body and increase endurance. In Power yoga classes, postures may be held for longer periods of time in order to build strength. Bikram yoga uses a specific series of 26 postures in order to systematically work the entire body, but is not a vinyasa-style class; short periods of rest are taken between each. Some classes may include inversions, which is any posture that raises the feet above the head.
Benefits
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, yoga has been shown to provide a variety of both physical and psychological benefits. In addition to building strength, endurance, and flexibility, yoga can ease anxiety and stress; relieve conditions such as chronic back pain, insomnia, migraines, high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome and hormonal imbalances, and provide improved posture, concentration and digestion.
Precautions
Developing the strength, stamina, flexibility and balance necessary for intense forms of yoga takes time. If you do not have previous experience with yoga, talk to the instructors at your yoga studio to determine if their classes are suitable for beginners. You may wish to start with a beginning yoga class to learn proper alignment and become comfortable executing the postures. In any yoga class, respect the abilities and limits of your own body, and do not sacrifice proper alignment in order to gain depth in the posture, as this could result in injury.
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