Power yoga is most often linked to yoga practitioner Baron Baptiste. The son of a former yoga teacher, Baptiste began practicing traditional yoga at age 7 and soon found a way to combine the teachings of the East with the needs of the West. Power yoga is done in a heated room, with most of its poses drawing from the primary Ashtanga series, a sequence dating back to India.
Features
Power yoga is normally done in a class between 60 to 90 minutes. Drawing from ancient Indian traditions, most power yoga classes begin with some form of chanting and a short, silent meditation or breathing exercise to begin focusing the mind and body to the upcoming practice. Power yoga poses and workouts are normally done without music, to allow further introspection during your practice. They feature warm-ups, Sun Salutations, standing poses, balances, seated poses, backbends and inversions and final relaxation, or Savasana, to end each practice.
Benefits
The benefits of Power yoga workouts are plenty, as are the benefits of traditional yoga, from which Power yoga draws its fundamentals. Power yoga poses are designed to gain strength and balance and increase flexibility. Power yoga is helpful in strengthening and lengthening the spine, which leads to better posture and a stronger core. According to the textbook "The Science and Philosophy of Teaching Yoga and Yoga Therapy," practicing in a heated studio allows more flexibility during your practice, since your muscles are looser, increasing muscle-length over time.
Considerations
As with any yoga program, be sure to check with your medical professional before beginning your Power yoga practice. Power yoga is done in extreme heat, which causes the body to react differently than in other yoga practices. If you have high blood pressure, heart conditions or back injuries, consider a gentle or beginner's Power yoga class. Dizziness and nausea are common during a Power yoga workout due to the heat and the flowing, Vinyasa-style of the poses. Because you will be more flexible in the heat, consider not pushing too deep into a pose to avoid an injuries that could make themselves present when your body cools back down. Women who are pregnant should also be especially careful when practicing Power yoga poses.
History
Created by Baptiste, Power yoga is often described as the western twist on eastern yoga. By adding a heated setting, Baptiste invokes more of the western practitioners desires to sweat, making their Power yoga classes more of a workout. By holding true to yogic customs before, during and after practicing of asanas, Power yoga workouts and poses remain strongly connected to the roots of traditional Ashtanga yoga.
References
- "The Science and Philosophy of Teaching Yoga and Toga Therapy"; Jacqueline Koay, Theodora Barenholtz, PT; 2010
- Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga: About
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