Power yoga saw its emergence in the early 20th century and is believed to be a form of Vinyasa Yoga which has its roots in Ashtanga Yoga. It is designed to have a flow as you move from one pose to another. The shifting from one pose to another is quick and most classes don’t repeat the same series of poses. It was created to improve your muscle strength and also act as a cardiovascular exercise.
In this eye-opening article about power yoga, you will uncover the following:
How is power yoga different from other forms of yoga?
Benefits of performing power yoga.
A sequence of power yoga as a sample
How power yoga is different from other forms of yoga
Power yoga needs you to be mindful and focus on your breathing yet it is more dynamic than meditative. It is akin to an aerobics class instead of being a relaxed mindful yoga experience. Let’s see how power yoga differs from other forms of yoga.
Speed
Power yoga moves at a much faster pace than other forms of yoga known to us. A more popular form of yoga known as Hatha Yoga focuses on poses and breathing at a slower and more deliberate pace. This speed provides a more restorative experience, unlike the cardiovascular benefits that power yoga provides.
Sequence
Power yoga has its roots in Ashtanga yoga but both these classes feel very different. In Ashtanga yoga, irrespective of the guru or instructor, the sequence of poses remains the same. While in power yoga, the sequence is set by the instructor. You are likely to see more variability and less structure with power yoga.
Flow
This is one of the main differences between Hatha or Vinyasa yoga and power yoga as the latter emphasizes the flow asking you to change positions as you exhale. Hatha yoga is more focused on the right posture and never the flow.
Benefits of Performing Power Yoga -Learn from Yoactiv
Cardiovascular health: Due to the fast pace of power yoga, it gets your heart rate up and helps circulate blood and oxygen to your entire body more efficiently. It has an overall impact on your fitness, stamina and overall health.
It also has similar benefits to other cardiovascular exercises like:
- Stronger heart and lungs
- Better control of blood pressure
- Improved cholesterol levels
- Better blood sugar levels
- Stronger bones and muscles
- Weight loss
- Improved sleep
- Better energy levels
- Improved brain function
Strength: Power yoga is a fast-paced exercise but you also end up holding poses for a longer duration of time. This makes your muscles work harder to keep you in that pose. This in turn improves your muscle strength and endurance.
Motor control: It has been noticed that those who regularly do power yoga show an increase in muscle strength and power.
Weight loss: Being a cardio exercise, it helps you burn calories. Improved muscle tone and strength help you burn more calories even when you are not exercising. Power yoga helps in reducing back and joint pain which encourages people to be more active that aids in weight loss.
Stress reduction: Though power yoga is less meditative it yet has the ability to decrease levels of stress hormones in your body.
Overall health: Power yoga helps improve other aspects of your health as well like improved sleep, a stronger immune system and better posture and balance.
Find a power yoga class near me.
What a regular power yoga sequence looks like
With a regular power yoga session of half an hour, you can easily burn about 200 calories. And if you are doing power yoga for strength training, don’t do it for more than three days a week. You can hold each challenging full-body pose for one to two minutes for max benefit – especially the warrior 2, warrior 3, boat pose, chaturanga, plank pose and chair pose.
Though power yoga has a multitude of benefits, you must not practice this strenuous form of exercise in certain cases. Check this list before you proceed.
- You need to be moderately fit to perform these physically intensive poses or else they may cause injury. So, if you are not in good shape, we suggest, get fitter before you take the plunge into the realm of power yoga.
- Certain poses of power yoga may cause complications for pregnant women. So, if you are pregnant, go for the prenatal yoga sessions that are designed to be gentle and appropriate for pregnant women.
- If you suffer from any chronic physical ailment like back issues or arthritis, you must not indulge in this form of yoga without consulting your doctor.
Here’s a list of asanas that we have thrown together to form a power yoga sequence. Your instructor will also be doing a variation of this.
This is a typical 10-15-minute workout session. You can try this if you have done power yoga with an instructor before.
1. Child’s pose – hold this pose for at least 5 breaths – remember that 1 breath is when you breathe in and out.
2. Downward facing dog – hold this for 5 to 6 breaths.
3. One-legged dog – hold for 15 to 20 seconds for both legs.
4. High plank – hold on for 15 seconds.
5. Chaturanga – hold for 15 seconds or do push-ups for 3 reps.
6. Upward facing dog – hold for 1 breath.
7. Cobra pose – hold for 15 seconds.
8. Downward facing dog – hold this pose for up to 6 breaths.
9. Ragdoll – try holding this for 15 seconds.
10. Tadasana or the mountain pose – hold this for 15 seconds.
11. Crescent lunge – hold at least 30 seconds on each leg.
12. Downward facing dog – hold up to 6 breaths.
13. Child’s pose – hold on to this for 10 breaths.
14. Savasana – now you can relax and do this as cool down. Do this for up to 2 minutes.