This entry was posted on Mar 26, 2025 by Charlotte Bell.
Vinyasa (aka movement yoga) has been the most well-liked type of asana observe for some time now. Primarily based on ideas launched by means of Ashtanga Yoga, vinyasa encompasses a yoga “routine,” a flowing motion sequence. In hottest lessons, college students movement by means of the sequence at a reasonably good clip. Shifting rapidly from one pose to the following raises the guts fee. In some lessons, lecturers flip up the warmth, which induces sweat. This is sensible for Western practitioners.
Within the West, train has virtually at all times included these two components, amongst others. In order yoga has built-in into Western tradition, it seems like a mixture of asana observe and Western train. Placing collectively a singular yoga movement offers lecturers a possibility to flex their artistic muscular tissues. Surya Namaskar (Solar Salutation) has taken all types of enjoyable and progressive flights of fancy within the introduction of vinyasa’s recognition.
However a few of us, old-school yogis and extra meditative sorts, like to chill the temperature. I take pleasure in linking poses in a sequence, however I desire to sluggish my movement. For me, yoga observe is a time to calm my nervous system by means of conscious motion. I desire weight coaching and strolling in nature to construct muscle and lift my coronary heart fee. What I really 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 Strive Slowing Your Circulate Yoga
- Unfolding: Once you spend time in every pose, your physique has an opportunity to unwind mushy 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 calm down into the pose that yoga’s “magic” can unfold. That magic is the mixing of physique and thoughts, by means 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, means that you can make changes to be able to calm down effort.
- Mindfulness: One of many key parts of practising 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 respiratory, how the breath strikes our our bodies, and the method of letting go of effort in order that we will “be” the pose somewhat 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 following 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 manner of slowing the movement. I consider every vinyasa as one lengthy asana. Relatively 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. Strive giving equal consideration to the actions between the formal poses. This promotes mindfulness in movement.
Your Particular person Circulate Follow
If a fast-paced yoga movement is your favourite observe, by all means, proceed. However generally, you may wish to attempt slowing it down. Get to know every asana otherwise. Really feel the transitions. Slowing your movement observe at instances may enrich your quick movement observe.
About Charlotte Bell
Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and started educating in 1986. Charlotte is the writer of Conscious Yoga, Conscious Life: A Information for On a regular basis Follow and Yoga for Meditators, each printed by Rodmell Press. Her third e-book 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 gained two Emmy awards.