Power Yoga is a modernized and improvised version of Ashtanga Yoga or the ancient Indian yogic tradition. It was originally developed and founded by Beryl Bender Birch. It is a practice that combines stretching, strength training, and meditative breathing all in one.
What is Power Yoga?
A lot of power yoga poses are similar to basic calisthenics (push-ups, handstands, toe touches, and side bends). But what exactly discriminates it from other forms of exercises is the pace. It is considered as the fastest way to reduce weight. Due to its pace, it is said to be an energetic exercise that challenges you physically and mentally and help you connect to your inner power.
Unlike regular yoga, power yoga poses are performed at a fast pace. However, it still focuses on the main goal of classical yoga that is – to unite the body, mind, and spirit. Like classical yoga, it is also practiced to help you connect to your inner core of power.
It is classified into several levels viz., the physical power that comes through the poses which help develop the body’s strength and improve one’s health, the mental power that helps you draw your mind from scattered thoughts and concentrate on your practice, and lastly, the spiritual power – which simply involves connecting with the supreme power that is behind physical and mental powers.
Key Features of Power Yoga
The best feature of power yoga is – it helps you increase your physical endurance and ability to focus on a task for a longer period without even breaking your concentration. Though it uses the basic yoga postures, it offers a vigorous workout.
Unlike traditional yoga in which there has to be a pause between the next pose, in power yoga each move flows into the next, thereby making it a powerful aerobic workout. In today’s scenario, it has been improvised and influenced by various Vinyasa styles. Like most forms of yoga, it has evolved and diversified into numerous methods and styles.
Use of breathing techniques
Another very important component that distinguishes it from other forms of yoga is a breathing technique known as Ujjayi.
Ujjayi breathing involves deliberate “whoosh, whoosh, whoosh” breathing, which is an integral part of the power yoga poses. This type of breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which adds a meditative component to the entire workout and leave you with a calm and tranquil mind for a long time.
Also, power yoga experts perform their sessions in a heated room. The sessions are comprised of accurate cardiovascular exercises, which helps you increase your stamina, tone your body, and remove toxins from your body through sweating.
Benefits of Power Yoga
Yoga has always been a popular discipline for centuries because of the rejuvenating effects it provides to one’s body, mind, and spirit. For past few decades, it has been gaining popularity as it provides a lot of health benefits. And that’s the reason why major gyms and Health clubs all over the world are offering various classes.
It provides huge help to athletes during their training sessions. Also, it aids in injury prevention and rehabilitation. It helps athletes improve their skills and performance – especially in sports like golf, cycling, football, and swimming. Due to which many health clubs today are promoting the use of power yoga as a powerful body and mind exercise regimen.
It emphasizes on developing flexibility, physical endurance, and facilitating concentration and mental stability.
Power yoga is a perfect alternative to ordinary and daily workout routines as it involves physical activities like stretching and working out muscles.
It promotes overall well-being of the body.
Power Yoga Benefits in a nutshell
- It bolsters flexibility, strength, and stamina.
- Improves one’s ability and capability to focus and concentrate.
- Helps people release tension and negative energies, such as hatred, anxiety, etc.
- Serves as a warm up exercise for almost all the athletes.
- When done on a regular basis helps improve an athlete’s overall performance.
- Helps one develop and maintain good posture.
- Tones the overall body.
- Helps remove bodily toxins through the sweat that the body excretes during power yoga session.
Precautions while doing power yoga
There are some basic precautions that one should take while performing power yoga.
First things first, while practicing yoga you should never stretch to the point that you feel the pain.
The sessions are rigorous and painstakingly thorough, because of which only physically fit people should practice power yoga. The ones who are suffering with some chronic ailment or health issue should avoid it.
Since it involves a lot of twisting and weight-bearing moves, people with a history of neck, shoulder, or knee injuries should take extra precautions while performing power yoga.