This entry was posted on Mar 26, 2025 by Charlotte Bell.

Vinyasa (aka stream yoga) has been the most well-liked type of asana observe for some time now. Primarily based on ideas launched by way of Ashtanga Yoga, vinyasa incorporates a yoga “routine,” a flowing motion sequence. In hottest lessons, college students stream by way of the sequence at a reasonably good clip. Shifting rapidly from one pose to the following raises the guts charge. In some lessons, lecturers flip up the warmth, which induces sweat. This is sensible for Western practitioners.
Within the West, train has virtually all the time included these two components, amongst others. In order yoga has built-in into Western tradition, it appears like a mix of asana observe and Western train. Placing collectively a singular yoga stream offers lecturers a chance to flex their inventive muscle mass. Surya Namaskar (Solar Salutation) has taken every kind of enjoyable and modern flights of fancy within the introduction of vinyasa’s reputation.
However a few of us, old-school yogis and extra meditative sorts, like to chill the temperature. I get pleasure from linking poses in a sequence, however I choose to gradual my stream. For me, yoga observe is a time to calm my nervous system by way of aware motion. I choose weight coaching and strolling in nature to construct muscle and lift my coronary heart charge. What I really like about yoga asana is its capacity to foster mindfulness. Slowing my stream fosters the body-mind connection.
Right here’s Why You Ought to Attempt Slowing Your Move Yoga
- Unfolding: If you spend time in every pose, your physique has an opportunity to unwind comfortable 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 way of letting go of effort. Do not forget 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 so to calm down effort.
- Mindfulness: One of many key parts of training mindfulness is slowing down. Practising gradual stream 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 quite than “doing” the pose.
- Props: It’s fairly difficult to include yoga props into a quick stream. 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 means of slowing the stream. I consider every vinyasa as one lengthy asana. Somewhat than seeing stream yoga as a succession of poses, I make the transitions between poses simply as vital because the formal asanas. Slowing down makes this simpler. Attempt giving equal consideration to the actions between the formal poses. This promotes mindfulness in movement.
Your Particular person Move Apply
If a fast-paced yoga stream is your favourite observe, by all means, proceed. However typically, you would possibly wish to attempt slowing it down. Get to know every asana another way. Really feel the transitions. Slowing your stream observe at occasions would possibly enrich your quick stream observe.
About Charlotte Bell
Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and started instructing in 1986. Charlotte is the writer of Conscious Yoga, Conscious Life: A Information for On a regular basis Apply and Yoga for Meditators, each revealed by Rodmell Press. Her third ebook 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 received two Emmy awards.
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