This entry was posted on Mar 26, 2025 by Charlotte Bell.
Vinyasa (aka circulation yoga) has been the most well-liked type of asana follow for some time now. Based mostly on ideas launched by way of Ashtanga Yoga, vinyasa contains a yoga “routine,” a flowing motion sequence. In hottest courses, college students circulation by way of the sequence at a fairly good clip. Shifting rapidly from one pose to the subsequent raises the guts price. In some courses, academics flip up the warmth, which induces sweat. This is smart 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 seems to be like a mix of asana follow and Western train. Placing collectively a singular yoga circulation offers academics a chance to flex their artistic muscle tissues. 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 take pleasure in linking poses in a sequence, however I desire to sluggish my circulation. For me, yoga follow is a time to calm my nervous system by way of conscious motion. I desire weight coaching and strolling in nature to construct muscle and lift my coronary heart price. What I like about yoga asana is its capability to foster mindfulness. Slowing my circulation fosters the body-mind connection.
Right here’s Why You Ought to Strive Slowing Your Circulate Yoga
- Unfolding: While you spend time in every pose, your physique has an opportunity to unwind gentle 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, permits you to make changes so that you could calm down effort.
- Mindfulness: One of many key components of practising mindfulness is slowing down. Practising sluggish circulation 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 respiration, how the breath strikes our our bodies, and the method of letting go of effort in order that we will “be” the pose relatively than “doing” the pose.
- Props: It’s fairly difficult to include yoga props into a quick circulation. By the point you’ve set your props up, the remainder of the category has typically gone on to the subsequent pose. Yoga props assist us follow with structural integrity. That structural integrity permits us to let go of effort and be the asana.
- Transitions: That is most likely my favourite method of slowing the circulation. I consider every vinyasa as one lengthy asana. Somewhat than seeing circulation yoga as a succession of poses, I make the transitions between poses simply as necessary 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 Apply
If a fast-paced yoga circulation is your favourite follow, by all means, proceed. However typically, you would possibly need to strive slowing it down. Get to know every asana another way. Really feel the transitions. Slowing your circulation follow at instances would possibly enrich your quick circulation follow.
About Charlotte Bell
Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and started instructing in 1986. Charlotte is the writer of Aware Yoga, Aware 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 Crimson Rock Rondo, whose DVD received two Emmy awards.
