Question about power yoga for beginners

What is power yoga? Is it okay for me to do if I am a beginner? This question was asked on our facebook page and received several replies- what advice would you add to this? Greig: it would depend on age and what level of fitness the student is at.For a beginner I would usually recommend that they spend some time learning the basics of yoga before moving onto Power or Astanga Ganesha: Power Yoga -a vigorous, fitness-based approach to vinyasa-style yoga. Any session/sequence that is considered energtic with lots of vinyaysas can be called power yoga by western standards. Less yogic philoshophy/meditation..more difficult asanas with very little sivasana . Any yoga style can be turned into power yoga simply by adding more difficult asanas and vinyasas. Om tat sat Jen: power yoga's like bootcamp yoga depending on how tough the instructor is. It was the 2nd yoga class I ever walked into and its the only class I now take. Mei: on a personal level, i kinda like power yoga :-) Lucy: ashtanga yoga (eight limbs of yoga) as defined by the ancient rishis means yama and niyama (personal and social disciplines such as cleanliness and nonstealing) asana ( sthiram sukham asanam a posture is that which is comfortable and steady ie can be held a long time) pranayama - control of breath, pratyahara - withdrawal from the senses, dharana- concentration, dhyana- meditation. samadhi. Traditionally the asanas and pranayama would be referred to as hatha yoga. a good teacher can adjust a beginner. Judy: As a Yoga Instructor, i teach all levels, 'Power Yoga" is totally different then other Yoga Postures and timing. Try it if you are not comfortable then try another Yoga...the point... enjoy Kapil: in india, power yoga means Hatha yoga, it is a huge branch of yoga in which pranayma breathing & yoga asanas(postures) are combined together, it is ok for everybody but you should consult your teacher for the right guidance about all practice, then start it because whatever you are going to start you must ask your teacher first then to others. Judith: To me it's more like Pilates or similiar, yoga to me is about Holding the posture, breathe and meditation, this is more like just excercise, just my personal view :) Mis: We have to learn yoga step by step, it's better you learn the posture as a beginner and thus you know its power.

Power yoga is a great workout. The people who do it really love it. I think being in love with your yoga style makes you more apt to practice it, so when beginners tell me that's what they want to do - I do not discourage it. usually these people are coming from a fitness background. They are former dancers, gymnasts, runners - looking to round out their exercise routine. I worry less about people who come to yoga with a strong body awareness.

My main concern is if the person is not very body aware moving so rapidly between poses can cause injury. I would prefer people have competence in each individual pose before they go full bore. I understand, however, that's just MY preference. If after recommending an Iyengar class, the student returns and says that Iyengar is not for them, I don't push the issue.

Replies

Kumari de Silva January 4, 2012 at 6:07pm

Power yoga is a great workout. The people who do it really love it. I think being in love with your yoga style makes you more apt to practice it, so when beginners tell me that's what they want to do - I do not discourage it. usually these people are coming from a fitness background. They are former dancers, gymnasts, runners - looking to round out their exercise routine. I worry less about people who come to yoga with a strong body awareness.

My main concern is if the person is not very body aware moving so rapidly between poses can cause injury. I would prefer people have competence in each individual pose before they go full bore. I understand, however, that's just MY preference. If after recommending an Iyengar class, the student returns and says that Iyengar is not for them, I don't push the issue.
- Arfa Zahid Indusyoga > Kumari de Silva January 5, 2012 at 9:13am
  
  you are absolutely right,generally the students who come to studio really have an awareness about their body which definitely helps in attaining good posture in yoga.
Seva Simran Singh December 27, 2011 at 4:46pm

At the age of 50 I walked into my first yoga class. It was power yoga and I loved it. I was an aging tournament martial artist looking for a way to stay in shape without the rigors of a taekwondo gym.
I eventually ended up going to two different studios. One Kundalini studio and the vinyasa flow studio. It was a good balance for me.
I still do yoga from time to time but have found Qigong to be very good fit for me as an aging martial artist. Now I do both.
- Arfa Zahid Indusyoga > Seva Simran Singh January 5, 2012 at 9:12am
  
  well doing soft pace yoga along with power yoga is so essential. the best work out should be started with power yoga & ended with classical yoga asanas.
wakeupcall.sar November 9, 2011 at 3:03pm

this beginner Exercise male doing or only for female please let me know
Thank you
Arfa Zahid Indusyoga September 13, 2011 at 3:08pm

Of course it is a wonderfull job even for beginners to perform power yoga which rapidly increases flexibility
van autreve rudy December 17, 2010 at 12:22pm

namaskar

i lead beginners in yoga into the primary series .

AND THEY ARE ADDICTED TO IT .

starting the course with meditation and mantra and ending the same and savasana.

ALL THIS IN A REGULAR FITNESS CENTRE

everything is posssible

haridas

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