Getting on the mat regularly teaches kids to calm their minds and control their breath. This self-control can help them cope with a variety of life challenges including stress, academic pressure, family and extracurricular activities.
Students should follow basic etiquette in class such as leaving their phones outside the yoga room, says Opielowski. This allows them to focus solely on the practice of yoga.
Slow Flow
A more meditative approach to Vinyasa, Slow Flow classes focus on longer holds of postures to reveal body awareness and cultivate balance, strength, and calm. This style of yoga is good for those who are new to the practice or have physical limitations.
The slow pace of these classes allows the body to release lactic acid more slowly, which can help prevent muscle pain from prolonged holding of positions. It also promotes a balance of strength and flexibility.
Over time, this balanced strength and flexibility creates a stronger sense of self-awareness, which can help the student manage stress more effectively. These skills are especially helpful when tackling difficult relationships or situations in life.
Power Flow
Power Yoga, a Vinyasa style practice, links movement with breath to create a dynamic flow of poses. This class is a vigorous workout that improves balance, strength and flexibility. This class is appropriate for a wide range of ability levels; beginners to experienced students are encouraged to work at their own level while challenging themselves.
This class is based on Baptiste’s Journey into Power sequence and will tone, strengthen and rinse your body while clearing your mind. The long held postures allow the muscles to relax deeply and cultivate a meditative component to the practice. The slower pace allows seasoned beginners, intermediate and advanced students to be challenged together in the same class. This class is hot.
Restorative
In restorative yoga, poses are held for up to 10 minutes at a time with the use of supportive props like bolsters and blankets. The goal of restorative yoga is to relax and release tension with as little physical effort as possible.
This form of yoga stimulates deeper connective tissue and can help improve tissue elasticity and joint mobility. It can also enhance the mood and reduce pain in the body, including back and neck pain.
Yin yoga is a slow-paced practice that targets deeper muscle tissues, such as fascia and ligaments. It is a great way to reduce chronic pain and improve the quality of sleep, especially if you suffer from insomnia. Yin yoga stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system and encourages deep breathing, which can help to relieve stress.
Kundalini
Kundalini yoga is a form of yoga that activates and harnesses the latent energy at the base of your spine. It is believed that this energy can be used to improve health, increase consciousness and achieve enlightenment.
Its focuses include movement, breathwork, chanting and meditation. Many of its poses are held for a long time, which can help build core muscles, and breathing techniques like “breath of fire” can boost your heart rate, which can aid in lowering blood pressure.
It can also increase the production of serotonin in your brain, leaving you feeling euphoric and refreshed. The meditative nature of the practice can give you clarity and help you focus on what is truly important in life. This yoga style is a good choice for people who want to get the most out of their workouts.
Hot Vinyasa
If you like to keep it fast-paced and dynamic, try a hot vinyasa class. It’s “like a dance with your breath and movement,” explains RYT 200 certified yoga instructor Latisha Burgos. The constant flow of poses can also challenge your endurance-holding a pose for an extended period of time makes muscles quake, which in turn burns calories.
These classes will help you strengthen and tone your core. In addition, a 2019 study found that practicing hot yoga can increase upper back strength and improve posture, balance and flexibility.
Plus, regular practice can improve mental focus. This can have a positive carryover effect at work and in life. It’s also a good way to break a cycle of dieting by learning to honor your body and feel empowered instead.