Types of hot Yoga

 

The Traditional Hot Yoga

class consists of beginner’s postures and breathing exercises.   The room is heated to about 40 degrees Celsius to assist in a process of natural detoxification. Your muscles will be warmed to effectively maximize muscle length and minimize potential injury while helping the body heal and rejuvenate. This remarkable experience will last for 90 minutes with the first half consisting of a breathing exercise (pranayama), warm up postures and balancing series and then followed by the floor series performing the spine strengthening postures, graduated extension, compression and stretching postures and the final breathing exercise (kapalbhati).

 

Moksha Hot Yoga

is a series of postures practiced in a heated room. The series works to stretch, strengthen and tone the muscles while detoxifying the body and calming the mind. While each of our instructors brings their own unique experience and style to their teaching, all classes follow a basic structure that is fundamental to the Moksha practice... Savasana or corpse pose is how we begin. Lying flat on the back with the palms turned up and the feet slightly separated, we start a challenging practice in relaxation, allowing our expectations to fall away and be replaced by the potential for pure experience. Often a teacher will set a theme for a class - for example being more aware of your breath, or building the core muscles of the abdomen. Especially for those with a busy life, this brings the experience of a hot yoga class into focus.

The standing series is a cardiovascular set of postures. The focus is on building strength, balance and endurance through hot yoga postures done from a standing position. Postures are held anywhere from 10 seconds to a minute, allowing the skin to sweat and detoxify the body. The floor series works on strengthening the upper body, spine and abdominal muscles. Having thoroughly warmed the body in the standing series, we now begin to open the hips and spine. The floor series relieves tension, treats lower back and knee pain and improves posture. Final Savasana ends the class the way it began: lying flat on the back. The standing and floor series have warmed and opened the body, and now it is ready to relax. At the end of class students leave at their own pace, each with greatly reduced stress levels, a rejuvenated internal system and a little yoga twinkle in the eye (you'll see!).

 

Vinyasa flow Yoga (power Yoga) 

is a vigorous style of Vinyasa (connecting movement with breath) which utilizes heat, proper alignment and flowing movement from one posture to the next; building strength, stability, flexibility, stamina and full-body integration. Power Yoga is a dynamic, energizing form of exercise that sculpts, hones and tones every muscle in the body.

 

HOT CLASSIC HATHA

In a Hot Classic Hatha Yoga class you will experience a variety of yoga postures.   The classes revolve around a physical theme of the body; for example, hip opening, forward bending, lateral stretching, spinal twisting.   The crafted class then moves through warm –ups and related postures to allow you to find your potential in targeted theme postures.   In the class you will experience flows and static postures. The class offers adaptations for students with limited and exceptional flexibility to allow for all students to find success. Core strength is a necessity for posture development, so each class will also include a core work component.    For those looking for further yogic incite, the class will offer the option to utilize mind and breath exercises   to use during postures to bring your physical practice to a new level.   The class will close with a guided final relaxation to allow the body to cleanse and fully relax and help you prepare for the rest of your day.

 

HEART CENTERED HATHA

yoga classes are based on the style of Anusara® Yoga, a school of hatha yoga which unifies a life-affirming philosophy of intrinsic goodness with Universal Principles of Alignment ™ .  Each class has a heart-oriented theme, which has a meaningful connection to the grand spiritual purposes of the asana practice. An elegant, concise set of alignment principles is applied to each asana. Postural alignments in each pose are checked in reference to the Universal Principles of alignment and the teacher may offer adjustments verbally and physically in order to enhance the student's poses. Poses are modified or supported with props if necessary to help each student achieve the general form of pose. Although there are no set postural routines in Anusara yoga, classes are designed using principles of sequencing. Movements and actions within every pose are coordinated with the breath. Classes conclude with Savasana,   meditation or a quiet centering.

For more information about the methodology of Anusara Yoga click here.  

 

Yin Yoga

The other types of yoga described above are examples of a yang yoga practice – very muscularly active – using postures (asanas) to strengthen and elongate muscles. Yin is best described as the opposite of yang – yang is hot, yin is cool, yang is fast, yin is slow. Yin yoga does not specifically target the muscle tissue rather it is the bones, ligaments, joint capsules and fascia that get the focus.
The poses then are deliberately passive – the 3 principles of yin are
1. Come into the pose at an appropriate depth.
2. Become still.
3. Hold for a long time.
Primarily the asanas focus on the spine, hips and legs. Yin practice is a unique combination of yoga poses, mindfulness (being in the moment) and Daoist theory of energy (Chinese medicine) with the use of the postures as pressure points, releasing blockages and improving energy flow. Yin is wonderful for a stiff body and a busy mind.
Yin is not done at the same temperature as the other classes at the studio, just slightly above room temperature in order to best facilitate getting into the yin tissues. Dressing in layers is recommended if you are more accustomed to practicing in the hot room. A great resource for more information on yin can be found at: www.yinyoga.com