Five modern yoga styles to enhance physical strength and mental balance

PRAGYA MITTAL moderate stress to the connective tissues with an aim to increase blood circulation in the joints and to improve flexibility. The constant use of technology can cause mental stress, and Yin Yoga can provide an antidote to this. It is practiced when you are in a relaxed state, i.e. when you are either sitting or lying on the floor. There are no planks or core work involved in this style. Practicing Yin Yoga also affects our emotions positively and helps to keep them balanced.

PRENATAL YOGA

Prenatal Yoga is uniquely designed for pregnant women. It can help support the YIN YOGA PRENATAL YOGA moms-to-be, both emotionally and physically. Tara Stiles is the founder of this style, which, to say the least, is a revolutionary approach to healing through movement. Prenatal yoga can ease the discomforts, such as excessive mood swings, shortness of breath and swollen ankles, which are common during pregnancy. This form of yoga also gives the woman some time to bond with her baby, and can help them prepare for the rigours and mysteries of labour. Prenatal yoga classes also allow would-be-moms to interact with other pregnant women, so that they can learn from RESTORATIVE YOGA each other’s experiences. This form is all the more useful when a woman is feeling stressed, unsupported or fearful. It can help a woman become more resilient during and after pregnancy.

RESTORATIVE YOGA

Restorative Yoga is a gentle, relaxing and passive style. Held for five minutes or more, its restorative poses include light twists, seated-forward folds, and gentle back-bends. Most restorative yoga practices are based on the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar, one of the foremost yoga teachers in the world and the founder of Iyengar yoga. In Restorative Yoga, props are used extensively to support the body, the betterbto hold POWER YOGA the poses for longer periods of time. The postures in usually adapted from supine or seated yoga poses, which with the use of blocks, bolsters, and blankets eliminate the unnecessary straining. Restorative Yoga is extremely beneficial for people who have a hectic life. It helps you to connect with your mind and body, and lets you focus on your breathing. It consists of five to six poses that allow you to rest and relax on a given prop. It is among the most meditative forms of yoga in the world.

POWER YOGA

HOT YOGA Power Yoga is a vigorous style. The term itself, Power Yoga, came into being in the 1990s. Two Americans, Beryl Bender Birch and Bryan Kest-who studied with K. Pattabhi Jois, the Indian yoga teacher who popularised the vinyāsa style of yoga--are credited with its invention. It is also known as “gym yoga”, for the reason that it brought yoga into the gyms as people began to see it as a legitimate way to work out. In Power Yoga, you move in and out of poses quickly, lifting and holding your entire body weight while you are at it. It is an offshoot of Ashtanga Yoga, a form that is practiced for core strength and toning the body. There are several similiarities between Power Yoga and Ashtanga Yoga, both help built internal strength, stamina, and flexibility, as well as aid in stress reduction. Power Yoga is stimulating, energising and at the same time relaxing for the body.

HOT YOGA

Hot Yoga comprises specific yoga poses that are practiced in a heated room. The high temperature helps prepare the body for movement. It is a vigorous form of yoga, which is performed under the temperature of 105 degrees farenheit and 40% humidity. The high level of heat leads to profuse sweating. The formal name for hot yoga is “Bikram Yoga”. Founder Bikram Choudhury started it in 1972 in San Francisco. A typical Hot Yoga class is a 90-minute session that consists of a series of 26 postures. The postures require lengthy, forceful and well-controlled contractions of all major muscle groups. The demanding nature of the poses and the high temperatures under which the style is performed raises the heart rate and pumps the muscles. Hot Yoga is detoxifying and helps in weight loss as well.