Health / Wellbeing
Pick your yoga
Over the years, we’ve seen exercise trends come and go (Callanetics, anyone?) but there is one thing which was around long before Madonna and her fabulous arms made it truly fashionable.
I’m talking yoga. It’s been practiced by millions of devotees for centuries, and in my book, something which has been around that long must work, right? This is no fad though – if you want strength, flexibility and a greater awareness of your body, this is the one to beat – and nothing has come close yet.
So, why yoga? Well, the great thing is, there are so many different types of yoga, you can pretty much pick and choose depending on what you want to achieve.
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As a beginner though, it’s easy to be baffled by the choice available to you. So if you don’t know your Hathas from your Bikrams, read on for just a taste of what’s out there is and how you can benefit.
Hatha Yoga is a good place to start if you want a gentle, slow paced class. The focus is on stretching, relaxation and simple breathing techniques.
Iyengar focuses on poses and alignment. Another gentle method, you often use props to help achieve poses and correct technique. Another great one for beginners.
Ashtanga is more challenging. It’s a good progression from Hatha as you learn to flow through a series of poses in sequence and gain a deeper understanding of breathing techniques.
Bikram has become increasingly popular in recent years – you perform a series of 26 poses in a hot room, working on flexibility, strength and also working the cardiovascular system. It’s suitable for beginners but make sure you take a towel, water and be prepared for lots of sweat.
We have a number of yoga studios in Bristol, many of which offer trial sessions for you to get a feel of the class before you commit. Give it a try, and you’ll be on your way to an improved body, mind and soul before you can say ‘Namaste’.
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