Today, after a busy and alcohol infused Christmas and New Year I thought what better than a detoxing yoga session to kick start 2013. Today's session was Ashtanga Yoga which I'm completely new too, but is recognised as the form of yoga favoured by the western world. It's faster paced and more physically demanding than more traditional forms of yoga such as my personal favourite and most practiced Hatha Yoga.
The first thing I noticed when we began the lesson with A and B type Vinyasa is how quickly my body warmed up. This is artificially created in Bikram Yoga, and in Hatha Yoga, you simply don't get the same affects until towards the end of the practice. Down to the pace, and the expertise of the other practitioners in the class I adapted the postures to make them easier for me as a newcomer with the use of a belt. Instead of taking a Vinyasa I felt that stretching out my calf muscles would be more beneficial as I hadn't been to a yoga session for a while. One objective of yoga is to avoid the ego, and listen to what your individual body is telling you rather than worrying about keeping up with other people in the class.
I think that Ashtanga Yoga is very good for strengthening. Today I discovered Scales Pose which strengthens the arms and shoulders. Starting in Lotus Position you lift the buttocks, legs and feet off the floor. For beginners this is very difficult so you might find yourself just being able to lift the buttocks of the floor to begin with. The legs and feet will follow with more practice. Repeat twice by swapping the legs around.
You can do a similar pose by bringing the thighs to the chest, making yourself the tinniest unit possible and lifting the buttocks and feet away from the floor.
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