| Power yoga is a very exercise-centered form of | | | | incorporate into any practice, and certainly very |
| yoga, in that it aims to develop endurance, stamina, and | | | | effective at improving one's physical fitness. |
| strength. It is a synthesis of many different yoga | | | | Vinyasa style yoga also helps create more internal |
| traditions, created by Baron Baptiste. Baptiste studied | | | | heat, and the movement inherent within it allows for |
| with yoga teachers including Iyengar (Iyengar yoga), | | | | cardiovascular exercise to be incorporated into yoga. |
| Pattabhi Jois (Astanga yoga), and Bikram Choundhury | | | | By creating a sequence that helps heat build up within |
| (Bikram yoga). | | | | the body, both Baptiste's Power Yoga and Ashtanga |
| Despite its physicality, Baptiste's Power yoga is based | | | | Yoga encourage flexibility within a session, whilst |
| on the philosophy that self discovery, freedom, and | | | | minimizing muscle strain and injuries. It is also |
| truth are not to be found in either the dogma or | | | | considered a way of aiding in the detoxification of |
| traditional teachings of yoga, nor the technical parts of | | | | metabolic wastes and 'impurities'. Power yoga is also |
| a physical asana practice. Instead, it is through honing | | | | practiced in a room heated to 30 degrees Celsius, to |
| one's individuality and deep intuition. The principle is that | | | | facilitate this heat generation. |
| we all have the tools and wisdom we need to lead a | | | | One thing that really differentiates Baptiste's Power |
| truthful and fulfilling life. | | | | Yoga from Ashtanga yoga, is the way beginners are |
| This departure from tradition found some opposition, | | | | accommodated within a class. There are not separate |
| however this style of yoga is very popular. For many, | | | | classes for beginners. They are instead presented with |
| it's a welcome break from other traditions that imply | | | | an opportunity to begin developing their own intuition, |
| you must place your power outside of yourself to find | | | | and self-power, straight away, by pacing themselves |
| a deeper sense of one's own relationship to Source. | | | | through a class. It's a case of not trying to keep up |
| Ashtanga yoga, which follows the teachings of | | | | with the "yoga Jones'"! |
| Pattabhi Jois, and is more rigid and schematic, is | | | | The defining difference, is however, the focus on |
| sometimes called 'Power Yoga', so it can seem | | | | developing a sense of one's personal power, and all |
| confusing. The two have in common the use of | | | | that entails - overcoming self limitation, and coming to |
| vinyasa poses. Vinyasa poses simply link together the | | | | terms with one's own hidden potential. In a very |
| principle asanas in the sequence, or class. The Salute | | | | modern way, it seems to capture the essence of |
| to the sun is used by both Baptiste and Ashtanga | | | | what yoga is. |
| yoga to create this sense of flow. It's a lovely thing to | | | | |