Today, varied forms of exercises are getting popular and a number of them are reincarnated in modern versions to suit the modern lifestyle, taste and needs. One such form which is creating quite a stir in the fitness world is power yoga! A contemporary and very popular yoga style, it is believed to be the start of the ‘Gym Yoga’ trend. The word itself was coined in the 1990s. For those of you who are new to the trend, let’s understand what it is and why a power yoga schedule should be a regular occurrence.
What Is Power Yoga?
It is basically a dynamic derivative of yoga based on the Ashtanga yoga. Differing from normal yoga in having a tempo and brisk pace of getting oneself into yoga poses; it comes very close to aerobics. It is terrific for all those who love pushing their body beyond boundaries with an intense workout regime. More than just a physical work-out, a 30 minute of power yoga session incorporated into your daily life will only lend you a stronger, flexible and more toned body with enhanced stamina but also a calmer, healthier and happier mind.
Power Yoga Evolution
The adaptation of the traditional Ashtanga Yoga asanas into the active and athletic style of power yoga exercises is believed to be realized by Beryl Bender Birch, a New York resident and Bryan Kest Bryan Kest from Los Angeles. Both were disciples of the Ashtanga master Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. Today, it has become highly popular around the globe and is available in three levels, power yoga for beginners, power yoga for intermediate level and higher power yoga for the advanced people.
Power Yoga Benefits
What will lure you to imbibe power yoga routine in your daily life is that it makes you sweat hard with its fast pace and cardiovascular nature without compromising on the essential benefits of yoga i.e. achieve stability and flexibility of body as well as concentration, focus and deep relation through its breath monitoring. Let’s categorize and understand its major benefits.
1. The Physical Benefits Of Power Yoga
Power yoga sequence carries a much lower risk of injuries than other forms of physical exercise while increasing the strength, flexibility and stamina of the body.
Regular practice of power yoga asanas in contrast to normal yoga makes you sweat more and increases the flow of ‘lymph’ in the immune cells. Lymph is a thick viscous fluid which is rich in immune cells and strengthens the immunity system. Its increased flow increases the body’s capability to fight against infections, destroy radical cells and even cancerous cells within the body and accelerate the elimination of body toxins.
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Power yoga works as a low impact but effective exercise. This makes its adoption possible for all age groups, irrespective of the physical capability and strength. Even if you have some physical restrictions like arthritis, heart disorders or any other disease; you can still do some of the specific power yoga poses. This is not possible with other exercise like sprinting, aerobics, etc.
Power yoga is excellent for weight loss too. While it helps you to lose just half the amount of calories in the same time frame of pure cardio exercise, it works intensely on your core and streamlines the body. Plenty of lean muscles are created with power yoga inside your body which means that your basal metabolic rate is enhanced and your body is burning more calories even when you are sitting and relaxing about. This helps you lose weight fast and in a permanent way.
2. The Mental Benefits Of Power Yoga
Like the regular yoga exercises, power yoga also improves your concentration and memory and helps you to focus better.
Even if you are doing power yoga routines twice or thrice a week, your body is likely to release 41% less of Cytokine, a protein enzyme which increases your moodiness and makes you feel real tired. This makes you feel more positive and happy and calm. Simultaneously, it also increases the production of the brain chemical GABA by about 27 percentage. Studies have shown that low levels of GABA cause depression and mental anxiety in people. So from now, whenever you are feeling low, give yourself a session of power yoga as a boost!
With a toned and well-shaped body, you cannot help but feel super confident about yourself which automatically boosts your self-esteem and confidence. It gives you the much needed positive attitude to life.
Power Yoga is ideal for you if you suffer from any sleeping disorders like insomnia. Even if you do not suffer from it, it induces a deeper and more restorative sleep which leaves you more energized and fresh!
Finally, what’s your take on power yoga? Chime in below!
Images Source: pinterest
