Love the mindful benefits of yoga, but are you craving more intense training? Power Yoga delivers both in one practice.
“Flow can be more physically demanded on the body (and sometimes the mind), and classes move at a faster pace,” explains Robin Diamond of Ryt 200, a Miami-based power yoga instructor. The sequence and speed are “designed to increase your heart rate and to function,” she adds.
This update on this ancient practice of the 20th century, combining the strength of aerobic exercise yoga with yoga, is perfect for those who want to attract double obligations to their workouts. Read on to learn how Power Yoga is connected to Vinyasa Yoga and the poses you can expect in a typical class.
What is Power Yoga?
Power yoga is any type of high intensity yoga that is more difficult to pace and move than traditional yoga practice. While yoga’s roots go back to millennia as meditative practice, power yoga is clearly a modern type of yoga.
In 1995, Beryl Bender Birch wrote a book Power yoganamed after her signature movement method, teaching equally intense (but much more rigorous and traditional) Ashtanga yoga. Bender Birch is the first to teach athletes yoga, and Power Yoga has been the official yoga program of the New York Road Runners Club since 1980.
In the 90s, Yogis Briankäst and Baron Baptist each put their own spin on power practices, but “power yoga is a more general term,” Diamond said, adding that it links to Vinyasa (aka Flow) yoga. You will also see the “Power Vinyasa Yoga” listed in the Studio Class Schedule.
Clearly as a Western practice, participants can expect music and energy, with a mix of English and Sanskrit names for the pose. Prepare to move and sweat without letting go of your “yoga breathing.”
“In Power Class, you’re inhale, move, and link at just a fast pace,” Diamond says. A lifelong yogi, she discovered power yoga about seven years ago.
“My strength increased dramatically and when I was on the mat, I was quiet,” she says, explaining that the intensity actually helps me focus.
“When a class is physically demanding, you are very focused on a flow that is completely cut off from other ideas,” Diamond says.
That is the essence of Bodi Lava, an upcoming program that combines power yoga with primitive movements for low-impact, high-intensity training that builds strength and cardiovascular endurance.
Benefits of Power Yoga
For those with a yoga foundation, power yoga practice can amplify existing benefits.
1. Muscle strength and development
“While yoga in all forms can provide incredible mental training, power yoga is a great physical practice,” says Diamond. “Using your weight through a series of poses, such as push-ups (chaturanga), arm balance, and even standing poses, can be used to carve muscles with consistent practice.”
2. Increased calorie burn
As your fitness tracker can see, the active, steady pace of power yoga burns more calories than slow yin and recovery practice. In 2020, researchers looked into the benefits of Vinyasa yoga on cardiovascular health. They answered the question whether yoga is cardiovascular. Over time, 90 minutes of vinyasa yoga can become an effective alternative to other forms of cardiovascular training.
3. Mood boost
Whenever you deploy your mat, it helps you manage stress, bounce back from harsh hits and build resilience. A study of college women published in 2019 shows that even one session of power yoga reduces salivary cortisol, a marker of stress.
4. Cardiovascular health
A study published in 2019 found that dancers who practiced 8 weeks of power yoga increased anaerobic endurance and upper body strength (compared to the control group that did not add yoga to their daily lives).
5. Improved mobility
Of course, yoga can benefit from the flexibility, mobility and overall health of joints and connective tissue, and power yoga is no exception.
6. Weight control
Power yoga can help you lose weight, and according to a 2016 study review, it is a safe and effective addition to your weight loss routine.
What is a typical power yoga sequence?
“Every teacher brings their own special traits to the class,” says Diamond, but expects to start practicing power yoga with a sun salute after a quick and gentle warm-up. (But not 108 of them – don’t worry!)
Like any other flow yoga, expect to link your Power Yoga pose with a “Vinyasa” or Chaturanga combo (Chaturanga Dandasana), a dog facing upwards (urdhva mukha svanasana), and a dog facing downwards (Adho Mukha Svanasana), this is all part of the Sun salute.
Below are a few other poses you can expect from the Power Vinyasa Yoga sequence: However, as it is intended to be enhanced, the pose may look a little different to the way it was expressed previously.
Warrior 1 (Virabhadrasana 1))
- Start with the mountain pose (Tadasana). Return your left foot 3-4 feet at a 45-degree angle.
- Give space between your legs if necessary. If possible, align the left rear arch with the right heel.
- Keep your chest and hips facing the front of the mat throughout your posture, bend your knees 90 degrees directly with your ankles and toes facing forward.
- Push your back into the ground. Make your spine longer and the core is engulfed.
- Inhale, turn your arms forward and face your palm.
- Arrange your arms to your ears, attract your triceps and push your shoulders down to move them away from your ears. Try again towards your hands.
- You can leave the pose and move to the mountain pose or directly to the other side.
Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana 2))
- Start with the mountain pose. Follow the same alignment as the warrior, step on your left foot at an angle of 3-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-ft.
- Bend your front knee directly above your ankles, with your knees and toes facing forward.
- Clean your chest and hips to the left side.
- Push down firmly on your left heel and engage the muscles in your left leg. Be tall and attract your core.
- Inhale and reach the left arm, and the right arm reaches the front, forming a “T.” Spread your collarbone, spread the upper back, and lower your shoulders.
- Look at the right fingertips. Stack the shoulders directly above the waist (so the spine stands upright – not moving forward or back). You can leave the pose and move to the mountain pose or directly to the other side.
Warrior 3 (Virabhadrasana 3))
- Slowly put your legs on your hips and your hands on the sides, or your palms stand together in front of your heart.
- Shift your weight to your right foot, lift your left knee and bend your left foot.
- Stretch your left leg and extend your left leg and transfer your weight forward. Your upper body and back legs must be parallel to the mat.
- Hold your eyes towards the floor and hold your head in neutral.
- Adjust your lower back so that your pelvis is parallel to the floor. Your right leg should be as straight as possible.
- Find your balance and, if necessary, straighten your arms in front of you, and move your shoulders away from your ears.
- Inhale, reverse the movement and return to the mountain pose, repeating it on the other side.
Chair pose (Utkatasana))
- Standing in a mountain pose, the toes are combined and the heels are separated slightly.
- Inhale and raise your arms above your head next to your ears, with your palms facing each other. Next, bend your knees and lower your hips as if you were sitting in a chair.
- Push down on your shoulders, stretch your biceps into your ears and stretch your arms. Push your chin slightly and lift your chest up to maintain a straight line along your spine.
- Bend your knees deep so that your thighs are parallel to the mat. You can bring your weight back to your heel and lift all 10 toes.
Boat pose (Navasana))
- Start by sitting on the floor, bend your knees and flattening your legs on the floor. Keep the sitting bones flat on the ground.
- Induce the core and hip flexors and lift the foot off the floor.
- Keep your spine straight and constantly lift your sternum.
- Extend your arms forward and keep them parallel to the floor. Straighten your legs if possible.
- Let your core work to avoid straining your lower back. Repeat three sets.
Is power yoga good for beginners?
Programs like Bodi Lava are designed to accommodate practitioners at all fitness levels, but power yoga generally requires basic yoga practice experience before trying out more intense paces and poses.
If you feel that your power yoga outlook is uplifting, try the body lava of super trainer Elise Joan. The high-intensity, low-impact program combines exercise yoga, primitive movements and weight strength in a single exercise that takes just 20 minutes a day. Power Yogi loves the multitasking and flowing movements designed to sweat.
