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Naked yoga: the next big thing

Yoga_2015Nov16_AIn the yoga world, it seems like everyone is looking for the next trend. This year we’ve seen hot, office, and live music yoga varieties grow in popularity. One trend making waves recently was shirtless yoga. If you decided to try that form of practice, then our next suggestion isn’t all that wild. And if you thought shirtless yoga was crazy, you ain’t seen nothing yet. We’re here to introduce to you the newest trend in yoga – naked yoga.

There you are in yoga class, eyes closed and breathing deeply in the twisted sage pose. You open your eyes and notice something wrong. The person next to you doesn’t appear to be wearing any clothes. You dismiss it as a figment of your imagination, close your eyes again, and switch positions. You release your pose, open your eyes once more only to be startled by the sight of another naked person. You start looking around at the entire class to soon realize everyone in the room is as naked as the day there were born.

To some people this scenario might sound like the makings of a bad dream, but it is actually becoming a reality at yoga studios across the country. Naked yoga has gone from being thought of by more conservative types as deviant behavior, to a respected and growing form of the practice. More and more studios are offering naked co-ed yoga classes to meet growing demand.

We understand the thought of practicing yoga in the nude around others may seem like a frightening proposition, but there are numerous reasons to consider giving it try. Before dismissing it completely, consider some of the following reasons others are raving about naked yoga.

Finally feel comfortable with your body

It can be hard for people to feel liberated from the body image they have created for themselves. Oftentimes there is a desire to cover what we perceive to be imperfections, and that can lead us to feeling uncomfortable in our own skin. That all changes with naked yoga. By practicing yoga in the nude, you no longer have the option of hiding or covering up the parts you don’t like. Eventually you learn to be more accepting of your body as it is, instead of how you perceive it to be.

You will also see how others with less than perfect bodies – and trust us, there will be plenty of them in your naked yoga class – are able to have confidence in themselves. Ideally, you will learn to accept and maybe even love your body the way it is after seeing others who are able to do the same.

Practice yoga the way it should be

Yoga is a practice that is thousands of years old. And for most of that time, yoga practitioners were not rocking yoga pants and tank tops. In fact, yoga fashion is strictly an advent of modern times. The reality is that the body should be free when doing poses, and there is nothing freer than being naked.

Those who enjoy naked yoga claim to be more mindful and aware, because of the greater freedom they have during class. No matter how light your clothes may be, they are still restrictive – and the more something is restricting your movement, the less likely you are to achieve true awareness of your breathing and poses.

It’s not the creep market you would assume

When we first told you about naked yoga, you probably pictured a class full of middle-aged men with moustaches, trying to pass off their doormat as a yoga mat in an attempt to catch a glimpse of some skin. In fact, the reality is that only the most serious yogis sign up for naked yoga classes.

People who practice this are there because they are committed to yoga, and want to experience the freedom naked yoga brings, not because they are hoping to catch a glimpse of the bits and bobs of the human anatomy. Chances are you are more likely to be ogled or stared at during a trip to the gym than at a naked yoga class.

It’s a new experience

It comes down to this – if you enjoy yoga, you should at least give naked yoga a try. Think about how many people thought hot yoga sounded awful before going into a studio for a class? A lot of those people came out fans of the practice. Sure, naked yoga sounds scary, and it will force you to face some fears, but isn’t that what life’s all about? Even if you don’t like it, at least you can tell your less-committed yoga friends you had the courage to give it a shot.

If you are looking for a welcoming, diverse place where you can practice yoga, then come check out our studio. We offer all kinds of yoga classes designed to help you get the most out of your yoga experience.

Published with permission from FitnessAdvisory. Source.

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The do’s and don’ts of talking about yoga

You love yoga. You love it so much much that you want others to know about it and maybe even try it for themselves. There is no problem with that as long as it’s done in a respectful manner. Unfortunately, some yoga practitioners take things a little too far when talking with others about our beloved activity. One of the key tenets of yoga is being mindful, and it is something you should extend beyond the asanas to everything yoga-related.

Yoga is known for teaching self-discipline, and awareness of the body and mind. While experienced practitioners take note of this and often times extend these philosophies to all other aspects of their life, newbies tend to be focused on the mat, and so are not as mindful outside of class.

The main difference between yoga veterans and rookies, apart from skill level, is how they talk about yoga outside of class. Those who have been doing it for some time are already aware of how others feel about it, but those people new to yoga tend to be overly enthusiastic and want to share this passion with just about everyone they come across.

However, not everyone shares this enthusiasm with you, and not being mindful of others – and the situation you find yourself in – can see you turning your friends and family off yoga forever. Here are a few do’s and don’ts when it comes to talking about yoga outside of class.

Do – organically mention yoga in conversations about health and fitness. When your friends are talking about workout routines, you have a great opportunity to inform them of the benefits of yoga, and pique their interest.

Don’t – force yoga into conversations where it doesn’t belong. For example, if you happen to be talking with your partner about the struggles he or she is having at work, suggesting yoga as the answer is probably not the advice they are looking for.

Do – let others know when you are going to the yoga studio, and invite them to join. If they are bored or have some free time, maybe they’ll want to tag along.

Don’t – tell others they need to be doing yoga, and then trick or cajole them into coming with you.

Do – have facts and experiences ready if someone asks you for your thoughts on practicing yoga. If you share something about yoga with another person, you want it to be truthful and, if possible, backed up by facts.

Don’t – be a know-it-all or a liar. If you start telling people that yoga will make them taller or that it can cure cancer – and you don’t have the proof to back up your claims – they will immediately dismiss you, or at least be pretty upset with you when they do try yoga for themselves, and find out your claims were false. Don’t bombard others with what you know about yoga, either. It can be overwhelming and off-putting to others who have no idea what you’re talking about.

Do – be passionate when you talk about yoga, even if you have only started practicing recently. There is no need to hide your passion, as long as you are mindful of those who are not as enamoured with yoga as you are.

Don’t – be a yoga zealot. Remember when all those CrossFit people were menacingly telling people about the benefits of their activity? Not only was it annoying, but it made a lot of people skeptical of CrossFit. When you think of yoga you think of tranquility and peace, so why would you want to be overbearing when talking about it?

Practicing yoga extends far beyond the mat. We can help guide you on your journey, and provide you with the support and assistance necessary to excel both inside and outside the yoga studio. Contact us for more information.

Published with permission from FitnessAdvisory. Source.

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The benefits of Vinyasa yoga

164_Yoga_AWhether you’re on your 100th class or have recently been considering giving yoga a try, you’ve probably heard of one of its more popular forms: Vinyasa. As with yoga in general and other types of exercise, there are of course benefits. But are you aware of the specific ones Vinyasa has to offer? Here’s how this unique style of yoga can benefit practitioners of all levels, but first…what exactly is Vinyasa yoga?

Vinyasa is a series of yoga poses that links breath with movement. In a typical session, the inhale and exhale of your breath synchronizes with your movement as poses smoothly flow from one to the next. This is why classes are often called Flow.

Here are a few of the benefits to practicing this popular type of yoga:

Tone your muscles – when you practice Vinyasa yoga, you’re essentially strength training. And with movements such as arm balance poses, backbends and inversions, this practice can help you build lean muscle that can give you that fit and toned look you’re after. Best of all, the range of poses performed in Vinyasa gives you a total body workout, exercising everything from your calves to your shoulders.

Feel looser and more relaxed – like other types of yoga, Vinyasa helps build flexibility. In addition to strengthening your muscles, you’ll also be stretching and elongating them. This gives you greater mobility, gets rid of muscle tightness and loosens your body up.

Increased flexibility also takes stress off your ligaments, tendons and joints, which will help prevent injuries.

Reduce stress – like many other types of yoga, Vinyasa also increases your mindfulness and focus, which over time can help you reduce stress. As you pay attention to your breath and body while smoothly transitioning through the poses, you withdraw attention from the daily stresses that may have been running through your mind. This allows you to bring your focus into the present, which produces a calming effect on your central nervous system.

Improve general health – In addition to what’s already been mentioned above, there are a number of medical and physiological benefits that Vinyasa offers. It can help reduce the risk of stroke, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

By calming your mind, it can help you get a better night’s sleep, ease anxiety and improve your general disposition. And in case you forgot that Vinyasa is still an exercise, it can also help you lose weight.

Want to learn more about Vinyasa and other type of yoga? Interested in signing up for a class? Call us today, and talk with one of our yoga instructors.

Published with permission from FitnessAdvisory. Source.

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Exercise mindfully

200254941-001There are many daily tasks we do on automatic pilot, such as a daily commute to work. We don’t consciously focus on each mini-task but follow a learnt train of thought and behavioral patterns. This is really useful, although many people could benefit from being more mindful in their everyday lives. However, with fitness it can be beneficial to exercise mindfully and yoga really helps you focus in this way.

Mindfulness is meditative in many respects but it is not meditation. It is actually about bringing your attention, or your awareness, to the present moment. In other words, not fixating on the future or holding onto the past. Both of these are let go in pursuit of what is happening right this minute, right NOW!

Mindfulness is an intrinsic part of any yoga practice, with breathing exercises and poses aimed at creating this in-the-moment focus. Just as yoga can be a great complement to cardio workouts, mindfulness can also add a real plus point to your yoga practice, other sports and activities, and your life!

The benefits of mindful exercise include:

Transformative – The clarity and ‘head-space’ that mindfulness creates can give you the room you need to really change aspects of your life, whether fitness related or not. Focusing on the present can change your future!

Great stress-reliever – When you work out and take a yoga session, you come with thoughts and feelings from the day which even if not negative can be anxiety-ridden. The focus on the present moment dissolves worries, concerns and over-thinking issues surrounding your world, which really helps to reduce stress levels!

Allows you to reach further – The focus of mindfulness acts as a sharpening tool in many respects and this can help push you as you are not overly-focusing on how far you have to go but whether you are going to go further right now.

Keeps motivation levels buoyant – When you are not weighed down by doubts about past behavior or worries about the future, you feel lighter about life and this has a knock-on effect of boosting your enthusiasm for what you are doing right this second. Not held back by past failures and tough future challenges, you may find you go further.

Inspires greater inner-connectedness – Yoga and mindless are about overall wellbeing, for the body and the mind, working together. This stability and balance promotes a feeling of being in-touch with yourself where you can listen to your body. When you exercise, being able to take this holistic approach can help immensely in achieving your goals.

Enhances focus on proper form – As you move, mindfulness brings a really in-focus attention to how your body is moving and whether this is correct. In yoga, as with other styles of exercise, proper form is not only essential for effective goal-reaching but also to guard against potential injury.

Enables more immediate feedback and monitoring – Greater awareness means better internal communication. This is really useful with yoga and all other types of exercise, as you are then able to understand how you are progressing and whether you need any help or to change direction.

Energizes you – Being mindful has a liberating effect. Even a yoga session or exercising mindfully can leave you feeling lighter and less weighed down by other influences. Basically you can get into the fitness zone! This really lets the energy flow and enables you to get into a rhythm you feel comfortable with.

Bring your attention to your present situation. Focus on your fitness levels and then get in touch to enhance your mindful approach to exercise and life!

Published with permission from FitnessAdvisory. Source.