1. WHAT IS YOGA?

Most people who have never done yoga before think yoga is simply stretching and others believe it is a type of religion. It is also commonly believed you need to be skinny and flexible to do yoga. While there is stretching in yoga and some religions have used yoga, neither of these describes yoga. It also isn’t necessary to be flexible or skinny to do yoga. While flexible people may enjoy demonstrating crazy poses, they are risking injury. Yoga may be used in some religions, but it is used only as a tool to quiet the mind and not for religious purposes. In reality, there are as many styles of yoga and ways of practicing as there are body types.

Restorative

Restorative yoga allows you to prop yourself into a few comfortable positions that allow your muscles to completely relax allowing you to let go of any tension you are holding which can be beneficial for stress or chronic pain relief and more restful sleep. This is a style of yoga that is safe and therapeutic for all body types and can be done even with major injuries or surgery that preclude exercise. I have personally used this practice for pain relief and to help me sleep when my mind is racing.

Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra is a form of guided body scan meditation which generally moves quickly enough to prevent your thoughts from wandering or dwelling on stressrors. While the goal is not to fall asleep but to find a deep rest for your body and brain, if you haven’t been sleeping well, you will most likely fall asleep. I have found tremendous relief from pain doing even 10-20 minutes of this type of practice. I feel so much more rested after the practice even without sleeping. Studies show that 20 minutes of yoga nidra is equivalent to 2 hours of deep non-dreaming sleep. However, yoga nidra does not replace actual sleep.

Chair Yoga

Most people refer to this as senior’s yoga but I prefer to call it chair yoga. There are lots of reasons why a person may not be able or want to do a full yoga practice. Reasons can be as simple as lunch time work place yoga for stress relief. A simple chair practice can be done without getting all sweaty, simply by wearing pants and running shoes with armless chairs. Chair yoga at work can help with muscle pain and stiffness from sitting all day performing repetitive tasks. It is also an accessible form of yoga for people with injuries, casts, amputations, paralysis, chronic pain or muscle weakness from a variety of causes. It’s also great for high blood pressure, arthritis, or bigger bodies that may have difficulty getting up and down off the floor. I didn’t think I would like chair yoga but I loved learning this style of yoga. It is light and fun and you don’t need any special equipment or floor space.

Slow Mindful Yoga

While I personally practice various kinds of yoga, this is my favourite. You would be surprised how much functional muscle you can build by moving slower and flowing with your breath. Variations on the poses are also encouraged so you can build strength at your own pace without causing you pain. A good instructor will offer opportunities to “rest or flow” so you can decide how intense your practice is. Moving slowly allows you to tune into your body and be aware of pain and stiffness you might not have been aware of which allows you to modify your practice to suit your body’s or your mind's needs. Slowly moving into and out of poses also helps you prevent injuries. Slow yoga is a type of moving meditation. Coordinating movement with breath gives your mind something to focus on other than your life off the mat which gives your mind a break from day to day worries. It also helps develop nervous systems resilience which I will talk about in a future post. I am sure we can all agree, any break from stress makes life just a little bit easier. You can make this harder or easier by varying how much you spend on standing poses versus floor poses.

Power Yoga

Power yoga is either done very fast or involves holding poses for up to 5 to 10 breaths. Fast yoga is great for cardio. It has similar benefits to aerobics and Zumba but doesn’t require the same degree of coordination. It is usually done in a vinyasa style which means you can flow from one post to another without pausing. You aren’t in any one pose long enough for it to cause any difficulty but it is not unusual for your heart rate to rise into the aerobic range and for people to experience fat burning like any other type of cardio. If you are new to this type of yoga, you may find it hard to catch your breath at times if you are not used to breathing through you nose the entire time. You may also have balance issues as you don’t have as much time to motor plan more difficult poses.

Long held poses are great for those who want to build muscle and allow you to see how difficult it is to correctly hold a pose safely if you aren't concentrating. You will most likely have lactic acid buildup (sore muscles) after holding the poses in a static position. This yoga does stress the nervous system but in a good way if done correctly. It can be hard to catch your breath here as well as breathing while holding challenging poses can be difficult. Make sure you know your rest poses (child's pose, downward facing dog, knees to chest, mountain, savasana) and use them when you need them.

I don’t recommend either of these type of yoga for newbies. As someone who has experienced a lot of injuries, I don’t enjoy these types of yoga but it does have its advantages. You are so busy moving and figuring out where your body should be, you have no time to think about work, the kids, or whatever it is that causes you stress. This is great for people with acute stress that can be so overwhelming, they can’t sit still or manage their thoughts or emotions.

There are so many other types of yoga with many different names. Iyengar, Hot yoga, Yin, Yang, Viniyoga, Ashtanga, Hatha, Kundalini, Kripalu, and I am sure there are others. The point is, there is a yoga for everyone and every mood. If you have tried yoga before and hated it, try another type or another teacher. It’s entirely possible you haven’t tried the right one for you. If you haven’t tried it before and have been holding off trying it because you are afraid you won’t fit in, I hope this helps you find the right type of yoga for you and your life. And if you still aren’t sure, drop me a line and I would be glad to help you out.