Vinyasa

Vinyasa, “to place in a special way” in Sanskrit, is an umbrella category for many systems of yoga, all linked in their employment of flowing, breath-controlled poses. Vinyasa yoga is gentle and incorporates a lot of stretching but it is also quite fast-paced, with long posture sequences and no breaks between postures. The connection of movement and breath is said to aid both physical and emotional digestion, bring heat through the body and dispelling all toxins.

Because there are so many Vinyasa yoga systems, one Vinyasa class may be very different from the next–for example, Bikram, whose predetermined sequences are practiced in a 105F studio bears little in common with Kundalini, which stresses meditation and self-discovery through the combination of Pranayama (breathwork) and alignment of the body. All Vinyasa-based classes will, however, contain sun salutations, a synchronized twelve posture sequence designed to stretch and open up the body.

The six main systems of Vinyasa yoga are:

Regardless of which system you choose, all Vinyasa practitioners enjoy increased levels of strength and flexibility, along with greater self-awareness and observation.