Not sure which type of yoga class is right for you? Here are the best ones for weight loss.
These days, there’s a huge variety of yoga classes on offer, from athletic Power yoga to spiritual
Sivananda and meditative Yin yoga. While all forms of yoga offer body benefits (see page 10), some classes are particularly helpful for weight loss and toning.
Beginner’s luck
Yoga is the perfect form of exercise for home practice but it helps to attend a beginner’s class first to get the basics in place. If you’ve not tried yoga before, look for a Hatha class. While this is an umbrella term for all types of physical yoga, classes specifically labelled such will usually offer a good base of the basic yoga poses at a level suitable for all abilities. Just to be sure, choose a beginner’s class. Expect to have a warm up followed by a series of postures, then relaxation and perhaps some meditation. The postures will be taken at a slow pace with plenty of time to learn and deepen your practice.
"The deep breathing techniques of Ashtanga
yoga are said to heat you up inside, helping to flush out toxins via the lymphatic system and the body’s detoxification organs."
Iyengar yoga
Good for: Building strength
A perfect style of yoga for beginners or anyone wanting to learn the foundations of good yoga
practice, Iyengar yoga (created by BKS Iyengar) focuses on correct form. Using props, such as blocks and straps to support and aid your
alignment, you’ll practise holding poses for up to 20 breaths. While there are no flowing sequences, using your body weight in each pose works your muscles and tones your body.
Ashtanga yoga
Good for: Improving fitness
Also known as Power yoga, this is a dynamic, flowing form of yoga that involves a series of50
postures (including Sun salutations, see page 94), practised in order. Energetic and demanding, the
standing poses, twists and inversions burn calories and build upper and lower body strength while
working your core. It was created in the 1940s by Sri K Pattabhi and popularised by celebrities such
as Madonna and Sting. Classes often last two hours and, at advanced levels, require good fitness.
Vinyasa flowyoga
Good for: Toning your body Vinyasa is the Sanskrit word for ‘flow’ and this
flowing form of yoga synchronises poses with your breath to create a fluid sequence that stretches and strengthens your body. It calms your mind while working your body.
Yin yoga
Good for: Beating stress Yin yoga is a quiet, static form of yoga involving
relaxing poses (seated or prone) designed to release tension in your body and induce deep relaxation. Using props such as bolsters and blankets to
support your body so your muscles can release, you’ll get comfortable in a pose and hold it for up to 20 minutes. Don’t be surprised if you
fall asleep! You may not be burning calories or challenging your muscles but the stress-busting effects can help reduce levels of the hormone cortisol, which encourages abdominal fat, and so lead to healthier habits.
Hot yoga
Good for: Burning calories
Taking place in rooms heated to 40 degrees C, Bikram yoga, or Hot yoga as it’s popularly called, is a series of26 postures and breathing exercises, performed in sequence. You’ll go through the
poses twice, holding each for 90 seconds the first time and 30 seconds the second time. The intense heat induces sweating and warms your muscles and joints, aiding flexibility. Hot yoga, created by
Bikram Choudury in the 1970s, is said to burn up to 400 calories in the 90-minute class, aiding weight loss and body sculpting. At least three sessions a week are recommended for optimum results.
Hatha yoga
Hatha yoga comprises five main principles:
exercise (the postures), diet (ideally vegetarian), breathing (pranayama exercises),
relaxation and meditation. You’ll discover more on all of these in the following pages.
0 Comments