The first time I took a hot vinyasa yoga class, I left feeling like I just got taken to church! Not the sit down, stand up, shake hands church, but the kind where people raise their hand and let their eyes roll back in their heads. The good stuff with all the feels! It was hard, hot, beyond my current abilities and I loved it. Then I drove to the same studio for a different style class and left thinking, "what a waste of gas!"
Turns out, I still love that first class but have developed a fondness for the other style, too. It's a class similar to one that you'll see in most gym/hot yoga studios. It's sequence of poses is taken from a certain modern day yogi...that wears a Speedo...and a little bun on the top of his head. Maybe you know who I'm talking about. He's been in the news lately but I digress. There are days my body definitely could use that particular sequence and holding the poses longer.
As my personal practice has become more self driven, Vinyasa has definitely become the front runner but with a twist, literally. I often ask my students to find a little poetry in motion, to move with the breath. They need to wiggle a little, unfold into their poses, honor their bodies by seeking out the tight spots and breathing into them. Essentially, my practice has become less linear and much more fluid.
This fluidity isn't just for style points, it's also a function of soreness from other physical activities. I need to ease into the pose because..dayum, yesterday was leg day! Ultimately the breath is the driving factor, I think I could hyperventilate if my breath followed the speed of some classes. I seriously cannot breath that fast.
Ironically, when I first started teaching I tried to talk my husband (not a yogi) through some vinyasa. His movements were slow and deliberate, his breath was long and deep, and this slightly irritated me. Aside from the fact that he annoyingly pursed his lips to exhale like an angry librarian, he might have been on to something.
Point is...it's a practice that's always evolving. Modifications are good, not being a yoga robot is better. So take the vinyasa slower, or speed it up. Do a push-up instead of up-dog if your back is tweaked. Do a Hindu push-up to amp it up. Go straight to down dog and just breath. It's not just a practice, it's your practice so make it you own!
Stay tuned for a vinyasa modification video!
