Every profession probably generates rigidities and idiosyncrasies related to it and the maximum that everyone can do is be as objective and honest as possible.
The yoga universe, by now, is so inflated that under its umbrella the most diverse activities are repaired. Some masters have embraced them with enthusiasm, others tolerate them with sympathy, others still reject them in a vibrant way.
If it can be convenient to work on extremes (as much as we risk to simplify) we could imagine a segment where on point A we will put classical yoga (or, at least, the most classic possible) and on point B a discipline very far from it, even if there it recalls, like Power Yoga. In between, the infinity of nuances that have been created in the West between these two opposites.
On a personal level, it would be very easy for me to stigmatize Power Yoga as little more than a mockery that appropriates a term now considered very "cool" - yoga - to sell gymnastics that has nothing to do with authentic yoga to which he has robbed the assets of the asanas to mimic them at the rate of chill out.
And yet, it is not the tone I will give to this article in which, on the contrary, we will try to shed light on the benefits that this new, western and contemporary discipline can provide to our body .
Antigravity Yoga: Yoga that makes you fly!
Power Yoga and "healthy body"
The word Power next to Yoga is to underline what is the first characteristic of this type of work: the physicality, that is the bodily rather than psycho-emotional orientation. The lesson is in fact constituted by the fluid passage from one asana to another synchronized with the breath . Proponents of this form of gymnastics claim that it is one of the most challenging modern variants of yoga and, in fact, it is not hard to believe it: the untrained practitioner will find himself uncomfortable with postures and transitional movements that are actually not easy for the beginner . And yet, within a few lessons the benefits inherent in this type of movement will soon be evident: strength, resistance, flexibility, mobility and joint stability, balance . Therefore, intense physical work is proposed within the framework of yoga asanas that are emptied of their symbolic, cultural and energetic meaning to be performed as simple gymnastic postures .
One of the strengths linked to Power Yoga is that it is considered more suited to the Western mentality that seeks in the movement of utilitarian and aesthetic ends (not foreseen in classical yoga ...) and that is ill-posed towards the more meditative aspect of yoga often seen with fear and mistrust. Thus the practice is skimmed by the immobility provided by the asanas and the thin component that can be savored in that stability and is performed in a dynamic and fluid way. There are many types of yoga that veer in this direction - indeed, it turns out to be the current to which most western yoga refer - and Power Yoga, simplifying, is the one that has most pressed this button.
Obviously we are not talking about an aerobics class, so in the background there remain some of the yogic cornerstones such as attention to the breath and body awareness, but declined in a modality closer to fitness than to yoga and the work is concentrated, even through the asanas, on objectives that are completely extraneous and out of context with respect to the classic ones. In essence: it has remained the "container" yoga, but the content has completely changed (betrayed? Improved? Worst? Everyone will give the answer he believes).
The practitioner who sees potential in the physical work of the asanas and seeks in them only an improvement of the physical structure or of the cardio-vascular abilities, will be at ease with the Power Yoga that takes them up and, from this point of view, strengthens them . Even those who do not prefer an excessively aerobic activity (such as step, to understand) and feel more akin to isometric work methods (like many pilates exercises) or at least rather static will find themselves satisfied by this technique. Similarly, it is suitable for those who do not feel interested / inclined / suitable for a journey - as is the yogic path - that brings the whole personality into play and acts on the individual both physically and emotionally.
A way different from yoga, but that gives well-being
This article has opened with a personal consideration and in an equally subjective (and therefore partial, debatable, questionable) way it wants to conclude: finding something (healthy) that makes us feel good is desirable and precious . Whether it's reading, dancing, playing cards, painting, watching a movie, it doesn't matter. So if a person feels good doing Power Yoga I would be the first to encourage her and encourage her to continue. The many types of western yoga are also fun (acrobatic yoga, to name one) and fusions that often offer stimulating and captivating. In my opinion, however, yoga is somewhere else, it's something different . Neither better, nor worse, but different: something that starts from a still posture, eyes closed, a quiet mind and polyrhythm of breath and heartbeat.
