Yoga Basics

What is "Yogalates?"

A fusion of the ancient discipline of yoga with the modern Pilates techniques, the exercises mix both disciplines to develop core strength, help tone muscles, increase flexibility and reduce stress. Yogalates is trademarked by Louise Solomon.

Pilates (pronounced "puh-lah-teez") is a system of over 500 controlled exercises that engage the mind and condition the total body. It is a balanced blend of strength and flexibility training that improves posture, reduces stress and creates long, lean muscles without bulking up.

Pilates works several muscle groups simultaneously through smooth, continuous motion, with a particular concentration on strengthening and stabilizing the core (the abdomen, back and pelvic girdle region, sometimes referred to as the "powerhouse").

The focus in Pilates is on quality of movement rather than quantity, which makes one feel invigorated rather than exhausted after a session. Pilates takes a balanced approach so that no muscle group is overworked and the body works as an efficient, holistic system in sport and daily activity.

Some exercises are performed on specialized Pilates equipment including the Pilates Reformer, Pilates Cadillac and Ladder Barrel, but the basic system can be done on a standard floor mat. Small accessories including balls, resistance bands and Pilates rings can be added to the repertoire for more variety.

 Power Up with Yoga

Lori Kirwan, PhD in Exercise Physiology

If you think yoga is just for gentle relaxation and a bit of stretching, think again. There are over 100 different types of yoga in the world today, but power yoga (also known as ashtanga or type “A” yoga) offers the utmost in physical muscular challenge. The movement of the class is matched to the rhythm of deep breathing as participants move from one posture to another.

The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word yuj, which is often interpreted as "union" of mind, body and spirit. The Indian sage Patanjali is said to have collated the practice of yoga into the Yoga Sutra an estimated 2,000 years ago. The Sutra outlines eight limbs of yoga: the yamas (restraints), niyamas (observances), asana (postures), pranayama (breathing), pratyahara (withdrawal of senses), dharana (concentration), dhyani (meditation), and samadhi (absorption). In the western world today, most people practicing yoga are engaged in the third limb, asana, which is a program of physical postures designed to purify the body and provide overall gains in physical strength and stamina.

Benefits of Asana Practice

Increased muscular strength. Yoga postures utilize your own body as it becomes the weight you lift or hold. The physical exertion in yoga requires your entire body to be working as a unit so the strengthening of one muscle group is linked to that of several other muscle groups.

Increased metabolism. The gains in muscle strength described above correlate with an overall increase in lean body mass (muscle), thus improving your metabolism. When you have more muscle, you burn more calories, both at rest and during exercise!

Improved core strength and posture. Doing the postures of yoga increases core strength, which directly strengthens the muscles that support the spine and improve posture. “Core muscles” are the muscles in your abdominals, back, pelvic floor and hips. Yoga postures require the work and training of the entire core muscle group.

Improved performance in other sports and activities. You'll find that your performance in other activities and sports improves when your body is strong. Yoga will help refine your golf, squash or tennis game as well as your running and cycling times.

Improved balance. Many yoga postures require you to stand on one foot and find your center of gravity and balance. Your center of gravity is located just under the belly button in a standing upright position. Through the practice of balancing postures, you learn how to activate your core muscles.

Improved flexibility. Increased flexibility leads to greater ease of movement in all activities and fewer injuries. Yoga enables the body to move more freely with a greater range of motion.

Increased mental focus and concentration. In learning to hold the postures and breathe, you discover the ability to focus on what is happening at that particular moment in your body and mind. This skill of learning to be in the moment can extend into your career by enabling you to stay focused on your goals and tasks.

Reduced stress. The most immediate benefit of yoga is the effect it has on stress levels. When you are negatively stressed, your body may respond physically to the stress by channelling the tension into the muscles of the neck, lower back, or hamstrings. Yoga helps release stress both physically and mentally, which frees your body and mind to perform at peak levels.

Improved sleep. After completing the asana routine in a power yoga class, students lie in a resting pose (savasana) to bring their awareness to the body and slowly relax each part beginning with the head and facial muscles and travelling down to the toes. Students learn this useful technique and can call upon it during times of stress or restlessness.

All About Astanga

If you've noticed the term Astanga yoga being thrown about, but have no idea what it is, we're here to explain it. Many an unwitting gym member has stumbled into this class thinking it would be a relaxing way to spend the hour before their real exercise class begins. What they experience instead is a workout that can put the most advanced, high-impact aerobics class to shame.

Astanga yoga (also called power yoga) is the practice of the different yoga postures (or asanas) in a continuous process using fluid, dance-like movements to connect each posture. The goal, says Beryl Bender Birch, author of Power Yoga (Fireside, 1995) and the forthcoming Beyond Power Yoga (Fireside, January 2000), is to generate heat within the body which is integral to stretching and strengthening the muscles. Before novices begin executing the moves, they first learn the special breathing technique (ujjayi) and the internal contractions (yogic locks or bandhas), which are believed to release energy and heat from the body's core.

"Because there is no resting between the individual postures, Astanga is an intense, high-energy form of yoga," says Birch. The intensity creates body heat, which begets the trademark of a seasoned power yoga practitioner: excessive sweat. "In power yoga, you concentrate on keeping the heart rate slow and steady, the opposite of most cardiovascular activities, while still keeping the heat and sweat mechanism active," Birch explains. The focus on sweat, practitioners say, makes Astanga a powerful form of detoxification for the body. The workout is not meant to be aerobic, although it does have cardiovascular benefits, Birch attests. Astanga also builds muscle, increases flexibility and promotes balance. And, although power yoga generally is not known as a high-voltage fat-blasting workout, Birch says she has "known people who lost 30 to 40 pounds doing it."

When yoga was first introduced to mainstream America in the '60s, it was considered to be a sleepy and "soft" practice, something primarily for women. Slowly, Americans began to recognize both the intense self-discipline that yoga requires and the immense benefits (both spiritual and physical) it can provide. When power yoga was introduced in the United States in the '70s, that wimpy image was shattered, leading to Astanga's mainstream popularity, which has developed over the past five years. Power yoga "appeals to Americans' sense of working out hard," says Birch, "without all the pounding and tightening of most other fitness activities."