Zen Vinyasa Yoga
In the vast world of yoga, there are many styles of yoga to fit a wide variety of needs. Regardless of your skill level, comfortability, spiritual devotion, or interests you are sure to find at least one form of yoga that is right for you.
Zen Vinyasa Yoga further expands the world of yoga by offering a hybrid of Vinyasa Yoga techniques with a Zen Yoga mindset to provide a class unlike any other. If you are looking to experience the full spectrum of yoga, from intense physical demand to deep meditation and relaxation, Zen Vinyasa Yoga could be the right class for you.
What is Zen Vinyasa Yoga?
Zen Vinyasa Yoga is a great combination of two strong forms of yoga; Zen Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga. In order to get a better understanding of what Zen Vinyasa Yoga is, it is important to have an understanding of what these two forms of yoga are like first.
Zen Yoga is a form of yoga that is focused on meditation, movement, and looking inward. Zen Yoga offers a unique experience when it comes to meditation and flexibility. In Zen ideology there is a great emphasis on how the physical alignment of the body affects the alignment of the mind. The importance of having a well-trained body in order to have a clear and focused mind is a crucial fundamental to Zen Yoga.
On its own, Zen Yoga is not a very intense practice, offering the participant a step back from life’s great intensities. This is why we pair it with Vinyasa Yoga. Vinyasa Yoga is a practice of yoga that offers great emphasis on the flow of movement and breathing on the participant. Offering similar methods as Ashtanga Yoga, it is less about holding specific positions with great accuracy and more about how gracefully you move through the asana styles.
One of the key focuses of Vinyasa Yoga is the vinyasa flow. This is the connection between each posture and how well your body operates in this transitionary state. By building up strength and confidence in this, often overlooked, area the participant is able to move more swiftly and focus more on their internal struggles rather than their physical struggles.
A big focus of Vinyasa Yoga is breathing. Just as it is important to have an uninterrupted flow of movement, it is just as important to have a clear flow of breathing. By having this flow of breathing the participant can better focus on the present, entering a state of meditation.
By combining these two forms of yoga, Zen Vinyasa Yoga offers two sides to the yoga mindset that are equally needed in bettering yourself. Zen Yoga offers a way to recover from the intense toll that Vinyasa Yoga can take on the body. Likewise, Vinyasa Yoga can offer the physical demand needed to push the mind and body to a higher level of introspection. Working in tandem, these two practices work to strengthen each other.
What is a Zen Vinyasa Class Like?
Due to the varied nature of Zen Vinyasa Yoga, no one Zen Vinyasa Yoga class is alike. At Yoga Now we offer a class that is an eclectic blend of asana styles. The nature of our class is free flowing, allowing for a new and unique experience every time you practice. Based on what the instructor sees fit and the comfortability level of the participants, the class can be easily modified in order to offer the right practice for those present that day.
Bringing in Zen teachings and practices, each class will end with an extended savasana; which offers participants a relaxing transition from the classroom back into the outside world. This stage of the class incorporates crystal bowls and Yoga Nidra meditation.
Yoga Nidra is a powerful form of meditation that alleviates the mind and relaxes the participant. Also known as yogic sleep, Yoga Nidra is an ancient yogic form of meditation. This can be a great way to end an intense class and relax after a hard day. By incorporating a crystal bowl into this exercise this state of relaxation is better enhanced, creating a calming environment and offering a centering point for meditation.
By getting into the habit of practicing Yoga Nidra in class you can start incorporating those methods of meditation into your personal life; spreading the benefits of Yoga Nidra and Zen Vinyasa Yoga, as a whole, to the rest of your life.
We could all use more relaxation. While the end of a Zen Vinyasa Yoga class is not designed for you to fall asleep, it is a great place to build relaxation skills to help you fall asleep better when you get home at night.
Yoga Nidra offers a dedicated moment of reflection that the participant can use in many ways. This is a moment where you can step back from everything going on and offer yourself the personal attention you need. Without outside influence or any demanding task at hand, you can focus your attention on what needs to be addressed.
This can be as simple as just relaxing and finding a moment to recover from the class and external tasks or you can give yourself the much needed time to consider some bigger affairs. Everyone has their own stressor and demanding problems that require attention. This isn’t a time to escape these problems but a place in which you can focus your mind on the task at hand and come to the right decision. Instead of pushing yourself too hard by making difficult decisions in a stressful environment, use this time to focus on serious problems with a clear mind and an undivided attention.
If you are interested in a Yoga Now class in Zen Vinyasa Yoga we’d love to have you join us. For further details and inquiries, please contact us.