If you thought that wrapping yourself in a yoga pretzel pose was intimidating, fitness classes all over the country are filled with Cirque de Soleil style moves that promise to tone, sculpt and reconnect you with your inner toddler.
From trapeze classes to rope classes, some of the biggest exercise clubs in the country are jam-packed with devotees who are swinging, twirling and flying through the air with the help of a few harnesses, nets and swings.
These new classes combine acrobatics with yoga and pilates moves. Similar to these classes is a newly- created yoga called RussYog, or ”Rope Yoga,” started by Teresa and Jasprit Singh. RussYog uses ropes and poles to develop core strength, enhance flexibility and tone muscles.
Jivamukti yoga founders: David Life & Sharon Gannon
With a meaning like “liberation while living” it is no wonder that Jivamukti yoga has the devoted and loyal following that it does. Started in 1984 by David Life and Sharon Gannon who incorporated their training as Ashtanga yoga students under the tutelage of Ashtanga yoga master Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, Jivamukti yoga is a popular and disciplined form of yoga that is practiced all over the country.
Combining both asana, pranayama (breath work) and music, a Jivamukti class is a dynamic yoga experience, both physically and spiritually. A typical class does practice chanting, but beginners are not expected to chime in – only if their comfort and knowledge allows them.
Ashtanga yoga master Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois
Yoga has become one of the hottest fitness and spiritual practices here in the U.S., but in India, yoga’s country of origin, the face of yoga looks markedly different than what we are familiar with. For the month of June and July, I will be in Mysore, India, the hub of Ashtanga yoga, one of the oldest known forms of yoga that is still practiced with enthusiasm and dedication today. Although this is my second trip to the sacred country of India, these five weeks are different because I am here studying yoga with my family, just a few weeks following the death of Ashtanga master, Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois.
For the almost 200,000 American women who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer every year, yoga may offer respite and rejuvenation during their arduous journey with this most common form of cancer (excluding skin cancer).
A recent study from Duke University Medical Center suggested that when women with breast cancer engaged in yoga postures, meditation and breathing exercises for two months, they experienced less pain and fatigue and were significantly more relaxed.
Although this study was small, just 13 women who have advanced breast cancer, it does provide the first, tentative evidence for yoga’s potential benefits in this vulnerable population of women with limited life expectancy, says lead author of the study, Dr. James W. Carson.
Yoga is a wonderful alternative to traditional Western exercise routines. The many benefits have been well documented here at DietsInReview. Yet, there’s more. According to research presented this week at the 56th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in Seattle, people can breathe easier when they do yoga.
After 10 weeks of yoga, people with asthma found relief from their symptoms.
The study followed 20 people between 20 and 65. They were all beginners at yoga. The subjects did yoga with an instructor for an hour, twice a week. They were also asked to do a half-hour session at home each week.
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