7 September Wendy Boyce September 7, 2016 Hot Yoga vs. Vinyasa Flow: What to Expect Body, Hot Yoga, Mind, Yoga 0 Comment I’ve done both Hot Yoga and Vinyasa for over ten years. I cannot imagine one without the other. I was fortunate to acquire a taste for both - and they are acquired tastes. I enjoy warm rooms and hot rooms, never cold rooms – that’s where I draw the line. Fortunately, Sunstone offers hot, warm and ambient classes! Here's some of my take-aways: Hot Yoga:At Sunstone, it’s hot, it’s humid, it’s QUIET. In a Hot Yogaclass you spend the entire 60 or 90 minutes trying to silence the voices in your head/stilling your mind – some days are better than others. Work to your edge and be in the moment, that is the point, otherwise go home (not really, but you know what I mean). Realize giving 100% is different relative to the day, not what you think you can do or compared to yesterday - you’ll be better off. Sunstone's sequence of postures is brilliant, restorative, and healing for the bodies (emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual). Unlike Vinyasa or Flow yoga, the Hot Yogaclass provides a reset before each posture, which allows for a deliberate and strong set up for each posture, your body appreciates this. Hot Yoga at Sunstoneis the same sequence every time, so you can allow the class to unfold in your muscle memory and then maybe a bit deeper (internal or external). *remember yoga is not nearly about what’s on the outside but what’s occurring on the inside (organs, joints, emotions, muscles, locks, nadis, compressions/expansions, positivity, bandhas – quite a bit to work with there. If you don’t recognize some of these words, don’t worry, they will be in a future blog). By doing the same set of postures you may also gauge where you are in your practice, how far you’ve come from the very first day or since the last class you took. Keep a journal, give yourself credit for your journey, it’s often easy to forget how hard certain postures were in the beginning. Trust me, they were harder than you remember, because you’ve gotten better. Hot Yoga is tremendously grounded and reliable. If this is your class of choice, this may say something about your character. Nervous about the "hot" factor? 1. know that our class is not as hot as the Bikram classes you may have heard about. Ours are set to body temperature (98.6 degrees) and have added humidity, which makes them a bit more comfortable. 2. We'd encourage you to try our Hot Yoga Lite class which has all the same postures as a slightly more gentle pace in a warm, not hot, room. Vinyasa Flow:Postures move from one to the next throughout the class.The constant movement is aligned with breath – a symphony of breath and action. At Sunstone, some Vinyasa classes are sequenced - Flow Yoga, Calm Flow and Hot Flow- but Power Flow postures are teacher-lead and thus fluctuate from class to class. In these classes, you must maintain an open mind and a willingness to the abandon the knowledge of what posture may come next. Vinyasa is fleeting, as soon as you think you’ve got the hang of one posture, you are on to the next. This style is prominent in the fields of letting go, allowing, and accepting. The movement often sabotages your balance, while the sweat rolling down your arms onto your hands causes your downward facing dogs to slide and slip. The external body attempts to rule the internal body. All of your insides feel like they want to change places with your outsides. You will be encouraged to breathe through all of these happenings. Often there is music to distract your mind, your thoughts simply can’t compete with the groove. (Your body inherently loves to dance and hardly ever gets the opportunity, so it is content to keep the movement going.) When both Hot Yoga and Vinyasa Flow are incorporated throughout your weekly practice, you will experience a balance. You will be able to keep your feet firmly on the ground but with a lightness of spirit that will not weigh you down! Related Articles Yoga Tips for Beginners: What To Know Before Your First Yoga Class Yoga Tips for Beginners: What To Know Before Your First Yoga Class If you’ve been thinking about getting into shape, you may have considered taking a yoga class. Yoga can be a great way to either get in shape or maintain your level of fitness. It builds strength and flexibility while simultaneously allowing you to focus on your breathing. By practicing yoga, you learn how to control your breathing, even during some rather challenging poses. This in turn helps you in virtually every other area of your life, as it allows you to remain calm and stay in control of your emotions. Yoga also helps you become more in tune with yourself. Therefore, you have the chance to reap both physical and mental benefits of practicing it. Here are some top yoga tips for beginners: Who Does Yoga? – Breaking Through Dallas’ Hot Yoga Myths Yoga has been around for thousands of years, but it’s still a very misunderstood form of exercise in America. Misconceptions about yoga, most especially Dallas hot yoga, are still, (sadly) widespread in the West. Here are a few of the most far-reaching yoga myths. You have to be in perfect shape if you want to do yoga. Don’t Settle for “Gym Yoga” – Dallas Hot Yoga is a Cut Above Gym Yoga Do you know what the difference is between “gym yoga” and Dallas hot yoga? When you take a yoga class at the gym, you may get a sub-par experience that leaves you disappointed. Gym classes are designed for the broadest audience, and sometimes even taught by instructors with no certification and little experience. Advantages of Hot Yoga: 5 Ways Hot Yoga Helps Insomnia The advantages of hot yoga are many and varied… and one of hot yoga’s most surprising benefits is that it can alleviate insomnia. Insomnia can be caused by stress, anxiety and depression, a lack of physical activity, diet, or imbalances in body chemistry. Yoga, especially hot yoga, can address all of these concerns. Yoga Teacher Training: Transformational Learning at Sunstone Yoga Academy Is yoga teacher training right for you? Even basic yoga training can change your life. Whether you want to open your own studio or just take your yoga practice to the next level, Sunstone Yoga Academy can help you open up to the world around you. Our Yoga Academy is for people who are passionate about yoga and growing their practice—we’re not just looking for people who want to teach yoga! What to Eat Before Yoga Class The proper diet is important in order to maximize any yoga practice. With Dallas hot yoga, eating appropriately before a yoga class is particularly important. Here, we combine the extreme temperatures of the Texas environment with the extreme heat of the yoga studio. To equip our bodies with the stamina to really use the heat, and to allow our bodies to work efficiently during practice, eating healthy food on a yoga-friendly schedule is an important key to a successful practice. Comments are closed.