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Yoga 101

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Has anyone noticed just how good Madonna has been looking lately? Now in her 50s, the material girl is suddenly looking leaner and stronger than ever before. So what's the secret?

Simple: Madonna has traded in her gym membership and boy-toy belts and picked up Ashtanga yoga – a discipline taught to her by musician buddy Sting and his wife, Trudy Styler. And now she's not the only one. Stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, Christie Turlington, Celine Dion and Sheryl Crow all swear by it.

The good news is you don't have to be a celebrity to get the benefits. Almost anyone can do it, at any age, and it promotes peak mental and physical fitness – without you ever having to go to the gym or buy fancy equipment. All you need are loose clothes, a little space and a floor mat.

So what is yoga?
The word 'yoga' comes from Sanskrit, and means 'to merge or unite'. The original purpose of yoga was to prepare the human body for lengthy meditations – using postures and breathing exercises to create bring stability and relaxation. The ultimate aim of yoga was to achieve spiritual liberation by freeing yourself from the restrictions of the body.

But don't get put off by yoga's serious side: the spiritual aspect of yoga is important, but it's also an endpoint rather than where you'll begin. You don't have to be a woman who runs with wolves to get the benefits yoga offers.

Today there are a number of disciplines, each with a slightly different focus, from the intensely physical to the more spiritual and meditative. If yoga does impact on your spiritual health as well as your physical health, just think of spiritual fulfillment as a positive side effect.

There are five different stages of yoga designed to interact with each other.

  • Karma yoga aims to establish awareness through silence, breathing and mantra.
  • Bhakti yoga focuses on devotion and worship, using chanting, ritual, scriptures, meditation and Karma yoga.
  • Raja yoga involves chanting mantras, kriyas (cleansing exercises to help with mental clarity), energy and breath work, dealing with meditation and mind control.
  • Gyana yoga uses breathing meditation and concentration exercise to focus on wisdom and intuition.

    Physical yoga – the sweaty stuff – is known as Hatha yoga (all physical yoga techniques are forms of Hatha yoga). The word derives from the Sanskrit terms for the sun (Ha) and the moon (Tha), and represents the different energies of the body. Hatha yoga emphasises postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama) and meditation (dhyana). Its aim is to balance the different energies that flow through the body, bringing about good health in your body, mind and soul.

    Choosing your yoga style
    There are a variety of physical yoga styles to choose from, with new styles and schools developing all the time. Some disciplines date back several centuries, while others have only evolved in the last few decades. Here are some of the more common styles practised in SA.

    Hatha yoga
    Hatha yoga is also the name given to a specific style of yoga. Traditional classes include a mixture of asanas (postures), from the well-known 'lotus' position, to descriptively named poses such as 'the warrior' and 'the cobra'. The asanas are performed together with breath work and relaxation exercises. Teachers will generally be able to work with all levels of students, and should know how to adjust certain poses if you have physical problems like a bad back. Classes can vary in physical intensity depending on your teacher, and your level of ability.
    Good for: Toning, strength and flexibility and relaxation. You'll stretch more than sweat, but you'll feel great afterwards.

    Iyengar yoga
    Iyengar yoga is probably the most widely recognised hatha yoga technique in the Western world, and was developed by yoga master BKS Iyengar. In these classes, teachers pay close attention to details like the placement of your hands, feet and pelvis, as well as the alignment of your spine, arms and legs. Classes usually focus on only a few asanas at a time, in great detail. This is so you can refine and perfect each movement. Iyengar yoga classes may also involve props like wooden blocks, benches and straps as supports to improve your symmetry and posture.
    Good for: Improving your technique and posture as well as suppleness and strength. Expect to start sweating once you move out of the beginner classes: some of this is pretty hard work!

    Ashtanga yoga
    Ashtanga yoga is the most physical of the yoga disciplines, and has been compared to the training of an elite athlete – no wonder it's the preferred style of Madonna and Trudie Styler. A series of postures are done in quick succession, linked by special breath techniques. Beginners often have to jump to connect the movements, but as you become more experienced, the movements become continuous and fluid. The purpose of the movement is to create heat, which then cleanses the body. Ashtanga places an equal emphasis on strength, flexibility and stamina, and is sometimes referred to as power yoga – a phrase which experts say is misleading. Ashtanga is only aerobic for people who have just started with yoga, and therefore have to work harder to co-ordinate their movements. This discipline might also be referred to as ashtanga vinyasa yoga; vinyasa means breath-synchronised movement.
    Good for: Strength, aerobic conditioning and toning. Lose the bulk and go for the sleeker, muscular shape that Ashtanga can offer – if you do the work.

    Sivananda yoga
    Sivananda classes follow a standard format comprising a 15-minute pranayama (breathing) warm up, followed by a series of 12 classic hatha asanas. Classes begin and end with a short mantra chant and prayers, and the discipline encourages followers to be vegetarian and meditate to create purity. Sivananda often encourages short, intensive courses that other yoga schools may feel are inadequate, because beginners move into advanced postures and techniques very quickly.
    Good for: Increased flexibility, stress-relief and possibly spiritual benefits. You might also learn about meditation, although this aspect of the discipline may take a very long time to perfect.

    Kundalini yoga
    Kundalini yoga is designed to work on the coil of Kundalini energy stored at the base of the spine. Breathing, posture, chanting and meditation are used to stimulate this energy, which is then consciously directed up through the chakras, or energy centres, in your body. Postures are designed to work a specific body system at a time. The discipline emphasises several breathing techniques, including a dynamic technique called the 'fire breath'. Make sure that you have a well-established teacher: Kundalini yoga has also been criticised for its quick-fix Western mentality, and you want the real benefits rather than the superficial ones.
    Good for: Relaxation and energy

    Do you enjoy Yoga? What's your favourite type of Yoga?

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