Vinyasa Yoga: Going With the Flow of Breath and Movement

Vinyasa Yoga is a dynamic form of yoga that stems from Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga. It is currently one of the most common yoga styles. Many people also call this “flow yoga,” but what is vinyasa yoga and what does it involve? You can find out in this blog.

What is Flow Yoga and Vinyasa?

Vinyasa means “to put things in the right order” in Sanskrit. In Vinyasa Yoga poses are done in coordination with the movement of the breath. You move from one position to another in a certain ‘flow’. This series of dynamic poses are vinyasas, which let you work with your breath to work towards powerful but gentle movement. So essentially it’s called flow yoga because during the Vinyasa series, you ‘flow’ from one posture to another.

The Origin of Vinyasa Yoga

The yoga style evolved from Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga. The name comes from Sanskrit and means ‘in a special way’ (vi) ‘to place’ (Nyasa). Other practices with many powerful postures are Power yoga and Prana yoga. They all originated from Ashtanga.

Ashtanga yoga, like Vinyasa flow yoga, is very dynamic. A big difference between the two forms is that postures within Ashtanga yoga are performed in fixed series one after the other. This is not a requirement for Vinyasa yoga, although a fixed series can occur (such as the Sun Salutation).

Features of Vinyasa Yoga

The difference lies in the fixed sets of postures that you perform in Ashtanga yoga. Where Ashtanga yoga has a fixed series of yoga exercises that you cannot deviate from, vinyasa yoga is a bit more free. There is therefore no strict sequence within this yoga style that you have to follow, so there is a lot of room for creativity. One time the focus can be on the whole body, the other time on arm balances, and yet another time on back bends. The focus of vinyasa yoga can also be based on the position of the moon or the time of day. Just about anything that inspires you can be the basis. So find your inspiration, set an intention, step on your mat, and go with the flow!

Vinyasa Yoga Poses

Breathing is central to vinyasa yoga. If your class is well structured, it starts slowly and gradually builds up to more challenging poses. After this you go back to some gentler poses and you finish with a Savasana. Basic vinyasa yoga poses include Sun Salutation, Surya Namaskar. These are a series of poses repeated one after the other in a set order. Seperate asanas follow each vinyasa to create variation within the flow. In addition, there are a number of other common poses from this yoga style. We list a few below:

• Sun Salutations
• Downward Facing Dog
• Cat-Cow
• Standing Forward Fold
• Child’s Pose
• Warrior
• Savasana

The vinyasa yoga class ends with the Savasana. This is an exercise where you lie on the floor with your eyes closed for a few minutes and relax. A perfect end to an active yoga class!

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Vinyasa Yoga Benefits

Vinyasa yoga is an aerobic style yoga because of the intense movement and the heat generated within the muscle metabolism. Sweating is certainly guaranteed with this type of yoga! Your body gets the chance to remove waste products and your skin also gets a healthy glow. More benefits of this yoga form are:

Improved Breathing

Breathing exercises and meditation play a major role in this form of yoga. Because with vinyasa yoga your breathing is central, you learn to be more aware of your breathing in daily life. This could generally provide more rest and relaxation. This will make you feel more comfortable in your own skin!

More power

You will also develop muscle strength when you perform the various exercises. Vinyasa yoga strengthens several muscle groups. The dynamic and powerful poses keep you active.

More Energy

You are consciously concerned with your physical and mental health, which provides more energy in daily life.

Want to try more forms of Yoga?

There are a lot of different forms of yoga. For example, have you ever tried Ashtanga Yoga for more strength and stability? Or a relaxing Yoga Nidra session? Or energize yourself with some Kundelini Exercises. You can read all about it in our blogs. You will also find a large assortment of Yoga products, props, and accessories in our webshop!