THE HOTTEST YOGA TRENDS
August 20, 2019
Trends are a fun way to see what’s new and what you might want to add to your exercise routine. Whether or not you want to try any of these yoga trends is up to you but here’s the latest in new ways to experience this ancient wellness practice.
Aerial or Anti Gravity Yoga
Aerial or AntiGravity yoga supports the practitioner by way of a hammock or rope hung from the ceiling. With the support of the hammock, you will experience a new meaning to “Floating on air.” Aside from being fun and looking super cool, aerial yoga boasts a wide range of benefits.
Being suspended in mid-air means your joints get a break, and you can improve your strength and balance without compressing your vertebrae. You stretch and strengthen your body without overworking your vulnerable joints. Aerial yoga also trains your body to move gracefully while adapting to a different support system, this is said to be greatly beneficial for your posture.
Though the moves may look acrobatic, they are actually fairly accessible and offer a fun way to change up your yoga routine.
When in Las Vegas visit Shine Alternative Fitness, where everyone is encouraged to discover their own spirit through “the art of fitness.”
Acro Yoga
AcroYoga takes yoga with a partner to a whole new level, as one person performs yoga poses supported by the other. The AcroYoga method, which includes class protocol, standard poses, and Thai Yoga Massage, was developed by founders Jason Nemer and Jenny Sauer-Klein in 2003-2004, but has much older roots with yoga guru T. Krishnamacharya who worked with his students in this manner as early as 1938. Today’s AcroYoga is intended to encourage play, human connection, and community.
Although it may sound intimidating, you can start slowly, learning simple poses such as Folded Leaf, which loosens the hips and allows the spine to decompress and stretches the neck. Studios specializing in Acro Yoga are popping up all over such as BodyShrine Las Vegas who offers a fundamentals introductory level class. No partner is necessary to attend class, The whole class works together in partner exercises and drills.
CHAIR YOGA
2019 is the year of self-love, and that means taking it easy while challenging yourself. Chair yoga is great for beginners, seniors, people recovering from illness or injury, or those who want a gentler form of yoga because chair yoga is gentle and safe for your joints.
Chair Yoga is practiced literally sitting on a chair or use it as a form of support for standing poses. Since chairs are everywhere, using one to squeeze in some yoga during your busy days at work is simple. If you’re a hardcore yogi or fitness enthusiast, you may find this practice laughable. But hang on a moment. The actual purpose of yoga is about mindfulness and tapping into the balance between your mind and your body. It’s about being in flow with your breath and your vibrations, not about physical flexibility or core strength. Chair Yoga is spot on for that purpose. It puts the emphasis on movement and presence, and that’s where inner strength is found.
Eco Yoga
Doing yoga in the park is nothing new, and the trend continues. But Eco Yoga goes beyond taking your stretching routine outside. It’s about reconnecting with yourself by way of re-establishing your connection with nature. In our modern lives, most of us spend our days indoors in front of a computer or a desk. But being stuck inside all day can drain your energy and leave you tired and irritable. Studies have proven time and time again how exercising or just spending time outdoors reduces stress and enhances mood.
Eco-yoga allows you to breathe in fresh air and reminds you that you are one with the world. And in a busy world full of deadlines and hustle and bustle, that’s a reminder we all need.
One innovative wellness group in Las Vegas started a Goat Yoga class. Not only do you get to practice outside in the fresh air amongst nature, you get to do it with baby goats who play and mingle while you stretch. What a great way to escape the norm of a studio based class.
CHROMA YOGA
Chroma Yoga, a.k.a. Light Therapy Yoga is a high tech practice that’s created to help you get back in tune with your natural circadian rhythm. In simple terms, it involves doing yoga in a room lit by colored lights, blanketed with calming music, and enveloped by relaxing scents to provide a cocoon-like experience. Benefits include calming regulating your sleeping patterns and decreasing stress levels. It works by mimicking the natural light cycles of a day. This means practicing with blue lights in the morning to increase your energy, and red light at night to induce sleep. Science does back up the fact that exposing yourself to blue light signals the brain to stop the production of melatonin and increase the production of stress hormones to wake you up, and exposure to red light boosts melatonin levels and encourages better quality sleep.
Chroma Yoga is so new it’s only practiced in a few places so far. Most notably, in London, at the studio of its inventor, Nina Ryner.
Only time will tell if this trend will stick with us for future years, but in the meantime, expect it to pop up more in 2019!
