Vinyasa Yoga. What an amazing experience! There is no other way than to describe my experience doing Vinyasa yoga at Power Living (PLAY), other than AMAZING.
Having previously attempted to embrace the yoga epidemic a few years back, at another yoga studio, I had not really attended a yoga class since. Whilst walking up the stairs to this top floor Fitzroy studio I just felt…’meh’.
Yoga to me was always relaxing and challenging, but I guess I hadn’t really ever truly ‘connected’ with this particular style of fitness. With my previous few experiences, I would do the class and just go through the motions, allowing my mind to trail off and think a million other irrelevant thoughts. Having been in the PLAY yoga studio for less than five minutes, I soon realized that my mind was not going to be allowed to trail or wonder off. It was to stay right here in the studio.
PLAY.
Situated on the corner of Nicholson and Argyle St Fitzroy, this trendy little Melbourne yoga studio offers a huge room that can accommodate around 35+ people. I found the large class inspiring.
Everywhere I looked, there were people practicing their poses demonstrating various abilities. Plus I thought being a bigger class, my lack of ‘yogi-ness’ might go un-noticed. My instructor Manoj, created such a relaxed environment, yet he was raw and honest. Two qualities I really admire in a person.
Through our first routine, he spoke about how his morning had started. No pants, no coffee and no heat. I could totally relate. My morning had not gone to plan either. Running a 7am bootcamp, I had only loaded half the equipment I needed into my car. The frustration of being unorganised and unprepared had been over-whelming. I had been feeling flustered ever since. But then Manoj put things into perspective. He brought me back to the present moment. He asked that we all stay in the present moment. This is a task I find hard. I’m always thinking future. Or unless someone has peeved me off, then I’m thinking past. However Manoj insisted I stay present, so with all my energy and focus, I did.
I was so focused in the present I realised the 30 degree room temperature all of a sudden was beginning to feel like 40! I felt so comfortable in my surroundings I decided to take my singlet off and continue to throw my body around in my crop top. Manoj must have either read my mind or picked up on something, but he suddenly asked if we could all let our insecurities pass. He said we should not be worrying about what other people are thinking, because they are not thinking anything. He insisted that we were all focused on our own movements.
Taking what he had said on board, I decided to stop looking at my pasty-white belly (that was not as firm as I once remembered it to be when I saw it last summer), and re-aligned my focus to the body-weight movements our fabulous instructor led us through.
The Ancient practise of Vinyasa Yoga.
According to Lululemon, (a very credible source in my opinion when it comes to yoga!), Vinyasa means breath-synchronised movement. Vinyasa is often referred to as FLOW. As you inhale and exhale, your breath helps you flow through the poses. The fact that you have to concentrate on synchronising your breaths with your movement pattern, was enough to get anyone in the moment.
It was truly hard to let your mind escape, or else you would find yourself out of breath or singing your own song. Now there were many moments where our deep breaths became loud as we projected the release of energy through the mouth. Well I’m assuming that was the aim! This Vinyasa class was done in a warm room so that your body expelled all its toxins, leaving you incredibly sweaty but super energised after the class, (no seriously, I looked like I had just ran a marathon, but felt so incredibly rejuvenated the rest of the day).
Because Vinyasa is all about ‘flowing’, you are not required to hold a pose for too long. Poses can be challenging at times, however Manoj always gave alternatives for the less ‘bendy’ posers.
Put it this way: For someone who had tried the whole yoga thing before, but never really committed to it; I loved Vinyasa Yoga at PLAY so much I went back the following week. I have every intention to keep going back in attempt to master the art of Vinyasa.
PLAY have several ambient studios around Melbourne.
For more information please visit their website here.
Vinyasa Yoga | Melbourne Fitness & Wellbeing
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Vinyasa Yoga is an amazing form of yoga and its really very effective. thank you for sharing your post with.