When one wants to try yoga postures at some point in their life, or sign up for one of their classes, the same doubts always arise. But what kind of yoga am I up for? Can I do it, since I’m not very flexible? Have I never done it in my life… can I? These are the most frequently asked questions and about the first question, telling you what type of yoga to choose is complicated… there are many modalities, simply, you should know for yourself what each yoga offers and try it yourself. Only then, you will know if it is what you need or what you like the most.
In case it helps you, here we will talk about warrior yoga or as it is also known, as asthenia vinyasa yoga. Both are the same modality.
To put you in a situation, the name of Astana Vinyasa comes from the Sanskrit words and means (the eight steps of yoga). What he wants to convey and tell is, therefore, that yoga comes from far back in time and takes you to a more spiritual world.
Now comes the million dollar question, the important one: What is achieved with warrior yoga or what benefits does it provide? With asthenia vinyasa yoga, it is possible to connect the most intrinsic part of each one, connect with the energies and gain strength and elasticity. Warrior yoga is the most suitable for beginners.
As a curiosity, the name of the posture of the warrior also comes from Sanskrit and is called “virabhadrasana”. It is made up of the words “asana” which means posture and “virabhadrasana” which is the name of the warrior who, according to Hindu mythology, was sent by Shiva to kill the Dacha. Since he had killed the person he loved.
Instructions
- To know the basics of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga, you have to know that, in all forms of yoga, the postures are the same.
- In this yoga, what is done is to practice a series of figures and/or exercises on a daily basis. In general, they are practiced six days a week and one day off. How those days are divided… it’s a matter of whether you go to class, do it on your own, your day to day, etc. Generally, in many places, it is done in a row, from Monday to Friday and on Saturday, for example, a joint class is held with everything that has been learned during the week. The other day, he leaves rest.
- A series of six exercises and/or series are performed and they are all linked to a certain flow. That is, to vital energy, strength, balance, energy channels, the pelvis, the spine, etc.
- As in any other yoga, breathing plays a fundamental role. You have to feel your breath, inhale, exhale and breathe deeply.
- While breathing properly it is important to combine it with the movements. It’s a whole set.
- Do not forget something important in the satang vinyasa, the breath, the movements and the gaze(the focal point) will be very important. Depending on where the posture is being made and the movements are being made, the gaze should follow it.
- You’ll need to know what terms are meant when you say Vinyasa, which refers to breathing. And the same, when it is said, Rishi, as the focal point of the gaze.
- You can start by yourself to practice warrior yoga, although it is always preferable and recommended that it be done under the supervision of a teacher (with experience) so that he or she, at least at the beginning, gives you a base. It is important to perform the exercises correctly, always keep your back straight to avoid major injuries and discomfort, assess your abilities, flexibility, know what level you are at, what you can do and also what you cannot do.
- Do not try to develop and perform such complex exercises that many do, after a few days, thinking that it is easy and that, if they can, so can you. Beforehand, it should be noted that most of these exercises take many hours of rehearsals. They are not easy at all, they require a lot of concentration, strength, resistance, flexibility… therefore, and trying to force the machine and not properly assessing your abilities can lead you directly to injuries. For most of the complicated figures, they have taken years to complete.
- In order to be able to perform the series correctly, it usually takes a long time and as much as between two and years. So rate it well…
- The series are the exercises that begin with asthenia vinyasa. There are six there are always the same.
- To begin with, they will make you perform the sun salutation (probably the best known and you have heard it at some point). This exercise is the contact to warm up the muscles, wake up the body and not be cold to continue with the exercises.
- Afterwards it can vary quite a bit, because it depends a lot on the teacher and what exercises he has prepared for the sessions. Generally, they will be done in sessions and there will be those that have to be practiced standing up. They are the postures of the triangle, those of the warrior, etc.
- Then there are the positions you are sitting in. From there, there will be forward stretch positions, twists, body arches, etc.
- To finish, do not forget that it costs and that they are not four-exercise sessions… to conclude there will be around twelve or fifteen different exercises (postures)and this is where the teacher himself will assess the abilities of each student. Because not everyone can afford to perform the same postures.
- Among the modalities there is the posture of the bow, the typical and most classic well-known, such as the posture of the lotus, the inverted ones, etc. To always finish, with relaxation.
- They are exercises that cost, not suitable for everyone that requires experience and a lot of perseverance. Of course you can start without a base, but in that case, it is always advisable to go to a teacher so that he is the one who evaluates how far you can go and where to start. That he teaches you well how to perform the postures, because they are not simple and poorly elaborated; they can cause discomfort and pain.
- There are three types of variants in this modality of ashtanga vinyasa yoga or warrior yoga, we will tell you about it.
- At the real basis of the warrior posture, everything goes around three postures. These are classified from one, two and three going through the order of the warrior’s steps at the time he went to attack (according to legend).
- The first posture would be with the arms in an upward position, stretched out and with a straight back. The second position is something fantastic, because it is the attack position according to the mythology of the warrior. Therefore, he imagines that he is in an attack position. In the third position, he becomes the warrior in the attack position; therefore, it is the moment in which he cuts off the head of the one who killed his love from him.
- In any case, all of the above leads to results. Not only will it be necessary (as we have already been warned) of a certain or a lot of flexibility, because I think that there are postures where the arms have to go behind the back and hold hands. Or sitting down, pass both arms under the legs, stretch them in turn and hold only with the base of the body, keeping the back without arching at all times so as not to suffer lumbar pain or injury. Easy, as you can see, it is not exactly. But for that it requires a lot of perseverance. You have to practice a lot, many months, many years… to be able to reach those spectacular postures where with only one hand or one arm, they get up from the ground and coil up like snakes.
- To tone the body in general, it is a very suitable exercise. You work a lot on your arms, legs and abdomen. Although if you have many kilos left over, it is not highly recommended due to the issue of flexibility and strength. It is better to opt for something softer and as you gain experience and have background, try this modality.
What do you need
- A bottle of water to stay hydrated.
- Two towels. One for sweat and one to place on the mat.
- A mat suitable for yoga, which does not slip.
- Comfortable clothing for range of motion.
- Preferably tights. They are glued to the body and with that, you will avoid tripping, not being able to bend well, stretch correctly…
Tips
It is always important to try it before opting for one yoga or another. In fact, you will not know if this is the yoga that you like the most if you do not start practicing it. A week or a couple of days will be enough for you to check it. If this is the yoga that you like the most or you find benefits, you will gain flexibility, connect with yourself, feel peace, detoxify the body and gain a lot of strength. But it is not easy, therefore, practice it for a few days and decide if it is the one that suits you best. If it’s not what you were looking for, don’t throw in the towel. Simply go for other yoga modalities (there are a lot of different ones) and you will surely find the one that suits you best.
