Inhale OM, Exhale Lift

Coach and I are in agreement that yoga is a great compliment to a strength and conditioning program, however, where I get to geek out a little is on the different styles of yoga. Surely, if you're committing to a strength and conditioning program that requires three to four days a week in the gym, you wouldn't be hitting up your usual power vinyasa flow class! At the moment, I am strength training three days a week and hopping into hatha, restorative, yin practices three times a week around town and sometimes just on my mat a home.


Yoga for a start, will have a different meaning to everyone, simply because everyone practices for different reasons. Yoga as a word, can be defined as a union of the physical, mental and spiritual practice.

For me yoga is time out, to completely let myself be expressed on the mat and stop all the noise of this city. It started as a physical practice as a teenager and I was dancing fifteen hours a week while working a part time job at Nike/Athlete's World and going to school full time. I quickly realized there was something more as my mind would always feel clear after a class and my body felt like I was floating out of the studio. Yoga has become my dance as I hung up my dancing shoes for a mat that would allow my giant feet breathe.  Recently, my yoga practice has shifted to become more of a mindful practice to notice thoughts that come up in my mind and my body in everything that I do - especially when I am in the gym!

Let's take a 101 through a few yoga styles for the strength training individual. I reached out to a few of my favourite teachers to share with those of you who keeps saying "But I am not flexible!"And FYI- I wasn't strong or flexible until I picked up a weight and set my feet on the mat.

Hatha
The most popular of yoga practices, Hatha yoga focuses on the physical practice (asanas) and breath
(pranayamas) to energize the body channels (nadis). Hatha is a slow paced yoga class, focusing on breath and mindfulness in held postures. There is no set sequencing in a hatha yoga class, in fact many postures are used from all different types of yoga. Hatha yoga is great for beginners, giving them a feel of the benefits of being able to slow down the mind while focusing on body position. 

Justyn- Epic MMA

Restorative
Derived from the well known B.K.S. Iyengar school of yoga, restorative yoga makes use of props (blocks, straps, chairs, bolsters, blankets). It's the perfect class to totally separate from the daily noises, heal the body and find the beloved savasana (corpse pose) in every single pose. Every style of yoga can help you connect, be balanced and for most people it's easy to choose physically, challenging practices. Restorative challenges you to fully let go and practice moment to moment awareness without distractions. You stay longer in each asana and come out of class like you've just caught up on all the sleep you've been missing.

Claudia Whitney - Flex HK

Ana Forrest 
"Forrest Yoga is renowned as an intensely physical and internally focused practice that emphasizes how to carry a transformative experience off the mat and into daily life.  The practice challenges students to access their whole being and to use Forrest Yoga as a path to finding and then cleansing the emotional and mental blocks that dictate and limit their lives. Forrest Yoga does not require strength or flexibility; it only requires a willingness to learn how to feel authentically and respond honestly. The practice is founded on four pillars -- Breath, Strength, Integrity and Spirit." 

Forrest Yoga

Baptiste Power Yoga
"If you're an athlete, this is the yoga for you. It's taught in a warm room and it's ninety minutes of non stop, sweaty fun. YOu will be challenged in this class and you will want to come back for more. We also do a lot of push ups in this class so if you want to get strong, this is a great class to practice."

Tryphena- Pure Yoga


Yoga Therapy

"Yoga therapy is  a  rehabilitation therapy which uses yoga techniques to help individuals facing health challenges to manage health conditions, reduce symptoms, restore balance and improve health. The ideal yoga therapy is  one-on-one or in small groups. The difference from rehabilitation therapy (like physiotherapy) is that in yoga therapy we do also breathing, mindfulness, and relaxation as well (and that's why it is yoga).

Personally, I have integrated Nuat Boran (thai massage), yoga nidra and ayurvedic massage in to a integrative holistic yoga. This make my yoga therapy very original, effective and different from others." 

Dario- Holistic Wellness 

Anti-gravity Yoga

It's a lot of fun in a yoga class that was originally designed for athletes, gymnasts and now it's been modified for the everyday athlete. It incorporates components of dance, pilates, calisthenics and yoga for a complete workout that realigns you from the compression of gravity. It's also a lot of fun and allows you to let go of the fear of going upside down as you're safe within your hammock.

Body Wize




Here are a list of my favourite teachers and classes in Hong Kong

Claudia - Restorative, Detox Flow at Flex HK
Daniel - Anti gravity yoga at BodyWize (Happy Valley)
Dario- Yoga Therapy at Holistic Wellness
Joakim - Hatha at Pure Yoga - The Centrium
Justyn - Hatha at Epic MMA
Lawrence - Hatha, Hot at Pure Yoga - Soundwill (Causeway Bay)
Nora - Candle light Yin, Hot at The Yoga Room (Sheung Wan)
Patrick - Vinyasa at Pure Yoga - The Centrium
Tryphena- Yin-Yang at Pure Yoga - The Centrium

Then there are classes, taught by ME! Focused on the breath, grounding and moving to some smooth tunes.

Hatha Class at Epic MMA - Tuesdays 8:30 am - 9:30 am

Hatha Class at The Hong Kong Football Club - Tuesdays 7:30-8:30 pm

Hatha Class at Tung Chung Sports Centre - Wednesdays 10-11 am

Rest&Restore at Epic MMA- Thursdays 9-10 pm