Power Yoga: Everything about the yoga style and the best exercises

Power Yoga is a term that is often used for many types of yoga courses: Power Vinyasa Yoga, Core Power Yoga and Co. say hello. Here you can read everything about the original Power Yoga founded by yoga teacher Bryan Kest and which exercises you can use to get started in Power Yoga as a beginner !

What is power yoga?

Bryan Kest himself was a student of Pattabhi Jois, to whom the Ashtanga Yoga style goes back. However, Kest developed the very traditional Ashtanga style into a modern, Western twist .

Because Power Yoga according to Bryan Kest is about consciously finding your own limits . You will definitely not find silent meditation and spiritual echoes here, instead you will work up a sweat and find “power” in the sense of inner strength .

Unlike strict Ashtanga Yoga, Power Yoga does not have individual supervision by the trainer. Everyone decides for themselves about the speed and intensity of the asanas. The order of the individual exercises can also be varied. Basically, Power Yoga according to Kest is based on the series of Ashtanga Yoga.

What is Power Vinyasa Yoga?

In principle, this term can be equated with Power Yoga. Because the combination of the Sanskrit terms "Vi" and "Nyasa" means "to lay/place/sit in a certain way" and describes yoga asanas that flow into each other . This is the case with Power Yoga.

In Power (Vinyasa) Yoga, you breathe through your nose so you can better assess whether an asana is too strenuous or too easy. Nose breathing is always coordinated with body movements, so that the individual exercises flow in the rhythm of the breath .

What is Core Power Yoga?

The name Power Yoga is no longer trademarked , which is why theoretically every studio can offer courses under this term. Power Core Yoga is often used to emphasize the fitness and weight loss factor.

This modification of the original Power Yoga is designed to define muscles and stabilize the back and abdominal muscles . Due to the intense asanas, Core Power Yoga is good for losing weight. The effect on the character tends to be more of a focus with this variant than with Kest.

Power Yoga: exercises for beginners and at home

With Power Yoga you will find that you can quickly find peace thanks to the even breathing in combination with demanding movement . Since you can adjust the level of difficulty yourself, you don't have to be afraid of being overwhelmed.

The Sun Salutation in Power Yoga

In both Ashtanga Yoga and Power Yoga, the Sun Salutation begins the practice as it stretches, warms up, strengthens and activates the core muscles . And this is how the sun salutation works:

The sun salutation is a classic asana.

• Standing upright engage your abs, pull your shoulders down and bring your palms together in front of your chest.
• Inhale: Bring your hands together at the sides of your head, palms touching again.
• Exhale: Bend forward and place your hands on the floor. The back is round, if necessary you can bend your knees a little.
• Inhale: Stand up halfway so your back is straight and only your fingertips are touching the mat.
• Exhale: Jump your feet back into the push-up. The elbows are close to the body and the back is straight.
• Inhale: The backs of your feet lie on the mat and you lower your stomach. The elbows are still at the side and the back is slightly bent. Hold this position for one breath.
• On the next inhale , lift your torso and enter cobra.
• Exhale: Push the pelvis up, straighten the legs and stay in downward-facing dog for a few breaths.
• Inhale: Take small steps towards the front end of the mat.
• Exhale: Let your upper body hang and round your back.
• Inhale: Straighten up and come back into Mountain Pose.

You can repeat the sun salutation several times until you feel warmed up and stretched.

Simple exercises in Power Yoga

The individual series in Power Yoga consist of various Vinyasa Flows . The following two asanas are only examples from a long series of exercises.

The triangle

You stand straddle, the back foot is parallel to the short end of the mat. Bend your upper body to the left and place your left hand on your left shin. Follow your right arm as you stretch it straight up.

Contract all muscles and hold the position for a few breaths. Then you switch to the other side via the push-up and the cobra.

The triangle

The rotated prayer posture

Drop your right knee and place your back of your foot flat on the mat. Twist your upper body to the left and place your palms together in front of your chest.

Now you can tuck your right elbow behind your left knee.

The rotated prayer posture

Feel the stretching effect for a few breaths and then switch to the other side via the downward-facing dog.

These asanas may sound familiar to you if you've done yoga before. That's because Power Yoga is based on Ashtanga Yoga . This in turn is the basis of many styles of yoga that we practice today. With Power Yoga you will find a strenuous but all the more rewarding introduction to yoga practice: It is a yoga that demands a lot from you, but at the same time responds exactly to your needs !