Yoga by Holmes Place - Group Class

Yoga is a way to celebrate the presence of the sun even when it’s gone, filling us with energy, calm feelings and equilibrium. Welcoming yoga into your everyday routine should include the physical practice of the asanas, the meditation and the breathing techniques.

Focusing on the asanas (the poses and transitions in between poses that make up the physical practice of this ancient discipline), there are many variations that can help you work on different body areas. Yoga can also be useful if you are focusing on weight loss and toning. In a typical 45m - 1hr class of regular yoga, you can expect to burn from 100 to 450 calories, depending on your physical condition and how much effort you put into your practice. 

Typically, hot yoga and Ashtanga yoga (also known as power yoga) will help you burn more calories than other types of class (between 350 to 480 calories) but when you do flow yoga, (focusing on the transitions in a never-ending motion) or vinyasa yoga, you can expect high intensity and a burn of about 590 calories. 

Aside from the physical and spiritual benefits of yoga, you’ll find a more balanced mind, better ability to focus and concentrate on the present, elimination of anxiety and reduced stress. You’ll also discover better flexibility, strength, posture and toning. To begin your practice you should speak to an expert. Here is a basic glossary to set you on the right path:

1) Asanas 

The closest literal meaning to this is ‘comfortable seat’ and it relates to any of the various body poses assumed in yoga. You hold poses for a certain length of time and each has its own name, usually derived from nature and animals.

2) Bandhas

Body locks which help regulate and control all your internal systems. A term that is related to energy and energy leaks, they are explored as the practice evolves.

3) Mudras 

The symbolic hand positions that relate to different meditative states. The most famous one, ‘Anjali mudra’, is a prayer pose; setting the mood for the class.

4) Prana 

Your beautiful ‘life force’ - which, in straight-forward terms, is breathing. Again; prana is an abstract concept and has nothing to do with air, water or blood. Rather, it refers to the cosmic energy (believed to come from the sun) which connects you to the universe and everything in it. 

5) Pranayama 

This is the formal practice of controlling breathing. The idea is to support your asanas by regulating and lengthening your breath in sequences of deep, silent and nasal breathing.

6) Samadhi 

This is the ultimate achievement in yoga: the stage at which union with the divine is reached. It’s the highest peak of meditation, where you experience a paradise-like, blissful state of nirvana and oneness with the universe.

7) Namaste 

The greeting, that means ‘I bow to you’, is something you’ll hear at the end of every yoga class. It’s typically spoken whilst placing your palms together, closing your eyes and bowing your head.