Overall, power yoga classes are very fitness-based and physically demanding. With many of the same elements as Ashtanga yoga practice, Vinyasa, ujjayi breath, sun salutations, active postures, inner warmth and sweat, power yoga also has many of the same benefits that this yoga style gives, including increased endurance, strength, balance and flexibility as well as detoxification, weight loss and stress reduction. Since both styles are rooted in the vigorous Vinyasa style of Ashtanga yoga, requiring students to synchronize their breath with movement as they flow through a dynamic sequence of poses, variety is a key difference between the two styles. Power yoga does not involve a fixed series of positions.
Teachers creatively design their own lesson sequences with one pose advancing directly into the next, and their teaching style often develops from their own home exercises. The presence or absence of any overtly spiritual component is entirely up to the teacher or studio, although many say it is almost impossible to remove all spirituality from yoga. With that being said, the poses are given in their English names, usually there aren’t many chants or meditations, and any yoga philosophy or wisdom is presented in a very accessible, contextual way.
Principles of Power Yoga
The general guiding principle of power yoga is to listen to your body and breathing: if you feel unwell, stop. If you find that you are not breathing deeply or cannot keep your breath full, please exit the posture. In class, it is recommended that you skip Vinyasa or take Child’s Pose when appropriate.