Vinyasa yoga: Word of the day is “vinyasa”. When I saw this little cartoon, I was inspired by the “steps” because that is one of the important meanings of “vinyasa” in the yoga practice. I find the most common association with the term is with Sun Salutations, one of the classic ways to warm up the body in the physical practice of Yoga. This is a limiting as a definition.
I found this on Wikipedia : Lori Gaspar (2003) [1] states: There are four basic definitions of vinyasa: 1) the linking of body movement with breath; 2) a specific sequence of breath-synchronized movements used to transition between sustained postures; 3) setting an intention for one’s personal yoga practice and taking the necessary steps toward reaching that goal; and 4) a type of yoga class.
Yesterday I subbed a Yoga Class at Base Gym. The class is labelled a vinyasa class, a label usually reserved for the Sun Salutation type of classes, 1 – 5 breaths per movement. In the style I teach, which is called Yapana®, we teach vinyasa as part of the class, but these are varied and are tied in as preparation for the other poses we are going to do. So it is all vinyasa but borrows different connotations. Off the mat, if you set a goal or intention, you also need to follow certain steps towards it. So the meaning of the word is very rich!
steps – vinyasa
Rana Waxman is a registered yoga therapist ERYT-500, with 20 years of teaching experience. Rana is a freelance writer and social media expert in addition to leading yoga workshops internationally and teaching alignment focused private and group Yoga Lessons in Hoboken and Jersey City NJ.
