Which yoga is right for you?

Tags

105 degrees, 40% humidity, 5000-year-old Indian philosophy, a thing, active and athletic, aiding relaxation, ashtanga, B.K.S. Iyengar, basic postures, Bikram, Bikram Choudhury, Bikram class, Blocks, boards, body and soul, brand new, breathing, British Wheel of Yoga Teachers, classical approach, clearer, diet, effort, environment, exercise, flow, GP, harnesses, Hatha, hot yoga, inhale and exhale, Iyengar, meditation, mind, moved, muscles, perfect position, popular, power, power yoga, precise alignment, pregnancy, psychic cleansing, purist form of yoga, rapidly, reflect and mediate, relaxation, restorative, sauna-like conditions, six established poses, specifically adapted poses, straps, strenuous, students, time out, universally popular, vinyasa, workout, yoga

Yoga is a 5000-year-old Indian philosophy that combines breathing, diet, exercise, meditation and relaxation to
give your mind, body and soul a workout.

However, it seems a new ‘type’ of yoga comes on the scene every week so we have decided to have a look at the most popular types to make things a little clearer.

Ashtanga
This yoga practise is faster than many types as you rapidly, flow from one pose to the next with each inhale and exhale. It is based on six established poses that can be pretty strenuous if done correctly. You go from the primary series, second series, third series, and so on with each series of poses linked by the breath. This co-ordinated movement of breath and pose is called a ‘vinyasa’.

Bikram
Also knows as hot yoga, Bikram is all about yoga being practised in a sauna-like conditions and has become increasingly popular over the past decade. Whatever the weather is outside, when you take a Bikram class the temperature is turned up to 105 degrees which in turn tends to create an environment of around 40% humidity. Created by Bikram Choudhury, this practise is made up of a series of 26 basic postures and each one is performed twice.

Hatha
As one of the six original ‘branches’ of yoga, Hatha is a universally popular yoga practise and enjoyed by thousands. Classes tend to take a classical approach with time spent on getting breathing and basic postures right. If you want a balance of effort and relaxation, this could be a good starting point.

Iyengar
Named after the founder B.K.S. Iyengar, this is considered to be a purist form of yoga. Blocks, boards, harnesses and straps are often used in classes to help students get into the perfect position. Practised by people of all ages and abilities, Iyengar yoga focuses on precise alignment and exact sequencing, but do not be fooled, it isn’t an easy option.

Power or Vinyasa
This is a pretty active and athletic style of yoga and is based on Ashtanga. Unlike Ashtanga, power yoga doesn’t follow the exact same sequence of poses and you may find the style changes with the teacher. After the class you will feel like you have moved and worked-out, so remember to take a little time to reflect and mediate afterwards.

Pregnancy
Yoga during pregnancy has become quite ‘a thing’ and the trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Teachers create classes based on specifically adapted poses that help women in all stages of pregnancy. As well as aiding relaxation and breathing, yoga can help keep muscles strong during pregnancy and give them the strength and energy to return to normal once the baby has been born. Always check the credentials of the teacher with the British Wheel of Yoga Teachers and if you experience any pain during a class, stop and consult your GP or out of hours service.

Restorative
This is less about working out and more about relaxing and taking stock. Time will be spent doing four or five simple poses with blankets, bolsters and lavender oil being used to deepen relaxation levels. Many people feel that this is like a psychic cleansing of the mind and leaves them feeling feel brand new and refreshed afterwards.

Why not try out a class or two and find a yoga that is right for you?

Team Pure-Beauty

Grab a great holiday read

Tags

50-year-olds, advice, Anna Akana, band members, beautiful cousin, best reads, best-selling, Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, big screen, blushes, book, brilliant read, brutally honest, camp counsellors, Camp Marigold, cocktail, commentary, Cornwall, danger, debut novel, Englishman, escapism, fashion, flight, friendship, G&T, hat, hate, highly engaging, Hollywood beach babe, imagined, instruction manual, iPad, journey, Kindle, laughter, London, love, lover, Mandy Berman, Modern Lovers by Emma Straub, My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier, mysterious, nostalgia, Paige Toon, paper, partner, passport, people, Perennials, perfect, pool bar, poolside, power, prose, put down, quirky journalist, relationship blog, shades, share, shelves, So Much I Want to Tell You: Letters to My Little Sister, story, students, suicide prevention, summer 2017, tale, talent, tears, The Duchess by Danielle Steel, The Last Piece of My Heart, tickets, tissues, transatlantic flight, travel, younger sister, YouTube channel

Whether you use a Kindle, iPad or are still a lover of paper, having something good to read when you are on holiday takes you to a whole new level of escapism.

A book is the perfect way to get through a flight (add a G&T), is the perfect poolside partner and if you get stuck on the way home, you can read away the hours.

We have had a look at some of the best reads out there for Summer 2017 and wanted to share them with you.

If you are looking for a little nostalgia, look no further than Mandy Berman’s debut novel, Perennials. This easy to relate to friendship story reunites Rachel Rivkin and Fiona Larkin at Camp Marigold, but as camp counsellors rather than students. This is a summer of heat, flagged by the past, flamed by the present and page by page the thrill and pain of growing up becomes apparent from a writing with endless talent and perfect prose.

OK, it’s not new but if you haven’t read Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, where have you been? If you are looking for a book you won’t be able to put down (perfect for a transatlantic flight), download this totally addictive read. Love, hate, danger, power, fashion, it’s all there for the taking people.

Another coming of age book is on the shelves this summer and this time it is Modern Lovers by Emma Straub. This is the tale of three friends, who also happen to be ex-band members, who are now old enough to have kids doing the things they remember, only too well, themselves doing. This time it might be 50-year-olds coming together but they do it in a style that beats any Hollywood beach babe who might be on the next lounger.

Maybe not the lightest read on the shelves right now, but So Much I Want to Tell You: Letters to My Little Sister by Anna Akana, is a brilliant read. After her younger sister killed herself, Anna started what is now, a 1.8-million strong brutally honest, highly engaging YouTube channel that cleverly combines advice with commentary and has a deep emphasis on suicide prevention. This outstanding first book is part memoir, part instruction manual, and it is equally as compelling as Anna herself, but have the tissues ready!

If you want a mix of laughter, tears and travel, it has to be Paige Toon’s latest novel, The Last Piece of My Heart. Bridget a quirky journalist has decided to turn her popular relationship blog into a book, however, after a number of painful rejections she gets a very different proposition. From London to Cornwall and further onto Thailand, readers join her on an unexpected journey into the unknown and what unfolds is better than she could have ever of imagined.

Out at the end of June, The Duchess by Danielle Steel hit the shelves. If anyone can write a really good beach book, it’s the fourth best-selling fiction author of all time. This time she brings us the story of how a high-class British lady becomes a French madam and it’s all there for the taking. We can’t wait to get our hands on this, but may need shades and a hat to hide our blushes.

To end this round-up we are going for a classic, My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier. Currently out on the big screen, this is the tale of a young Englishman who plots revenge against his mysterious, beautiful cousin, believing that she murdered his guardian. But his feelings take a turn and this fabulous page, turning mystery-drama will keep you guessing to the end of your cocktail at the pool bar.

So, pack your passport, tickets and sun cream, buy your books and relax.

Team Pure Beauty