What Is Power Yoga?
Power yoga is essentially yoga with brawn. It’s the American interpretation of ashtanga yoga, a discipline that combines stretching, strength training, and meditative breathing. But power yoga takes ashtanga one step further. Many of the poses (also called postures or their Sanskrit name, asanas) resemble basic calisthenics — push-ups and handstands, toe touches and side bends — but the key to power yoga’s sweat-producing, muscle-building power is the pace. Instead of pausing between poses as you would in traditional yoga, each move flows into the next, making it an intense aerobic workout. Is the breathing important? One element of power yoga that distinguishes it from other forms of the practice is a breathing technique known as ujjayi. The deliberate whoosh, whoosh, whoosh breathing — jokingly referred to as Darth Vader breathing — is an integral part of the poses. It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, adding a meditative component to the workout and leaving you with
