Yogic evolution, revolution

Manpriya Singh

There was power yoga that we found out about, first made peace with and then totally agreed with. After all, it’s nothing but ‘yoga bumped into aerobics’ along the way. Only it didn’t stop there. After Deepak Chopra and Hollywood happened to yoga, there’s been no stopping this ancient science. A good thing or bad thing? Let’s find out. On International Day of Yoga, we take stock of all the fusion forms that yoga has now come to incorporate.

Not for purists

While 32-year-old Manisha Kharbanda, certified international yoga trainer and founder of Brahmyog, takes any kind of imitation or experimentation as flattery, sometimes it gets too much. “For instance, beer yoga,” she rues. “Imagine drinking beer and doing asanas. May be their theory is that you relax the mind first before relaxing the body.”

Strange as it may sound to purists, it doesn’t stop there. “Weed yoga or high yoga and there is also nude yoga (naked yoga, as the name suggests) is being practiced in the western world; now that is something I’d consider derogatory because yoga is about spirituality,” opines Stuti Singla, former MCM student, who got introduced to this practice during a camp that was held in the college last year. “While I never really went beyond power yoga, I’d really like to try aqua yoga, since it combines both swimming and yoga.”

Choose your partner

It’s acro-yoga that makes sense to Manisha, who has seen this form evolve for the past two-and-a-half decades that she has been associated with the practice. “In acro-yoga, you always do it with your partner, whether your BF or BFF, your mother or child. It’s a great way of connecting with your partner while attempting some incredible poses.” Personally speaking, it’s the hatha yoga that she swears by. “In that you perform the postures and hold onto each posture for a certain amount of time.” While Gisele Bundchen is a strong advocate of Hatha Yoga, Jessica Alba resorts to hot yoga or yoga sculpt to get herself looking the way she does.

Power versus Yin yoga

As opposed to power yoga, there is Yin yoga increasingly gaining popularity, a form in which you slow down the process and hold postures for a longer duration. Actress Saumya Tandon feels yoga is probably India’s biggest export and its newer forms are just a barometer of popularity. “It didn’t become really popular in India till the time it became really popular in the west.” Having started with power yoga, and later Iyenger yoga, she lately also took a few sessions of aerial yoga. “Aerial yoga is wonderful in the sense that you are using your own body weight and gravity; it strengthens your core.

Stiletto yoga

If an exercise is taken ahead, there is nothing wrong with it.” Agrees Shobhna Juneja, who has her own yoga studio in Chandigarh, and believes evolution is inevitable. “That’s how this practice has survived since thousands of years.” The good part stays, while anything unworthy will automatically fade out. For instance, she laughs, ‘Things like dog yoga where she has heard of people carrying little puppies along with yoga mat to do asanas.” But one thing she really did to put out a strong message to all out there is stiletto yoga. “I did yoga in my stilettos and it was my way of sending out a message to all the women; it’s okay to do be who you are, do what you want and own up to it proudly.”

In the western world    

We can’t leave out the international part of it. Originated in India, but definitely propagated outside of the country (several studios in Hollywood will testify that yoga is now no more just a wellness fad, but something A-listers of LA swear by).

Total obsession: Ryan Gosling

Now we don’t know if that’s a good thing for yoga or vice-versa; his Hey Girl memes to do with yoga are as popular as Rajinikanth jokes here! Such is his love for the workout that he even took his big dog, George, to a yoga class in West Hollywood, only to be later chucked out. 

Being together: David Beckham and Victoria Beckham

When we were just beginning to learn about power yoga and couple yoga, as long back as a decade ago, the duo was actually indulging in the power couple yoga in Beverly Hills to keep the romance in their relationship alive. While David practiced more of Bikram Yoga, wife Victoria Beckham was also reported to take yoga classes to boost her fertility.  

Fitness mantra: Kate Hudson 

She could be the brand ambassador of varied workouts. Needless to say, yoga has been one of the mainstays of her fitness secrets since a long time now, with the actress giving Instagram shout-outs to her trainers and frequently posting yoga poses, including the popular tree pose. 

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