Power Flow, Vinyasa, Hot, Gentle…What’s the Right Kind of Yoga for Me?!

My first yoga class was Kundalini yoga, which consists of movements such as lifting your arms up in the air, sticking your tongue out of your mouth, and breathing rapidly for 20 minutes. My second yoga class was a gentle stretch. My third yoga class was Bikram, 26 yoga poses done in a room heated to 110 degrees. Then I found Vinyasa, which is my preference at this time.

Varying levels of yoga, from beginner in back to advanced in front.

So often people ask me about what kind of yoga I recommend for them. It’s a crucial question and it all depends on the needs of that person at that particular time in their life. At Mind the Mat, we primarily offer Vinyasa, which we refer to as Flow Yoga. The English translation of the Sanskrit word Vinyasa is breath linked with movement. Each pose transitions into the next, and movement is synchronized with breath. Flow Yoga is by nature creative. No one description fits for all teachers. Each instructor will have their own sequence and style.

Power Flow Yoga

Plow Pose

The Power Flow Yoga classes at Mind the Mat are Vinyasa style classes that are energizing and challenging. In this type of class you will gain strength, tone, concentration, balance, and flexibility. Students of all skill levels are welcome to these classes. Poses can always be modified according to a student’s ability, and more challenging poses, such as arm balances, inversions, and challenging transitions, will be offered for more advanced students.

Flow Yoga

Fish Pose

Flow Yoga classes at Mind the Mat are Vinyasa style classes that are also a very challenging work out and are accessible to students of all skill levels. Class starts with stretching, works up to a faster pace, and ends with stretching and relaxation. It is less likely that options such as arm balances and inversions will be offered in this style of class.

Slow Flow Yoga

Slow Flow Yoga classes at Mind the Mat are less vigorous than Flow Yoga. Slow Flow Yoga marries movement and stillness, strength, and surrender. Instructors emphasize alignment and awareness of your body in space, as well as holding postures to build strength and balance. Don’t be fooled by the name; holding poses can be just as challenging as moving through them quickly. This offers students the opportunity to gain confidence, strength, and flexibility.

Gentle Yoga

Corpse Pose

Gentle Yoga classes at Mind the Mat are designed to help you unwind from the business of life with deep breathing and gentle stretching. These classes are not Vinyasa Style.

Hot

Any yoga class at Mind the Mat that has the word Hot at that beginning of its name will be taught in a room heated to 95 degrees at 40 percent humidity. For these classes, it is key to hydrate before, during, and after class. Sweating in these classes is a great way to detoxify and can aid in weight loss and skin health. They are a great way to warm up in the winter time!

As part of your new year, come and find out what style of yoga is the best kind for you. We have a New Client Special 4 classes for $40 so you can try a variety!

Varying levels of yoga, from beginner on the left to advanced on the right.

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Sara VanderGoot

co-owner, CMT, e-RYT 200, RYT 500 | Mind the Mat

http://www.mindthemat.com

smvand@yahoo.com

703.683.2228

Sara VanderGoot, CMT, e-RYT 200, RYT 500, is Co-founder of Mind the Mat Pilates and Yoga and Director of Mind the Mat Yoga Alliance certified teacher training program. Sara is an experienced Registered Yoga instructor with Yoga Alliance. She studied Interdisciplinary Yoga with Don and Amba Stapleton in Nosara, Costa Rica and at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. Sara is Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, licensed by the Virginia Board of Nursing. Sara has been practicing massage therapy, including specialties Prenatal Massage, Postpartum Massage, Deep Tissue Massage and Thai Yoga Massage, in Del Ray, Alexandria for over 15 years and a yoga instructor for 7 years. At Mind the Mat she specializes in Prenatal Yoga, Postpartum Core Yoga, Mommy and Me Core Yoga, Partners Yoga, and Hot Flow Yoga. Sara frequently acts as a birth companion for many of her clients, doing massage and yoga during labor and delivery to facilitate comfort during both medicated and unmedicated births. Before becoming a massage therapist and yoga instructor, she was a lawyer in the Washington D.C. area and found that the healing practices of massage and yoga brought a balance to her life that she had been searching for.

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Mind the Mat Pilates & Yoga was founded in 2008 by Megan Brown, Doctor of Physical Therapy and Polestar Certified Practitioner of Pilates for Rehabilitation and Sara VanderGoot, Nationally Certified Massage Therapist and Registered Yoga Teacher (e-RYT 200, RYT 500). In their private practices as physical therapist and massage therapist respectively Megan and Sara observed that many of their clients were coming in with similar needs: relief for neck and shoulder tension and low back pain as well as a desire for more flexibility in hips and legs, stability in joints, and core strength.

Together Megan and Sara carefully crafted a curriculum of Pilates and yoga classes to address needs for clients who are pregnant, postpartum, have injuries or limitations, who are new to Pilates and yoga, and for those who are advanced students and are looking for an extra challenge.

www.mindthemat.com     

2214 Mount Vernon Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22301

703.683.2228