Sally Brown reveals how yoga can make you stronger, smarter and healthier. And it’s not just for girls
If you had to invent a fitness technique for frequent travellers, your checklist might look something like this – requires little space or equipment, is suitable for all fitness levels, and improves strength, stamina and flexibility. You’d probably want some mental benefits thrown in too. And why not have it recommended by everyone from A-list celebrities to Indian mystics, blending the trendy and the timeless?
If your idea of stretching is reaching for the remote control, you’ve probably already dismissed yoga as “not your thing”, despite all the buzz about it over the past decade, as it moved from the hippy fringes to the mainstream.
It’s true that yoga may have a more instant appeal to women than men, says teacher Wayne Léal (fulhamyoga.com). “Men haven’t grown up doing dance and gymnastics classes like many women have, and physiologically, having a more muscular build can restrict your flexibility,” he says. “But what men are discovering is that there is so much more to yoga than stretching and calming down. It’s a challenging exercise choice that burns calories and builds muscle.”
Proof comes from premier league football teams incorporating it into their training, with Ryan Giggs and David Beckham two high-profile devotees. There are also a growing number of top businessmen who credit yoga with helping them to stay at the top of their game (bond trader Bill Gross, EMI chairman Guy Hands and former secretary of state for business Peter Mandelson are three recent examples).
Mark Evans, co-founder of the City of London’s first dedicated yoga studio (bluecowyoga.com), says: “Many men are looking for something that complements their existing exercise routine; others are looking for an alternative to running on a treadmill or working out at a gym – they’ve done it for years and are bored by it.
“What often happens is that clients may try yoga for one reason, but end up doing it regularly for something completely different.”
Ex-army officer Evans first tried it to help strengthen an injured foot, but became a devotee when he realised it was aiding his recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder after a tour in Afghanistan.
So how does it work? In all classes, you do a series of postures or “asanas”, while paying special attention to the rhythm of the breath (pranayama) and the focus of the mind. On a physical level, it strengthens muscles, lubricates joints and improves flexibility and posture, while the emphasis on breathing increases lung capacity.
But unlike other forms of exercise, yoga also alters your brain chemistry. As well as decreasing levels of catecholamines, the hormones produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress, it lowers levels of the hormone neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine, noradrenaline and adrenaline, creating a feeling of calm. It also boosts levels of oxytocin, the so-called “trust” and “bonding” hormone that’s associated with feeling relaxed and connected to others.
This increased sense of well-being translates into more tangible benefits – for instance, according to recent research, people who do yoga on a regular basis are more likely to stave off age-related weight gain than those who jog or go to the gym. “Yoga creates a mind-body connection that you carry with you out of the studio into all aspects of your life,” Léal says.
Doing yoga regularly may also bring relief from the kind of low-level health niggles that seem to go hand-in-hand with frequent travel. It is more effective at treating back pain than osteopath or chiropractic treatments, according to the largest trial ever into yoga and back pain, carried out by the University of York in 2011. A recent report by the British Wheel of Yoga found evidence that it could improve symptoms in asthma sufferers, and reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It’s also an effective treatment for depression and can relieve the pain of osteoarthritis.
Traditionally, yoga was taught one-to-one, and it’s still the best way to learn, Léal believes. “Even just a few private lessons can help you do the positions with good form,” he says. The next best thing is to join a class, and there is a wide range on offer. Teaching styles vary hugely, but the aim of a good teacher is to get you to a point where you no longer need them and can practise on your own, choosing postures to suit your goals or mood on any given day, whatever the size of your hotel room.
FIND YOUR STYLE
When joining any class for the first time, introduce yourself to the teacher and let them know what experience you’ve had, and any injuries or health conditions. Remember that yoga is non-competitive, and everyone is encouraged to work at their own level.
Ashtanga/power yoga
Best for: Fitness
In its purest form, ashtanga is a 90-minute class involving a flowing series of postures, done at a dynamic pace in a set sequence. Teachers undergo long and rigorous training at the “home” of ashtanga, in Mysore, India. Considered the most hardcore yoga discipline, ashtanga should be practised three times a week, first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach.
Everyone starts with the Primary Series, and only when your teacher feels you’ve fully mastered that are you allowed to progress to the next level. Although taught in classes, you go through the sequence at your own pace, with the teacher moving around the class giving individual help.
There are also many classes that take their inspiration from ashtanga’s flowing sequence of moves, such as “power” or “flow” yoga, but have deviated from the traditional format. Both styles will get your heart rate up and leave you warm and sweaty, so if you want to get fit and tone up, this could be the class for you. It’s also great for building lean muscle tissue, as a lot of the postures involve supporting your body weight.
Where to try it: See kpjayi.org for a list of certified ashtanga teachers in the UK, or for power yoga, try the British Wheel of Yoga (bwy.org.uk).
Bikram
Best for: Burning calories
Bikram is also known as “hot” yoga because it’s done in a room heated to sauna temperatures (41ºC). The heat relaxes your joints, muscles and ligaments, making challenging postures more achievable, so you can push your body to new limits. There’s nothing gentle about this style of yoga – it’s fast-paced, the whole class sweats buckets, and it’s said to burn 600 calories per 90-minute class.
There is a set routine of 26 postures, although every class feels different as you can take it to new levels depending on what you put into it. Devotees claim it’s like having a weekly detox, and it can transform bodies by blitzing fat and building lean, graceful muscles. But it’s also good for the mind – doing the same poses in the same order every week has a very meditative effect, and you can really focus on your breathing rather than trying to watch the instructor for what’s coming next. Created by Indian yoga guru Bikram Choudhury, there are now Bikram studios all over the world. (See case study, below.)
Where to try it: There are several Bikram studios in London and other major cities around the UK – see bikramyoga.com.
Iyengar
Best for: Flexibility
Iyengar is a slow and precise form of yoga that’s designed to loosen up even the stiffest physiques. You won’t get hot and sweaty, but you will build up muscle strength and stamina, as classes consist of holding different postures for up to two minutes at a time. The aim is to rebalance your muscle and bone structure, and even reposition your internal organs, to iron out those postural kinks and imbalances that lead to aches and pains.
It’s also good for focusing the mind, and the theory is that regularly coping with challenging postures makes you generally more resilient in life. It’s especially good for beginners or those with back problems or other injuries, as you work with belts and blocks to help ease you into postures. There’s no set format and every class is different – for best results, try to do one a week and practise for 15 minutes a day at home.
Where to try it: For a qualified Iyengar teacher in your area, see bksiyengar.com. For details of workshops and events across the UK, see iyengaryoga.org.uk.
Jivamukti
Best for: Reducing stress
The relative new kid on the block, Jivamukti has raised a few eyebrows among yoga purists – it’s done to a booming soundtrack for a start. But if you’re looking for an outlet for your stress, or for more meaning in life, it could be for you. Created by US yoga teachers David Life and Sharon Gannon in 1984, Jivamukti is Sanscrit for “liberation while living”, and their aim was to demystify the spiritual aspect of yoga and make it more easily digestible for Westerners. Each 60-90-minute class starts with devotional chanting, designed to detox the mind of suppressed resentments and toxic emotions. You then move into a vigorous session of flowing yoga to release tension from the body. Lastly, there’s a deep, guided meditation to end every class.
Where to try it: For classes and workshops, see jivamuktiyoga.co.uk. At home, try Transform Yourself with Jivamukti Yoga (DVD, £8, amazon.co.uk).
Kundalini
Best for: Spirituality
If you’re attracted to the mental benefits of yoga, consider Kundalini. The focus is on using a specific, noisy breathing technique known as “breath of fire” combined with chanting to ignite the “kundalini” energy, or life force, believed to be found at the base of the spine.
Postures, known as “kriyas”, are secondary to the breathing techniques, the same techniques that form the basis of those used in Tantric sex. Leave your inhibitions at the door and you’ll be rewarded with an energising and powerfully mood-altering effect. Kundalini has a large celebrity following thanks to Maya Fiennes (mayaspace.com), sister-in-law of actor Ralph Fiennes, who has done much to bring it into the mainstream in recent years.
Where to try it: For classes and workshops, see kundaliniyoga.org.uk.
CASE STUDY
BY TOM OTLEY
Mid-afternoon, I was in a basement in a suburb of Tokyo with more than 20 flexible and scantily clad Japanese ladies. The room was hot – over 40 degrees – and sweat poured from our bodies as the floor-to-ceiling mirrors showed our every synchronised movement. We were ten minutes into a 90-minute class, and the rules in this, as in all Bikram yoga classes, were clear – no leaving the room, and no talking.
I have done yoga for several years, initially for a bad back, now for anger management. When working in London, there are regular classes, but when travelling, which is most of the time, I try to keep practising, with varying degrees of success. Although many hotels now have gyms, there is rarely room to have a good stretch.
Bikram’s 26 movements are performed identically around the world so if there’s a class where you are going, you can just drop in and get on with it. I used the services of viajapan.co.uk, which told me when the one English class a week occurred (a Thursday afternoon) and how to get there (appropriately enough, by going to a station called Yoga). The receptionist was expecting me, and though there wasn’t much English spoken, the class went without a hitch. I now intend to try Bikram in as many cities as I can.
YOUR DIY KIT
Practising at home in between lessons is the key to maximising the benefits of yoga. Need help to get started? Try these:
20:21 by Wayne Leal
A 21-day programme of daily 20-minute yoga sessions designed to shift fat, build muscle tone and give you a good grounding in yoga (£15 for book and DVD, bodyinbalanceshop.com).
Total Yoga by Howard Napper
A three-hour DVD from Howard Napper, one of the UK’s most respected teachers, with four 45-minute sessions to choose from – upper body, lower body, a fast-paced dynamic yoga session, and a relaxing chill-out (£6 from amazon.co.uk).
Yoga2Hear
Keep your practise up while travelling with Yoga2Hear, a range of audio CDs and downloads by respected teacher Sue Fuller. Improvers Daily Yoga features five different 15 minute-yoga sessions that you use in rotation. It’s like having a yoga teacher in your hotel room (from £12.99, wellbeingworldonline.com).
Healing Yoga
A directory of poses to relieve the symptoms of ailments such as headaches, insomnia and indigestion, clearly explained by therapeutic yoga expert Stella Weller (£10 from amazon.co.uk).
Yogify
There are more than 275 yoga poses and 50 classes on this app for iPhone and iPad (free with option to buy more, from iTunes).
Pocket Yoga
This bestselling app has 145 poses and 27 sessions of varying difficulty (£1.89 for Android devices from Google Play, £1.99 for iPhone and iPad from iTunes).
