Bamboo Power
I recently picked up Zumba at the local gym, and as fit as I thought I was, I couldn’t pull through the hour long class. Hard to believe! I do at least a two hour yoga practice every day, and another hour of contemporary dance, but when put to test my endurance level proved lower than the senior ladies’ stamina who took the class regularly. They were dancing their way into mental and physical shape through this effective Latin-inspired, interval-style, total-body workout with built in variety. If I were to look at the heart-rate monitor strips during this Zumba session, I would probably trace the undulating flow that went back and forth between high intensity and low intensity. And that seemed to be what I was lacking in my Yoga practice. It’s funny how a random class helped me reconsider my notion of tempo-rhythm and compound training on the mat.
There is a misconception that all yoga types and styles help you lose weight, build stamina, and improve your overall endurance. Building physical tenacity is a combination of aerobic exercise, strength training, proper diet, hydration and a positive attitude. The reason that the Zumba routines are so efficient, if you are a Latin dance aficionado of course, is because the work-out takes you into integrated movements and hybrid exercises. It combines squatting and pressing with jumping and pulling, helping you target at least three to four muscle groups with each move. You bend down and curl your bicep, or you reach out and hop back – and this compound movement elongates the sides of your waist, tones your muscles, builds cardio health and stamina in an accessible and fun way.
If we were to transfer the benefits of Zumba into a Vinyasa-based yoga class we would have to create a routine that alternates between high and low intensity and chooses compound stretches over isolation. We would have to alternate longer held poses with pulsing transitional poses that cradle us between two extremes. Perhaps, we would also combine a fast-paced and repetition-based warm up with poses that bring isometric contraction. We would definitely have to add gratifying twists and nurturing binds in the standing poses, and core zippers in seated, reclining and balancing poses. We would have to enhance the oppositional pull in all the poses and the fluid buoyancy in all the transitions.
Combining squatting and hip openers with twisting and side bending or lifting we get more muscles working in a movement and stimulate the heart, which in turn improves our stamina. And most importantly, we would have to come up with fresh and exciting ways to shift levels, planes, angles and to create new neuro-pathways in the brain, so the body doesn’t get stuck with the same routine. It’s vital to keep the mind guessing. And although there are no explosive movements in Yoga, and everything morphs smoothly from one state to the next, we can think of broadening and expanding through the poses. In general, we can think bigger, feel both rooted and free to branch into all directions, open to relate to everything that happens internally and externally.
Addressing stamina only physically is a limiting endeavor. The concept of building up tenacity is essential for every soul as it nurtures indispensable human qualities like forbearance, patience, tolerance, acceptance and resolution. As we get physically stronger and more centered we are able to employ our will power in constructive ways and to find the inner resolve to things both for ourselves and others. We perform better at work. We feel healthier, more vital and ultimately radiate positive energy. Sometimes our tenacity can be put to test. Such moments can be terribly disheartening and exhausting – threatening to destroy your sense of progress. You may feel you are confronting a brick wall, and the hurdles that seemed insignificant before appear insurmountable now. The tension is exacerbated by weakened resolve and the fear of making foolish decisions that could undermine what has been accomplished.
When you find yourself in a crisis where everything seems at the point of breakdown, avoid reacting aggressively, getting defensive or trying to combat the problems head-on. Like being caught in quicksand, the more you struggle, the more you’ll be sucked in. Surviving difficult challenges depends on your ability to stay centered, focused and as calm as possible. Reacting emotionally to a crisis will only complicate the difficulties.
A good stamina promoting Yoga class, like the one which we have created for you to enjoy is geared towards promoting cardio health and will train you to be firm and yet flexible – working steadily to resolve any pending situation. It will help you to search for the best solution as you keep things into perspective. It will burn away any adopted ideas from your head, and weed-out any half truths or negative thoughts that you may have been harboring. It will cultivate your inner tenacity and appreciation for the impediments that are now becoming stepping stones for your growth. Looking for the quickest way out of a complicated situation isn’t necessarily going to help, and may actually divert you from the step-by-step work of taking responsibility for your actions.
This class will enhance your creative decision solving and help you stay alert – deeply trusting in yourself and your power of intuitive guidance to find the best solution. It will make you resolute, but not argumentative and always open to what others have to say. It will guide you to realize that the moment of resolution will become apparent in due course; it cannot be forced. Resoluteness requires cool detachment, patience, and unwavering purpose. Being flexible enough to move with the changes without compromising your vision is the key to success. When you combine a flexible body and mind with a strong and loving spirit you perform every action and conduct every relationship with intrinsic elegance and unwavering tenacity. You have seamlessly mastered the art of harnessing “Bamboo Power”. Eager to try the class?
Yogea Stamina Boosting: Bamboo Power
This Yogea sequence combines the benefits of an abs class, a cardio routine and a strength interval-based training. It takes the body through all spatial planes, levels and integrates isometric stretches while building up core strength. Instead of holding for an extended period of time in every pose, you get to try a fun way of shifting weight while recovering from balancing and lunging poses. Standing poses alternate from side to side, allowing you to build stamina as you press the legs into the floor and engage into external or neutral leg rotation or hip adduction or abduction. Special twists and binds are integrated into the classical poses, so you can enjoy compound movements. Certain asanas fulfill multiple functions as they allow you to function in different planes simultaneously while stabilizing your center and providing full range in all the joints. Strong emphasis is placed not necessarily on building muscle mass, but on elongating the muscles and creating a synergistic feel in the body. The three main girdles of the neck, the trunk and the pelvis are all engaged and worked out. The sequence promotes a sense of stability, inner resolve and graceful tenacity.
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