We’ve all got to find some time to unwind after a long day at work, and for years, yoga has been the go-to solution for a large portion of the workforce.
However, it does get bland after a while, and doing the same routine over and over again usually loses the impact it had on your psyche at the very start.
Thankfully, yoga is a fairly modular thing, and there are loads of alternatives to the standard stuff that you can check out, possibly in your area even.
In fact, the new year is one you should use to improve yourself and what better way to do it than by introducing some change into your daily habits?
Let’s check out some of the more popular yoga trends you may run into!
Seated yoga
This one may have been a long time coming, seeing as a lot of the elderly folk have trouble staying on their feet for long periods of time.
On top of this, standard yoga requires a decent amount of flexibility, and it’s not a trait many older men and women can boast of having.
Due to the high demand for accessible yoga practices for those that have trouble with standard classes, Julia Jacobson developed what’s widely known as Seated Yoga.
The classes she offers include poses that can be done by any person of any age, and have been modified to also work for those that must remain seated for the duration of the exercise.
Additionally, elderly men and women have shown interest in exercises that wouldn’t put too much strain on their knees and ankles, which is a fairly common thing with standard yoga poses.
Doga
You’re going to love this one if you’re fond of dogs, although you may have been able to deduce that from the name alone.
While it does sound strange, yoga that incorporates dogs has been around for quite some time, and it can be a fun activity for the whole family.
Dogs are a naturally highly social species, and they love interacting with their owners, and through these yoga exercises, you’ll combine a healthy exercise regime with some fun playtime for your pet.
Aside from being a healthy habit, it’s also a way to bond with your dog as well as a fun activity that will help you decompress after a day of hard work.
Power Yoga
While this does sound like it goes against everything standard yoga stands for, strength is a core aspect of all yoga exercises, and it may be the right fit for some.
Through her power yoga classes, Natalia Maldonado believes that attendees can gain a stronger sense of understanding of their body and the way it reacts to physically-taxing activities.
The exercises tend to focus on the chest, shoulder, and back, which are usually the most affected areas of our body if we’re constantly performing difficult labor or have a tight exercise schedule.
Due to this, the program focuses on increasing one’s flexibility and strength through various poses that activate the aforementioned muscle groups.
On top of being a great activity for any frequent gym goers, power yoga is an amazing thing for anyone with a shorter attention span who’s more used to moving and switching up exercises at a much faster pace.
Yoga for your kids
After slightly over 2 years stuck in never-ending lockdowns, every parent wishes they could find an activity to keep their kids occupied.
A long day of staring at the computer screen and listening to classes is no way to waste a childhood, and it’s about time that your child got some healthy exercise into their daily routine.
Due to the high demand for child-friendly yoga classes, dozens of YouTube channels picked up on the trend, and you could tune in to their videos completely free of charge.
Of course, they do offer access to premium content if you do decide to pay, but even the most basic of exercises can keep your child healthy while also teaching them to be patient and mindful of others.
Yoga retreats
If you’re really into relaxing and taking things at a slower pace every once in a while (let’s face it, who isn’t?), you may want to give yoga retreats a try.
Even though they’re not as big of a thing in the wintertime, they’re still frequent enough for you to find one in your area, and it might just be the thing that makes you incorporate yoga into your daily schedule if you already haven’t.
While these retreats can be costly, mainly for the access to professional instructors you get for a full day or even more, they’re often affordable enough for you to reward yourself with a yoga-centric vacation, at least once.
Apart from the standard exercises, you’ll also gain access to in-person classes, meditation and group meditation sessions, and sharing circles, allowing you to throw all your worries away and embrace a peaceful mindset.