The Weekend Runner: Vinyasa Yoga

I’ve been on a yoga roll lately. I think I was drawn to it because it has principles so different from running – non-competitive, heart-pumping without the adrenaline rush, and taking your time to focus on progress instead of perfection. Yet I think it complements my running routine really well – I learn to listen to my inner-self, build strength and flexibility, and helping me to breathe better.

 

Contrary to popular belief, yoga is not all about meditation, chanting, and relaxing poses. Thanks to Fit Muslim Girl’s blog post on Which Type of Yogi are You?, and my previous experience with Hot Yoga, (now I know it’s called Bikram Yoga), I never knew there were so many different types of yoga to explore! So this week, I decided to try a different type of yoga called Vinyasa Yoga by YogaOneThatIWant (YOTIW). As usual, I booked this class through KFit.

 

According to KFit, Vinyasa Yoga is described as:

IMG_1555

Isn’t KFit awesome? Such a nifty and useful little app because I can continue to explore different types of work out without having to commit to a hefty gym membership.

 

Based on that description, I knew this time around I was not expecting anything relaxing or stretches to straighten any kinks in my muscles. I was prepared for a challenging work out, and it will be a good thing because I really needed to work on toning, strengthening, and balancing. Vinyasa is also great for people with joint problems because they can get some cardio work out, minus the high-impact.

Processed with VSCOcam with a6 preset As usual, I like to keep things simple when it comes to yoga. Nothing like a good Nashata Azeeza Zip Up top and my favourite Iman hijab so I can focus more on my poses, not my outfit. Plus this outfit hugs the body at all the right places, so your top won’t slide down in downward dog pose or other inverted poses.

IMG_1559Love the small class. Since there were not many participants, the instructor could go to everyone and check on their poses. We were closely guided to turn or stretch the right muscles first instead of just rushing to get a pose perfectly done. 

 

At the end of the 1 hour session, I got more than just toned muscles; I was also more aware of my posture when I sit or stand, and I was mentally recharged too. I guess Vinyasa yoga helped me more than just finding my balance physically – it also helped me to balance my mind to simply live in the moment.

For more info, head to YogaOneThatIWant’s website (http://yogaonethatiwant.com/yogaone/)

 

 

Until next week,

The Weekend Runner.