Is Power Yoga Good for Beginners? | Power Yoga

Is Power Yoga Good for Beginners?

is power yoga good for beginners

Power Yoga is well-suited for a diverse range of people and certainly, beginners are within that range. Personally, I feel that power yoga is the best place for beginners to start their yoga journey. Yet, I am biased toward the type of Power Yoga I share. Unlike many other types of yoga, Power Yoga is simply an intriguing name used by many unaffiliated instructors leading a large spectrum of physical classes with some meditation sprinkled in. Because my brand of Power Yoga has become a prominent player in the yoga world, I will share with you why Power Yoga is a great place for beginners to start their yoga journey. Yet, I cannot guarantee other interpretations of Power Yoga would be as equally conducive of a starting point as mine.

Physicality is not emphasized in Power Yoga, especially anything extreme. Power Yoga is a meditation practice within a mind-bending simple (no contortions) dynamic asana (poses) routine incorporating the five pillars of physical exercise (strength, flexibility, cardio, balance, stamina) touching almost every range of motion in the body. Yet, due to the emphasis on meditation and not peak performance beginners are less likely to push themselves past their limits which could easily irritate or injure the body. Beginners have also been put at ease due to the non-competitive environment. It is explained very clearly why peak performance and wellness are polar opposites. It’s also explained why competition is absurd unless your intent is to disrespect yourself and your unique needs. You could never honor your needs if you were comparing or competing with others. You are immediately reminded of the value of moderation as you are shown very clearly the harder you are on anything the faster you destroy it. So, aggressiveness is irrational, and the key is moderation, which is really just another word for gentleness. Gentleness is a quality that would enhance all relationships including the one you have with your body. Gentleness requires listening to your experience, which is necessary in order to determine gentleness. In this listening to your experience, the mind becomes quiet or empty. This quiet or empty mind is not only the goal of yoga according to Patanjali, but this quietness also disempowers mental habits, cultivates perceptiveness, allows relaxation, and is the very first step in meditation.

I believe being in such a non-dogmatic and non-competitive environment is a wonderful place for a beginner to start their journey. I also believe understanding these few principles I’ve mentioned as well as many others will aid in all other endeavors yoga-related or not. What would help a beginner most initially in their yoga journey is not anything physical, but rather a clear understanding of how to approach their yoga practice otherwise anything physical will be a disaster.

Lastly, with a Bryan Kest Power Yoga class, you are taught a simple and approachable way to look at every pose which enables even beginners to access tremendous benefit without any detriment.

Read our next post titled: Yoga For Beginners (Part 2 - Mentality)