Leisure Kicks - The essencial sport and leisure guide

Asana: Asanas (yoga postures) strengthen and tone the body and improve the flow of energy - regulating physical systems of the body and breath, and stilling the mind for meditation. The asanas used in a class will vary from teacher to teacher and depend on the abilities of the students. The objective in asana work is not how far you can stretch or contort your body, but to combine stability (stira) with ease/relaxation (sukha). BWY teachers are trained to modify asanas for individuals with medical conditions ranging from pregnancy to arthritis. There are also specialist teachers who hold pregnancy, MS, or ME classes.

Breath work: Simple breathing techniques are taught to develop awareness and relaxation of the breath. These are then developed into 'pranayama' exercises – controlling and moving prana through the breath. Prana means the 'vital' or 'life force energy'. Not all exercises are suitable for those with respiratory or circulatory conditions, so be sure to advise your teacher if you have a condition before you start a class.

Limbering: Many BWY classes begin with limbering moves and sequences to warm up the muscles and joints. This prepares the body and mind for asana (posture) work. These exercises may be referred to as 'pawanmuktasana' (energy-releasing postures).

Meditation: There are a huge variety of meditation techniques and styles. The ones you're most likely to come across will have the objective of stilling the mind by focusing your awareness on a single object – the movement of the breath, an image or candle, a sound or chant. Not all teachers will include meditation within a class. 

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Introduction to Bikram from Bikram Yoga London