Power Yoga at Mandala

Power yoga is a way to describe the ‘Mandala Mindset’ rather than a particular style of practice. Our  Power classes are closely modeled on the Ashtanga method which builds physical strength, stamina and over time mobility.  One of the foundational elements of the Ashtanga sequence is the concept of the ‘vinyasa’.  (The word Vinyasa translates very loosely to movement through the breath.).

We also believe in the Power of slowing down the movement of the mind so we also offer Slow Yin Power Yin Yoga and meditation to balance out the body and mind.

Open to Power

Open Power is our Mandala open level class. Expect to Move. Breathe. Flow. You’ll feel challenged at times for sure but always in a supportive and fun way.  Options given for all levels of practitioners. You’ll build strength in your body and leave your mat calmer, more relaxed and tension-free.  View our class schedule here.

What to Expect in our Power Yoga Classes

Power yoga has all the challenge of the Ashtanga method (including lots of vinyasa or movement!) but each teacher has the flexibility to teach any poses in any order.  Trying to create effortless (!) flow from one pose to another is very much part of the practice. This is what makes each class feel the same – but different. Therein lies its attraction – each class feels familiar but is never exactly the same.

Each teacher will bring a different view or focus. But  there are certain things each class has in common. You can expect to find some intense flowing yoga (with or without a playlist). Flows can be slow or faster paced.  Short meditation and breath work are usually interspersed through out the class.

One thing for sure you will become acquainted with all your muscle groups! and perhaps even discover the ‘inner dancer’ in yourself that you never knew existed.

Whilst the focus on movement, all our teachers ensure a sustained focus on the breath throughout. Practicing vinyasa /power yoga in a mindful way is a common theme.

Who Invented Power Yoga?

Power Yoga came to prominence in the mid-1990s when two American yoga teachers who had studied with Ashtanga guru Sri K. Pattabhi Jois began to make what they had learned, more ‘accessible’ to Western students. T

Bryan Kest, based in Los Angeles and Beryl Bender Birch, based in New York, are most often credited with the nearly simultaneous invention of power yoga on opposite coasts of America.

They both used the term ‘power yoga’ to differentiate the intense, flowing style of yoga that they were teaching from the ‘gentler’ stretching and meditation that many Americans associated with yoga.

Other Styles of Power Yoga

Larry Schultz, who also studied Ashtanga with guru Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in the 1980s, introduced another form of power yoga in the early 1990s. Schultz broke with Jois’s strict method and tradition by mixing together poses from the first 3 Ashtanga series. He named this style ”rocket yoga”.

Baron Baptiste – who studied Bikram and Iyengar yoga also established his own style of power yoga: Baptiste Power or The Journey to Power.

In summary the term ”power yoga”  allows teachers from many lineages the freedom to learn from and mix methods, poses and thinking from across their influences to create something new.

Visit our blog to learn more about yoga, its benefits and origins.