New and improved

Yoga is constantly renewed by fresh practices and specialised props. Here's a glimpse of this year’s crop.

It’s no secret that yoga is probably the most followed activity in the fitness regimen of people all across the globe. And it continues to remain so by innovating ever-newer forms of practising it. Yoga experts feel that there will be a number of new trends in yoga which we should see in the coming year.

According to Deepak Gupta, a yoga expert, not only new forms but also some older forms of yoga are likely to be revived and presented as new this year.

Among the new ones he thinks warrior yoga, which is meant to help the practitioner develop strength, will gain popularity. “It’s an ideal form of yoga for athletes and many international teams follow it rigorously,” Gupta says. This form of yoga is said to help in the detoxification process as well.

Lazy yoga is another form which will become extremely popular, according to Gupta. This form of yoga can be done while sitting on a chair, or involves a Thai version, where a masseuse kneads the body in yoga poses. The name suggests that this form of yoga might not be too beneficial, but it is considered extremely effective.

Dance yoga, which is already quite the rage in many parts of the country, will continue to prosper. This form is yoga is extremely good for physical stamina and also helps in improving concentration levels. Most dance yoga poses are based on sequences like the natrajasana (dancing Shiva series), virabhadrasana (warrior sequence) and utkatasana series (squats).

Some forms of yoga require specialised props. They have been used for quite some time now, but some schools teaching the art still stay away from them. Ideal props include bolsters — which are good for forward and backward bends. Another kind of prop is exercise balls, which help in balance. Yoga with props helps in building muscular stamina and hikes metabolism as well.

While most of these forms have been around for quite some time, now that yoga has reached almost every nook and corner of the country and the world, we will see them being practised more.

Other fitness trends come and go, but yoga continues to be the favourite for many people. And with different forms getting more popular, it will continue to be one of, if not the topmost activities for fitness freaks.