Yoga: the secret of the slender and serene or just a lot of hippies moaning and bending into funny positions? Katie Gormley, of women's sports magazine Sportsister, tried her hand, and various other body parts, at the newest yoga trend, Glow Yoga...

There are many versions of this discipline and Ive tried quite a few, so am fairly well versed when it comes to yogic lingo and manoeuvres, which is probably why Sportsister HQ suggested I visit the new glow yoga class to see just what its all about.

There are so many different types of yoga, its hard to keep track from the hardcore Ashtanga and Bikram, to the more mellow Hatha, as well as all sorts of spin-offs and interpretations in between. The benefits of mindfulness, flexibility, strength and wellbeing are typical of all yoga studios so what makes glow yoga stand out?

The key differentiating factor is the environment. Infra red panels create a warm and nurturing environment. The studios website lists the benefits of this light to include reducing muscle stiffness and increasing weight loss. The infrared lighting is also documented to help relieve SAD, giving you all the benefits of a sunny day, which on a rainy and grey Sunday in March is very appealing.

If I was going to put forward a really concise description Id just say this is vinyasa yoga, in a dark, warm room.

In terms of movement the class is much like any other of this genre and postures are taken from a combination of hatha yoga and pilates. The sequence of movements is designed to encourage you to focus on the present state and breath as you flow from one to the other. The sequence is designed to encourage harmony in the body and mind as well as strength, tone and flexibility.

I do a fair bit of yoga but still managed to be rather unflowing at various stages of the class. Its always the breathing that stumps me more than the moves. However, nobody seemed to be laughing in my face, which is always a bonus. In fact, everyone was just quietly engrossed in their own practice; a good sign of a serious yoga studio.

I attended the bliss yoga class, the focus of which is relaxation and harmony between body and mind. None of these states come naturally to me. I struggle with keeping still and can only really relax in a savasana (aka. lying down still or corpse) if Ive really worked the posture beforehand.

However in terms of zen environments this is about as calming as you can get. Looking around the class its clear that the effect of the diptique candles, the teachers calm and melodious voice, and the infra-red glow has created a relaxed state of calm sedation.

After the class my fellow classmates shared their feelings of total calm and a completely balancing experience setting them up for the week ahead (this class was on a Sunday afternoon).

Read the original:
An introduction to Glow Yoga