Vinyasa Yoga Los Angeles

History of Vinyasa Yoga

The flowing Vinyasa yoga style evolved from Ashtanga yoga. Ashtanga is a powerful, dynamic style of yoga developed in the 20th century that incorporates a sequence of linked poses. The difference is that, while Ashtanga yoga follows a structure, Vinyasa yoga is more exploratory and creative.

Vinyasa yoga incorporates most of the poses in the Ashtanga yoga series, but does not require them to be performed in the same exact sequence. In Ashtanga yoga, students must master the current series of poses before moving on the next, while Vinyasa yoga often includes poses from different Ashtanga sequences in a single class.

Vinyasa Yoga Practice Components

Los Angeles Vinyasa yoga classes can vary widely, depending on the expert level of the instructor and the studio. At Red Diamond Yoga, our instructors are an amazing group of highly-skilled, dedicated teachers, each of whom brings a unique style to our studio, with a common thread of consistency in every class. One component of Vinyasa yoga never varies – the emphasis on linking breath with movement.

This style of yoga uses a deep breathing technique known as Ujayi Pranayama, which means “victorious breath” in Sanskrit. Practitioners breathe through the nose to completely fill or empty the lungs. Each movement is accompanied by an inhalation or an exhalation, upward movements generally correlating with inhalation, and downward movements with exhalation. This practice creates a flowing link between breath and movement.

Classes typically include a wide range of poses, including standing postures, balancing postures, twists, backbends, inversions, forward folds, and seated poses. Every class will end with the final relaxation posture called the Corpse Pose (Savasana).

Most Vinyasa yoga classes in Los Angeles demand strength and stamina from students, which makes them ideal for those who want a workout style of yoga. Vinyasa generally places less emphasis on precise alignment and more emphasis on the ability to flow. Each class is energized with the addition of fun music that suits the dance-like motions and energizes the student to find the ease within the effort and have a truly authentic yoga experience.