Frog Lotus Yoga – or FLY – Vinyasa Yoga is a focused, creative, and intelligent flow style with an emphasis on safety, form, and alignment. It can be easily adapted to different levels and tempos.
Vinyasa Yoga developed from Ashtanga – whilst Ashtanga is fixed sequences, followed by the practitioner in a set manner, a Vinyasa class is likely to be different each time as it consists of creative flows orchestrated by the individual teacher. Vinyasa yoga still adheres to the same breathing techniques as well as use of the bandhas, or physical locks, as Ashtanga Yoga.
In Vinyasa Yoga more standing poses can be woven into the sun salutations in a dance-like style; the sequences are varied and music can be used to create atmosphere.
What’s Unique about FLY Vinyasa Yoga?
A FLY Vinyasa Flow class opens with a seated pranayama (breath control technique) and continues with a thorough warm-up of all the major joints in the body. This is followed by various creative flow sequences, the potential for appropriate inversions, some floor-based practice, and ending with a guided savasana and an inspiring quote, poem, or other short reading. The atmosphere created in lessons & classes is focussed, meditative, and joyful.
FLY Vinyasa classes intelligently weave together elements of the different styles of yoga that founder Vidya Heisel has studied including Iyengar, Ashtanga, Forrest, and Kundalini Yoga.
Lots of options and modifications of poses can be offered to suit all levels of practice, and the practice can be adapted to work for various limitations and injuries. Safety and longevity is of prime importance in our teaching.
In ongoing, monitored, and discreet agreement with each individual student, safe and effective hands-on assisting is offered
Safety and suitability
Injury can be common when practicing Ashtanga or Vinyasa, mainly because the practice moves quite fast, and challenging asana may be performed repetitively. If the practitioner doesn’t have the strength, body awareness, or knowledge of the proper alignment, they may be doing the pose in a way that is injurious.
In FLY Vinyasa Yoga we make every effort to teach safe alignment of all asanas and to verbally and/or physically assist anyone who may doing something potentially injurious. We skilfully offer options and modifications in the practice, so students can adjust to their own level of practice within the context of the class.
In many styles of flow there can be little attention given to alignment. The teacher may call out poses, count breaths, or simply say ”inhale….exhale…”. At FLY we think that when the students are not provided with enough verbal guidance, this can contribute to bad execution of asanas and possible injury. In FLY Vinyasa Yoga we skilfully give as much information as we can to practitioners when they are moving in and out of asanas, as well as when they are holding them. This helps each individual to correct their own alignment, and begin to get an understanding of the mechanics of each asana in their own body.