Pulse Yoga

http://familyliciousreviews.blogspot.com/2010/07/pulse-yoga-review-and-giveaway.html

Recent studies indicate that hybrid yoga is the fastest growing segment of all yoga styles. Some people prefer to adhere to a style that has maintained a certain “integrity” in the sense that the sequencing and basic alignment principals remain the same after many years. I appreciate this idealism, but at the same time as a teacher, love to explore the creative possibilities that result from combining yoga with other exercise systems.

Personally, after many years of studying and practicing traditional yoga styles, I find it stimulating to create variations of a basic posture with the addition of free weights and micro movements. Just as in Iyengar and other styles that use props to enhance the experience and efficacy of a posture, in Pulse Yoga we use free weights and micro movements to do accomplish this. As yoga practitioners, we live in a time where we have access to powerful established yoga traditions from ancient times, as well as other effective exercise systems. How exciting to have the freedom to explore the potential benefits of combining them.

Who knows, if any of the current hybrid yoga styles survive the test of time, then perhaps these teachers are creating the tradition yoga styles of the future! Time will tell!

The iliopsoas is actually three muscles that function as a unit, the iliacus, psoas major and psoas minor. The psoas major and minor (absent in 40% of the population) originate on the transverse processes of the five lumbar vertebrae and then attach to the femur. If these muscles are tight they can cause the lower back to curve anteriorly and if that becomes chronic, can lead to lower back pain.

In Pulse Yoga, we have MANY postures to help with this condition. One of them is Crescent Lunge with pelvic tilts. Right leg in front bent at a 90 degree angle. The back leg extended behind. In this posture, begin to do posterior and anterior pelvic tilt. You will feel it mostly when the pelvis is tilted posteriorly. With the addition of holding weights with the arms and doing bicep curls, you increase the stretch in the hip flexors of that back leg even more.

Oh, and for the future. Have you ever noticed how some elderly people take very small steps? It could be that the hip flexors are so tight that a normal stride is inhibited. Yikes, nobody wants that!!

Thank you to our attendees yesterday. Prisca and I so enjoyed meeting all of you. We left thinking, “What a great group of fitness professionals and what a beautiful facility at North Boulder Recreation Center!”  Please post your comments and let us know how you feel today and give us your thoughts on Pulse.

What a gathering here in Vail for our Teacher Training!! Among our attendees were Allie and Sharon, two teachers from Yoga Haven in England, Ski and Snowboard Vail’s head coach J.C., Dr. Paul Arciero from Nourishing Science and Laura Marx PT. Four days 32 hours of Pulse, pure bliss!