The latest yoga news is on…Adds yoga expert Surakshit Goswami, “Yoga has become a hit these days and it’s good that people are realising its benefits.” However, he stresses that yoga should not be done without first consulting an expert. Ask him about power yoga and he says, “Somebody has designed a set of asanas and given it a name. And that’s been branded as power yoga. Otherwise, from what I hear, it’s Surya Namaskar repeated few times over,” says he. However, he stresses that this is not for just about anyone – “after all, yogic asanas should be done according to the age, the flexibility, the mental and physical state of the body, the diet that the person follows together with his/her lifestyle.”

Susmita Pattjoshi, who switched to yoga, after giving up her practice in homeopathy, agrees, “My study in medicine helped me a great deal because I know how the asanas work, how doing a particular exercise will help or affect, say, the heart or the BP and cholesterol levels. After all, it’s a science, not a mystery – something that was once thought good only for the elderly.” The fact that awareness about it has increased manifold and even children are taking to it makes her happy. But she warns against the ‘glamourisation’ of yoga. “A lot of filmstars and celebs are doing power yoga and talking about how good it’s been for them. And people are just following it without checking whether their body has the required flexibility for it or not. Only an expert will guide them about the speed with which the Surya Namaskar should be done,” she says. She mentions how a Japanese student of hers started power yoga without consulting her and pulled a muscle. “She was in a bad shape and I helped her back with pranayam and yoga mudras, etc. That’s why
when you start doing new asanas, they should be done only after a yoga guru’s guidance and advice,” advises Susmita.

It’s the lean and mean look that’s having the men drooling and the ladies oh-so-envious!

Be it Kareena Kapoor or Shilpa Shetty in India or Madonna, Posh Spice or Kate Moss in the West, power yoga is what’s making them get the look that’s so in these days. So, what is power yoga that’s become such a rage with celebs all over the world, one might ask? According to some, it is a general term used to describe a vigorous, fitness-based approach to Vinyasa-style, started by some yoga teachers who were looking for a way to make Ashtanga yoga more accessible to students in the West.

Finally, what evolved was a set of asanas that emphasise on strength and flexibility. In fact, some feel that power yoga heralded yoga’s current popularity, as people began to see it as a way to work out. What’s interesting is that it often appeals to those who are already fit and enjoy exercising.

But, in India not all know the benefits of power yoga. Model and actress Neesha Singh who’s been practising yoga for almost 18 years and has taught yoga to children through drama and story-telling, says, “But I don’t understand what this power yoga is all about. For me, yoga is a body, mind and soul experience, which has ‘power’,” adding, “I wonder if what people really mean is a set of exercises which give you a great body and muscles? Maybe that’s because wellness is such a big thing these days,” she says.