Prop up your morning asana

CHENNAI: Suryanamaskar with blindfolds, chakrasana on a paddleboard in the middle of water, and trikonasana with a danda (stick) are some of forms of yoga trending in the city lately. From regular classes to workshops, yoga instructors have been conducting these sessions in the city for all age groups.

Although they don’t stray from traditional yoga practices, each of these add new elements by using the props and inculcating things that are generally not used in yoga. Tshering Cheki, who recently conducted a blind yoga workshop in the city, says, “Although the response is good, people are still not very comfortable with being blindfolded for 60 minutes and practising asanas.”

From blind yoga (also called insight yoga) to aerial yoga, water and swing yoga, there are several variations and each has its benefits. Sarvesh Shashi, founder of Zorba — a renaissance studio, who has been practising yoga as a toddler, started the studio when he was 21. At the studio, he says, they start sessions with meditation and end with the pranayama. “We have around 25 forms of yoga at our studio. Hot yoga, basketball, brick yoga, and many more, split into in-studio and outdoors yoga,” he adds.

While blind yoga shakes you out of your comfort zone and helps build trust, it also makes you aware of your body. “You use the muscles the right way to stay balanced in an asana. And with the eyes closed, you become conscious of your breathing. It helps improve concentration,” explains Tshering.
Sarvesh agrees, and adds: “You focus on each body part individually to realise that all problems are temporary.”

The other forms that use props like danda, basketball, paddleboard, and others, have various benefits. Aqua yoga helps with emotional upliftment. “There is a lot of calmness in water, and so a person’s balance improves in water,” says Sarvesh.

Malavika Ananth, a city-based yoga instructor started practising yoga to cope with depression. “I’ve have been teaching for five months now. Being a newbie, I find classes very insightful — both as a practitioner and a teacher,” she adds.

Svetha Sharma, who has been practising these different forms of yoga for over two years, believes her thyroid has completely cured because of it. Esha Nichani, a homemaker, agrees, and says “I’ve become more flexible. Our five-day sessions, each one different from the other, is fun and keeps me fit at the same time.”

Which is your favourite?
Beer Yoga, Hoga / Horse Yoga, Marijuana Yoga, Noga / Nude Yoga, Doga / Dog Yoga, Baby-Mom Yoga, Tantrum Yoga

For details

Check out the Insta handle of Malavika Ananth, yoga instructor, at: malavika_indian_yogini, or write to: ananthmalavika@yahoo.com,

Write to Tshering Cheki, yoga instructor, at: tshering.chemi@gmail.com

Call Zorba Yoga Studio at: 9841078032