Power Yoga for Swimsuit Season

As part of your workout regimen to get ready for swimsuit season, why not try a vigorous form of yoga called power yoga? Power yoga, or power vinyasa, yoga, is a flowing series of postures, or asanas, linked together one to the next through the breath. Because you are moving through the poses at a quicker pace than other forms of yoga, you can burn up to 500 calories or more in an hour-long practice! Most people don’t think of yoga as a way to help you lose weight, but practicing power yoga helps build a swimsuit-ready body in the following ways:

1) Power yoga utilizes a type of breathing practice called ujjayi, which builds heat in the body, thus increasing metabolism.
2) Vinyasa, or flow, yoga emphasizes dynamic movements and increases heart rate as you move from one pose to the next.
3) If practiced in a heated room (many classes are), you will sweat more, releasing even more toxins and facilitating weight loss!
4) In addition to the flowing postures, you will also practice some long holds, which build strength and muscle mass.
5) Often set to music, vinyasa classes are fun, lively and upbeat, which adds to the variety of your workouts and will make you want to come back for more!

Power yoga, like other forms of yoga, provides other unique weight-loss abilities as well. Yoga teaches us to listen to our bodies and take care better care of ourselves. The more we practice, the more connected we become with our bodies. We start to naturally avoid eating foods that make us feel bad, and are more tuned into what makes us feel clean, light and healthy. The benefits are amazing!

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About Missy Balsam

Missy Balsam is a full-time yoga instructor living in Naples, FL. Missy graduated from Emory University with a B.A. in Psychology, then worked as a sales and marketing executive for many years before leaving the corporate world behind to follow her heart. Missy completed her 200 hour certification with Baron Baptiste, and since 2007 has found her true path sharing her love of yoga with others. Missy’s teaching style is one of empowerment, inspiration, and joy, encouraging students of all levels to keep growing and evolving, discovering the happiness that is already inside of all of us. And...even when it’s challenging, to just have fun and not take it all so seriously!

In addition to teaching group and private yoga classes, Missy leads kirtan concerts with her band Wabi Sabi. Kirtan is call and response devotional yoga music and chanting, and is another form of yoga practice called Bhakti. She is passionate about sharing kirtan which, like yoga, has created boundless joy in her life. For more about Missy, visit her website www.missybalsamyoga.com, and her facebook page Missy Balsam Yoga.