Karma Vinyasa Yoga

Karma Vinyasa Yoga

Jennifer Sturgis

CSOCS 3452

I decided to attend the Karma Yoga Studio in Harvard Square.  Prior to attending the class I explored their website.  There were many pictures of this beautiful studio with a seating area, café, two rooms for yoga classes, a gym, and a sauna (Karma Yoga).  I assumed that this was a more upscale, modern studio that attracted students who were interested in more modern practices of yoga.

In order to get a better idea of what sorts of students Karma Yoga attracted, I decided to look at the classes they offered.  They offer several workshops ranging from basic knowledge of yoga, to yoga dance and they have a variety of different classes available to take.  Most of the classes were Vinyasa yoga but they also had prenatal yoga and power yoga (Karma Yoga).  The prenatal yoga and power yoga classes gave me the impression that this was a studio involved in more modern yoga practices

I tried looking on the Karma Yoga website and elsewhere online for the history of the studio.  Unfortunately none of the sites I visited were able to give me information.  The studio website itself did not have any dates on it.  I was able to find in one of the instructor biographies that they had been teaching there for five years (Karma Yoga).  This at least let me know that the studio is not exactly brand new.

The class I chose attend to was a Vinyasa yoga class.  From the research I did before going to the class, I knew that in Vinyasa yoga, “the focus is on breath-linked movement” (Epstein-Lubow et. al).  Participants go from pose to pose while harmonizing their breath to these poses.  The emphasis is on movement and on pranayama, or breath.  Vinyasa yoga is considered to be similar to Hatha yoga but is a term used to describe many different kinds of classes (A Brief Guide).  Vinyasa does tend to be a “more vigorous style based on the performance of a series of…sun salutations” (A Brief Guide).

While searching for information on the origins of Vinyasa yoga I found that the modern version of it, beginning in 1948, is known as “Ashtanga “yoga (History of Ashtanga).  It is thought, “synchronizing breathing and movement of the asanas heats the blood, cleansing and thinning it so that it may circulate more freely” (History of Ashtanga).  This enhanced blood circulation helps to relieve pain and remove toxins, aided by the sweat that comes from a heated workout.  Many of the websites that came up while I was doing my research were for yoga therapy sites, making me wonder if it was yoga or the Vinyasa type yoga iteslf that was turning up these websites.

The Karma Yoga site had a description of Vinyasa that focused solely on the physical.  It informed me that the focus of the class was to improve balance, alignment, and posture and students would become more flexible and tone their bodies (Karma Yoga).  The description seemed to be geared more towards those who were interested in yoga for its physical benefits as opposed to meditation.

I participated in a slow Vinyasa flow class that was for all levels and was a 9:00 “get out of bed” class, which the studio has for a discounted price on weekday mornings.  I walked from my dorm to the studio along Mass Ave and tried to stay warm in the crisp morning air.  The studio blended right in with the rest of Mass Ave and I almost walked by because the sign was not easily visible to someone walking directly in front of the building.

When I walked in to the building I noticed a seating area with comfortable looking chairs and large windows that looked onto the street.  I was greeted by the receptionist who then had me sign release forms and pay my $10 fee for the class.  I was asked what kind of tea I wanted after the class, as it came with a free cup since it was a morning class.  The receptionist seemed annoyed with me when I took my time to see what the options were for tea and explained that I would get the tea after class but had to order beforehand since she would be busy with the students who came in after me.  I declined any free tea at that point and she directed me around the corner to the studio.

There was a small hallway with hooks on the wall for coats and we were required to take our shoes off before entering the room.  The room was large and dark with soft music playing.  It was quite warm inside the room, especially compared to outside.  There was a wall of frosted glass at the front of the room.  I was the second student to arrive even though I was a couple minutes later than their requested 15-minute early arrival.  We were asked to get props and a blanket from a supply closet to prepare for the class.  I laid out my yoga mat and sat down to prepare myself for the class.

The instructor recognized that I had not been to her class before and asked for my name and what my experience was with yoga.  She was very interested that I was taking a yoga class for credit at Lesley and asked many questions about the type of yoga we were taught as well as the program the class was involved in.  Even though I struggled to answer her very specific questions, she was very nice and made me feel welcome.

When the class started there were four students, including me, and our instructor who had her mat set up at the front of the room.  The three other students looked like they might be in their late twenties or early thirties.  One of them seemed to embody what I think of as a typical modern yoga enthusiast with her spandex and tank top.  The other two students both wore looser clothing and I felt as if I blended in.  The instructor made a point of talking to each person in the room, specifically checking in on any injuries or pain she knew students had been having.

We began by relaxing with our legs tucked underneath us, our foreheads touching our mats, and our arms reaching out in front of us.  We were instructed through relaxing our bodies and breathing in through the back of our throats and out as if we were sighing.  After we had relaxed for about five minutes, our instructor began moving us through several different poses.  The door loudly opened as a fifth student entered the room and apologized for being late.  The instructor welcomed her to the class and asked how she was doing.  I was surprised and found it a little rude that this student had been allowed in the room so late, especially in a yoga class that is supposed to be focused and relaxing.

As we moved through the different poses I struggled with not being able to pause and take a break.  The poses that we were doing involved much more exertion than I am used to.  I could feel all of the muscles in my leg during every pose and felt extremely weak when my legs started to shake partway through some of the poses.  I felt as though I was back in gymnastics and not in a yoga class.  From the research I had done before attending the class, I knew that Vinyasa yoga is supposed to be a more vigorous style but I had assumed that since it was a class for all levels at the studio, it might not be quite as intense. 

I am used to yoga not being so focused on a large amount of stretch and being more centered on doing the pose until feeling a slight stretch.  The poses that we were doing seemed to have a goal of pushing the body to its limits and seeing how far we could stretch.  I kept looking around me for reassurance that I was doing the poses correctly because, even though the instructor tried to slow down and explain some of the poses in a way that I would understand what we were doing, the other students had clearly been to the class many times.  I had found in my research that Vinyasa yoga requires a good knowledge of basic poses but the Karma studio website had mentioned no need for prior yoga knowledge and I figured I would be fine in the class.  Luckily I was able to keep up for the most part and copy what the instructor and other students were doing in their poses.

It was difficult for me to relax and focus during the class.  The studio must have been directly above the T and every time a train went by the noise would fill the room.  The street outside was busy and it was easy to hear every car.  I found the one glass wall to be distracting when all of the other walls were dark and not giving off light.  The instructor’s voice was not a soothing one, even though she was very nice and knowledgeable.  I quickly grew frustrated with myself for noticing all of these little details and being unable to let them go.

After an hour and fifteen minutes we lay down on our mats and relaxed in a pose that stretched our backs out.  I was glad to do this since I am used to always having back pain after any form of exercise.  I was surprised by how calm and relaxed I felt after noticing so many things that were making this difficult for me during the time spent there.  I think that it was the calm in my muscles after they had had a work out and from the deep breathing the instructor reminded us to do throughout the class.

At the end of the class, the instructor informed us that she would be available outside the room to answer any questions that we had.  The door opened and very quickly, students from the next class trickled in.  I was surprised that these students were allowed to enter the room before we had even stood up from our mats.  I wanted to slowly pick up my things and stay in the calm place I had found for a little bit longer.  I gathered up my belongings and walked through the front lobby.  The room looked like it was filled with students, although I estimated there to be about ten people.  There were a couple of girls who looked younger, maybe around 12 years old, some women that looked similar in age to the ones in my class, and a few men also around the same age.

As I walked down the street towards home, I reflected on the type of people who went to the studio and how I felt after taking the class.  It seemed to me that most of the students at the studio were young, giving Karma Yoga more of a modern feel.  Because of the gym at the studio, I got the idea that they were trying to cater to the younger generations and bring in more students through also having a gym available.  In many ways having a gym there too must make life easier for some students.  It is easy to get in a workout and head downstairs to a yoga class or take a class and then head upstairs to finish their daily exercise.

I decided that Karma Yoga was the kind of studio offering yoga classes that appealed to people interested in the more modern kind of yoga that is advertised all around us in yoga magazines.  While it did not look exactly like a modern, typical gym with its neutral color palette and free organic tea for classes before 10:00, it appealed to the masses.  Perhaps the neutral colors and tea were a way of covering up this popular idea to portray a more organic image.

I was relaxed on my walk home.  I usually walk quickly and like I am “on a mission” when I am walking through Cambridge but I went home at a leisurely pace.  I felt as though I had gotten some good exercise and had not expected to feel as though I had gotten such a work out from the class.  I knew I might feel sore later on in the day and, sure enough, about seven hours later, I started to feel my muscles regretting the morning’s activities.

After I had returned to my room I decided to look around on the Karma Yoga website some more.  I had been so focused on the classes that were available when I visited the website before that I had not explored the website more fully.  There was a link for biographies on the instructors at the studio.  I scrolled down and found my instructor.  I was surprised when I read that she was interested in mindfulness practices since she studied religion in college.  The class that I had taken with her did not focus very much on meditation, the opposite of what the instructor’s biography was telling me about her interests.  I wonder if she had to change her focus when teaching at Karma Yoga to cater to the population of students.  Perhaps she has found that her students respond better to classes focused on the physical benefits of yoga as opposed to the mental advantages.

The instructor I had for my class has spent time doing studies and yoga workshops with people who suffer from migraines (Karma Yoga).  I found this particularly interesting because I have suffered from migraines over the last six years.  It made me wonder why she does not teach any classes at the studio that involve migraine therapy or other types of pain therapy.  It seems to me that in a place as populated as Cambridge with young adults who may be interested in alternative types of therapy this would be a class with a lot of attendance.

While it was not the type of yoga that I am used to, the Vinyasa yoga class taught me a lot and I enjoyed the work out it gave my body.  It was definitely less focused on the spiritual side of yoga and more on the body.  The spiritual parts of yoga have always been a little more difficult for me to grasp and I never feel comfortable that I understand just what they are about.  It was slightly refreshing to me to participate in a class that centered almost completely on the physical because of my struggle with meditation.

Resources

Epstein-Lubow, G., Guadiano, B., Gillette, T., Kalibatseva, Z., Miller, I. Tremont, G., Uebelacker, L., “Open Trial of Vinyasa Yoga for Persistently Depressed Individuals: Evidence of Feasibility and Acceptability,” Behavior Modification 34 no. 3 (2010), pp 247-264. EBSCOhost.

“Welcome to Karma Yoga.” Karma Yoga. Web http://www.karmayogastudio.com/.

“A Brief Guide to Yoga Styles,” PT: Magazine of Physical Therapy 15 no. 4 (2008), pp 30. EBSCOhost.

“History of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.” Yoga Therapy of Michigan. Web http://www.yogatherapy-om.com/hatha-yoga/History-of-Ashtanga-Vinyasa-Yoga.htm.