VINYASA 1 AT MERAKI YOGA STUDIO

A Teachers Take on Why It’s the Best Around

 

You may have heard that Meraki Yoga’s Vinyasa Flow 1 format changed this summer, but do you know how?  Do you know why?  Has your body felt it yet?  If your answer to any of those questions is “no”, you’re missing out!  Studios all over the country offer variations on a Vinyasa 1 class, but few are as developed as Meraki Yoga’s offering.  

 

At Meraki, the Vinyasa Flow 1 classes follow a set sequence, meaning, every time you come to class, no matter who the teacher is, you’ll take the same class, likely with only slight variations.  Since the class varies seasonally, throughout the year you’ll learn four different sequences.

 

Now, those qualities in and of themselves are not earth-shattering.  So what makes Meraki’s version of Vinyasa Flow 1 so good, so rich, and so effective?  There are three primary reasons why Meraki’s Vinyasa Flow 1 is at the top of its game:

 

Reason #1:  Everything about it is integrated

 

In France, cooking and eating are art forms.  The amount of care that goes into each meal is mind blowing!  Wine is considered an essential part of the meal, and the wine is chosen based on the food so that the tastes complement and enhance each other.  The French take it a step further when they then choose the glass that fits the wine that fits the food.  (The shape of glasses has different effects on the wine and, thus, the food.)  Why do I explain this? Because Meraki’s Vinyasa Flow 1 sequence is the yoga version of a French meal. The practice is meticulously crafted so that each part of the sequence complements the others.  This is known as Integrated Vinyasa™.  The season and the weather, for example, are taken into account in creating an Integrated Vinyasa™ sequence, as are the steps the body must take to achieve the peak pose.  Each part of the class will fit with the others like pieces of a puzzle…or a tasty French meal.

Reason #2: It changes seasonally

While many studios offer a Vinyasa 1 class with a set sequence, few change that sequence seasonally like we find at Meraki.  What does this mean for students? This means that there is time (roughly three months) to get your body into the flow, but not so much time that the practice becomes too rote.  Because the sequence is crafted out of an Integrated Vinyasa™ philosophy, that means that poses are specifically tailored to the season; summer, for example, includes more cooling poses.  Lastly, sequence changes allow for the class to change focus, to explore different postures more in depth. In short, the Vinyasa 1 students are continually learning and never stagnant.

Reason #3: It helps you become a student of yoga

Vinyasa 1 classes in many studios have a tendency to be geared toward new students of yoga, and there is nothing wrong with this.  New students absolutely need a place where they feel welcome and secure. At Meraki, however, the focus is different. Here, Vinyasa Flow 1 is more accurately geared toward anyone–beginner or seasoned–truly wanting to be a student of the practice.  Students can go to any yoga class anywhere and find a great workout, be led through the postures and stretch their bodies and minds, but in Meraki’s Vinyasa 1 class, there is built-in time to break down, to explore, to dig deeper, and to learn.  In fact, that’s part of the goal.  In Vinyasa Flow 1, students learn how the poses fit together, why postures are done in certain ways and at certain times, how to engage your body properly in each movement, and how to incrementally achieve the peak pose. Education is a key component of Vinyasa Flow 1 at Meraki Yoga.

 

When it comes down to it, we can read about classes and sequences all we want and, if anything, it will change our practice only marginally.  The crucial component–what makes the words you’re reading here meaningful–is getting our bodies into the practice. If you haven’t taken a Vinyasa Flow 1 class at Meraki recently, what are you waiting for? We can’t wait to see you in class!

 


Written by Meraki Teacher Erin E.H. Austin

Join Erin on Tuesdays at 5.30pm for Vinyasa Flow 1