Yoga is an incredibly popular practice that seems to now have so many different options to choose from that it can all become a little confusing and overwhelming. It’s pretty hard to keep track of what each option does and who it is meant for.
Slow Flow yoga is one option that you’ll see offered around at most yoga studios across the Westernized world.
And it is the perfect option for those that want something that isn’t too strenuous without also being too slow or boring. It is that nice happy medium in between.
It’ll keep you busy enough that you won’t feel as if the class is lagging, but it also won’t have you severely out of breath or overly fatigued after your session.
If you want to learn more about this practice and its benefits…keep reading!
What Exactly Is Slow Flow Yoga?
Slow Flow yoga is a practice that has evolved from a more traditional form of yoga known as Viniyoga. Viniyoga was one of the very first asana yoga styles that really took accessibility and adaptability into consideration for its practitioners.
Compared to many other practice styles out there, slow flow yoga tends to contain much fewer poses. This is so that there is more space and time to explore alignment and sensation with each and every pose and stretch that you do.
As the name suggests, it’s not as fast-paced as many other styles of yoga and so could definitely work well for individuals that have tried other forms of yoga and found they were too intense, vigorous, or fast-moving.
What Are The Benefits Of Slow Flow Yoga
As with any form of yoga, slow flow yoga comes with benefits in the plentiful. You’ll often find that it shares many of the same benefits found in Vinyasa flow or more active styles of yoga too.
So, what are these benefits? Let’s find out.
Slows Down The Mind And Body – Slow flow yoga can be very therapeutic because it moves at a slower pace. It allows you to calm your mind and body in a manner that is relaxing and serene.
Accessible For Beginners – If you’re new to yoga, slow flow is a perfect option to try. It allows you to ease yourself into the practice and spend the time to learn how each pose works.
Mindful Transitions – Because you won’t be moving from pose to pose at the same rate as many other yoga styles, it allows for more time between each transition.
This then means that you have more time to think about both your body and position as well as better collect your thoughts in terms of meditation.
Adaptable – The poses used in slow flow yoga can be easily adapted to your needs. This means that you can participate in the class no matter where you are currently at in terms of your yoga experience level.
More Breath Exploration – Since you have more time between each pose, you have longer to focus on your breathing techniques.
Improves Balance – Because you hold poses for longer periods of time in slow flow yoga, you’ll find that throughout the classes your balance will begin to significantly improve.
Structure Of A Slow Flow Yoga Sequence
For the purpose of this article, we’re going to assume that we’re talking about a 60-minute slow flow yoga class. This is usually the common time perimeter for this type of class, though you can often find shorter classes if you want them.
Your class will typically follow a similar structure to that of a vinyasa class just with fewer poses for each side, along with easier transitions, and more space to explore the postures of each sequence. Typically, each pose will be held for a minimum of 3-5 breaths.
It’s also important to remember that no two classes will ever be exactly the same, so this is simply the most standard format of a class. But it may differ slightly depending on your own specific yoga studio.
15-Minute Warm Up – You’ll start by warming up your body to prepare it for some of the harder work throughout the session. This is usually very easygoing and will focus on moving your spine and strengthening your muscles.
25-30 Minutes Of Slow Flow Yoga – This is where you’ll properly start your session. It may include sun or moon salutations along with other sequences where the postures are intelligently linked. For each pose, you will usually perform them for a minimum of 3-5 breaths.
15-30 Minutes Of Cool Down – Then you’ll start doing some counterposes before slowly winding the session to a close. Usually, the very last few minutes of the session are reserved for savasana and closing.
You can follow this structure if you’re planning on practicing yoga from home too. Remember, if you’re practicing from home you can also modify the session to suit your needs.
You can lower each session or raise it by around 10 minutes for each of the three sections. This means that you can make the session say 30 minutes rather than an hour or an hour and a half if you’re feeling particularly motivated.
Whichever option you choose, be sure to never skip your warm-up or your cool-down. These are integral parts of the practice and prevent you from injuring yourself. Therefore, they should not be skipped by any means.
Final Thoughts
Slow Flow yoga is an amazing yoga style to get involved in no matter what your yoga level or experience. However, it is definitely a great option for beginners since it isn’t quite as intense or fast-paced as many other varieties of yoga out there.
From this article, you should now have a much better understanding of what slow flow yoga is, as well as its many benefits, and how you can expect a standard slow flow yoga class to go.
If it sounded appealing to you, be sure to check it out. We promise you won’t regret it!
I created this website to help newcomers to yoga and enthusiasts alike, and to share our common passions for yoga.
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