Many of you are probably already familiar with yoga. For those who are not, yoga is a collection of practices that involve both mental and physical training to provide balance in life. Common side-effects from practicing are a sense of peacefulness, creating a relationship with the breath and even improved organ function and body posture.

Yoga is not something new. The practices of its forms, such as hatha yoga and vinyasa yoga, have been around for over 5,000 years. The practice of yoga is always evolving. In 2014, all types of yoga that have evolved from the original practice fall under the category of “hybrid” yoga.

Breathe In, Breathe Out…Now Punch!

As more gyms and fitness centers started adding yoga classes to their schedules, and as the field of instructors got more and more congested, everyone started looking for innovative ideas. Those ideas gave birth to hybrid practices.

Sometimes combined with dancing, other times combined with martial arts or underwater exercises, these new avenues of yoga are rapidly gaining ground over the more classic forms.

A Class For Everyone

Let’s take a look at the most popular trends and their approach to this ancient art from a fitness standpoint.

Koga is a combination of yoga and kickboxing. The two types of exercise might appear to be dramatically different, however, Koga has a unique, amazing way of bringing together kickboxing moves with meditation and relaxing music. The mastermind behind this brilliant idea was Jon Koga.

Aqua yoga is a practice that takes place in the water. Being immersed in water provides a training ground with less physical impact, making the exercises easy and accessible to people with mobility problems and even women during pregnancy. Aqua yoga has become extremely popular among fitness fans and it is very easy to find a class to enroll in at almost any fitness center.
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Aerial and rope yoga are the most complicated styles of hybrid yoga. If the idea of hanging by a cloth that is secured to the ceiling appeals to you, then aerial yoga is a path to travel. The cloth provides balance to the torso and allows free movement in the arms and legs. Rope yoga is somewhat similar; ropes that are attached to a wall allow you to work on different parts of your body, such as your arms or legs.

The mother of all hybrid yoga styles is disco yoga. No, this is not a joke. It is not rare to hear someone say how much they miss the 70s and how disco made them feel alive. Well, if you are one of those people, Funk the Buddha heard you and he brought this amazingly fun type of exercise to life. You can now enjoy a funky yoga practice along with the music of your favorite disco artists.

None of These Sound Anything Like Yoga!

It may be true that hybrid yoga practices appear to have strayed completely from the essence of traditional yoga. The experience is supposed to be an inner exploration to enlightenment along with bridging the gap between body and mind.

Is it possible to reach that goal even if you have only one or two elements of traditional yoga in your workout? Even though these new practices do not resemble traditional teachings in the least, they all pulled certain elements from it. From breathing exercises to posture building, the hybrids have created a way to enrich more physical activities with the magical nature of yoga.

For someone who enjoys martial arts or kickboxing, Koga can open up an exploration into deeper parts of themselves. The body is trained in such a way that the mind is strengthened as well. This leads to a more complete and a wholesome form of exercise. Both practices demand self-discipline and self-control which support mental, physical and spiritual growth.

Let’s Face It, Not All of Us Are Spiritual

I am sure you all know people that would rather dance or punch their troubles away than try to solve them through inner searching. Not everyone desires to cultivate spiritual awareness within themselves. To many, the physical act of punching through the problems appears faster and easier.

The truth is, it takes a strong and very determined person to make the decision of staring into his or her own soul. Diving into the depths to find the roots of problems is where the real work is at. That is why many people never come in touch with their spiritual essence.

What if you were given the opportunity to explore your inner landscape without it feeling wishy-washy? Hybrid yoga allows you to do exactly that. It allows you to become aware of your spiritual being and enjoy this blissful benefit through fun, alternative exercise that improves your physical being and health.

Get Started Today!

No matter how unwilling you might have been until this very exact point in your life, now is the time to get off the couch. The exciting idea of finding the perfect activity has been revealed to you!

If you love playing around in the water, feeling light and relaxed or you always thought of what it would be like to feel like you’re floating on air, why not try aqua yoga? Maybe you have been thinking of learning how to protect yourself by taking a self-defense class but it seemed too intense. Check out Koga!

With the evolution of yoga and fitness, the possibilities are endless. Strengthen your body while you train your mind. A happy life with a healthy body and strong mind is no further is waiting for you at your nearest fitness center. Go ahead, start your journey to into wellness today!

If you enjoyed reading this article, remember this is just one of many ways to ‘bend’ reality, tap into powers beyond your conscious existence… and connect with your infinite self.