The word “vinyasa” comes from the Sanskrit term nyasa, meaning “to place,” and the prefix vi, meaning “in a special way.” Vinyasa Flows then emphasises on the connection between breath and movement, with each inhale or exhale initiating a particular movement or sequence of movements, to place the body in a specific way with each breath.

Each class will be different and the focus can lie on different body parts, such as hips or shoulders, or a particular movement, like circles or backbends. The focus can also be to keep a mindset of fluidity or stability. But in each class we will move through a variety of poses, including sun salutations, standing and balancing poses aiming to get the whole body involved and energised.

Moving faster and having to work a little bit harder with the body can both be really fun and a great way to calm the mind down. Vinyasa yoga can offer a great respite or act as a balancing tonic if we are living a life where there is a lot of focus on thinking and less on physical movement.