🚀 Rocket Yoga: Is it the new Ashtanga?
The question we are asking – is Rocket the new Ashtanga? We’re all familiar with the sweaty, advanced practice of Ashtanga. The more you do it, the more meditative it becomes, while you create strength and flexibility in your body and mind.
But there is something new… a style that is designed way more intelligent, with the emphasis on opening the body naturally in a fast and dynamic way.
It’s called Rocket Yoga, which brings you sky high and beyond!
Since when?
It’s been developed in the late 1980s and since then it’s grown in popularity fast.
By who?
Larry Schultz, who trained with Pattabhi Jois for more than 7 years, is the founder of Rocket Yoga. Because he was going against the traditional way of teaching, he is also known as the “The Bad Man of Ashtanga”.
Ok, great! But what is it?
In a few words… It’s a modification of Ashtanga Yoga where poses from the primary, intermediate, and advanced series are combined. The difference: A Rocket class is way faster, playful, and lots of fun!
According to the Ashtanga tradition, you must first master one pose before going on to the next one. It can take years before you have mastered the primary series, and then you still have five other series to go. The reason it’s taught like this is to slowly build strength and flexibility to prepare the body for what’s coming next.
Larry wanted to give his students access to all the advanced poses in a faster way. He believed that this should be accessible for everyone. By modifying the Ashtanga practice, where he gave focus to opening the joints to reduce injuries, he designed a unique sequence.
Still using the Ujjayi breathing, counting goes much faster, which makes it more like a dance than a moving meditation. One of the main emphases is inversions, which bring lots of benefits like increased blood flow to the head, better circulation, and a boost to the immune system. Another focus within Rocket Yoga is arm balances to build strength, flexibility, and coordination in the upper body. This is all guided by music to create a fun and dynamic vibe.
Students are allowed to modify poses when they get stuck, which makes it more accessible for those who aren’t there yet with their body. This allows students of all levels to practice together.
Why the name “Rocket Yoga”?
The first students that were trained by Larry called it Rocket Yoga because “it gets you there faster”.
Rocket Yoga is divided into 3 series:
Rocket 1
Based on the modified primary series of Ashtanga with the focus on the lower part of the body.
Rocket 2
Based on the intermediate series of Ashtanga, the focus is more on the upper part of the body, including core poses.
Rocket 3
This is the ultimate sequence where you combine Rocket 1 & 2, and lift off like a rocket 🚀
What are the benefits?
Where to start… because the benefits are amazing! It works on your body and mind, creating strength and flexibility in both areas. The fast pace requires focus, which improves mental clarity and concentration.
Stella, Germany: I never felt my body more than after a good session of Rocket Yoga.
The strong combination of movement and breath helps you reduce stress and tension in your whole body. This creates a well-balanced nervous system, helping you to feel relaxed. At the same time it increases your energy level, ready to fly even higher.
When can I join?
Lucky you 😊 We have a Rocket Retreat coming here at Palm Trees from 27th Jan to 10th Feb 2024! Join Julia and the crew for 2 weeks of Rocket Yoga, workshops, beachtime, good coffee, awesome veggie food and a few parties in sunny Goa!