Rocket Yoga, also known as ‘’The Rocket’’, is a style of yoga developed by Larry Schultz in San Francisco during the 1980’s. Rocket Yoga is rooted in the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga practice of yoga.[1] It is combined with and restructured from the Primary and Intermediate Series of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. Schultz's yoga was first called "Rocket Yoga" by Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead, because Weir said, "It gets you there faster."
Rocket Yoga is a dynamic and fast placed flow of yoga. Dani Burlison of the New Bohemian Magazine says; "Rocket yoga promises to get students to fitness nirvana faster." [2] Classes are guided with sanskrit names of the asanas, following through 142 poses in 75 minutes. The structure maintains that of Ashtanga Vinyasa, consisting of a warming up (Suryanamaskara A + B), after which 66 poses continue in the standing poses, seated poses and ending with the traditional closing series. Some of the more challenging poses incorporated in these series would include Astavakrasana, Parsva Bakasana, Dwi Pada Sirasana and Pincha Mavurasana.
The Rocket is also divided into a series of three: Rocket I, Rocket II and Rocket III. Each series focuses on targeted body strength and flexibility. Typically, the Ashtanga Vinyasa Primary Series would be practiced on Sunday and optionally on Thursday, Rocket I on Monday and Thursday(instead of the Primary Series), Rocket II on Tuesday and Wednesday and Rocket III on Friday. As in the tradition of Ashtanga Yoga, Saturday is the day to rest from physical forms of yoga [3]
Schultz named it The Rocket as this practice ‘gets you there faster’. Rocket Yoga, popularized by the yoga community in San Francisco, has taken a large following nationally and internationally with over 100 teacher trainings in this style of yoga since its inception. Rocket Yoga has attracted a wide following including: Willem Defoe, Madonna, Sting, The Grateful Dead, and Christie Turlington.[4][5]
|
|||||||||||