Meticulous Yoga Styles

All styles of yoga have to be meticulous in execution because one of the major benefits of yoga depends on focus and the drive towards perfection. People that practice in a meticulous style take this idea to a whole new level and make the perfect execution of any yoga pose their prime reason for participating in the activity. Mental attitude and values have a lot to do with whether a person decides to study meticulous yoga, but anyone can use some of the values that it stresses to their advantage.

Meticulous Yoga arose from a movement in traditional yoga that stressed extreme focus and concentration as the fastest road to mental peace in the late 90s. Contrary to popular belief, meticulous yoga has little to do with obsession but rather a different approach to an art that already requires deep focus.

All of the same rules apply as far as equipment goes, but in meticulous yoga, classes and texts are absolutely essential to success. It makes sense that meticulous yoga generally sticks to the poses of classical and pre-classical schools as they are the foundations for the modern trends of yoga.

It is highly recommended that you must have a background in other styles of yoga before beginning this style as being a beginner can lead to frustration and lack of interest. However, for individuals that enjoy a challenge, do not become frustrated easily, and have the persistence to not give up, meticulous yoga may be just what you are looking for.

The Pursuit of Perfection

Any pose or movement can be used in a meticulous style. However, the movements should be chosen based on what the person really wants to accomplish. Generally, no one sets out to be meticulous about yoga simply to be perfect. The idea of this style is to get the absolute most from another benefit.

That being said, consider these poses based on your main goal:

• Strength: Side Crow Pose, Warrior II or III, Forearm Stand, Firefly Pose, Half Moon Pose


• Flexibility: Scorpion Pose, Forearm Stand, Compass Pose, Side Plank Pose, Upward Facing Dog


• Mind: Supported Standing Forward Bend, Sun Salutation, Child's Pose, Sukusana

Construct a list like the one above and focus on the poses that you choose. Keep it under 5 poses so that you really have a chance to zero in on every aspect of the body during each pose. Consider Meticulous Yoga to be much like Relaxing Yoga in that you must think about every part of the body that is involved in the pose and employ every muscle that you can to achieve each position.

Things To Consider

Ensure that you are able to free your mind and body before beginning to seriously study yoga meticulously. It is best to vary your schedule as far as muscle groups go. To really understand yoga, employ as many muscle groups as possible in each session. The idea is to get an overall sense of how yoga involves every part of the body. In essence, you are attempting to fully understand your mind and body, not every single pose of every single school of yoga.

When performing exercises focus on these things:

Breathing: Breathing is very important. While you're reading this you can try an experiment with your breath.

Sit up straight and really try to feel the air rushing in and out of your lungs. Now feel it in your throat. How does it feel in your mouth and going across your tongue? Is it labored or does it move freely? Now, try letting your body decide when to breathe. How often do your lungs call for air? Are you really letting your body breathe or are you consciously doing so? If you did this, you just performed an exercise in meticulous yoga.

Mind: This one can be tricky. It should be done near the end of your exercises when your mind is already free. As you move into a pose, what are you thinking? Try not to think about the execution of the pose or what you're making for dinner tonight. Try thinking about how your body is BECOMING the pose. Every pose has a thoughtful name for a reason. When you do the Child's Pose, think about why you suppose it is called that. How does your body mimic a child's while in this pose? How can you execute it to become more like a child?

Body: Every time you perform a pose think about exactly what your body has to do to get itself into that position. Do your exercises in front of a mirror and imagine yourself in layers. What do you look like as just a skeleton? Add the muscles. Which muscles are contracting and which ones are at rest? Add skin. Feel the skin stretching and forming to your every move. How does it do that? Investing in a medical publication that shows the different layers of the body can be very helpful in being able to visualize your entire body.

Try making your own list of focus subjects like the one above. Ask unique questions about your own body and how yoga affects it. The more experienced you get the more specific questions you will begin to ask. Some practitioners of meticulous yoga go so far as to examine what the mole on their leg does when they perform a pose. It's up to you how far you take meticulous yoga but the possibilities are limitless.

Is Meticulous Yoga for You?

Flexibility Yoga is certainly not for everyone. It requires a great sense of focus and a strong foundation in the art. In order to really study each move, you need to be physically fit enough that moving into the position is unlabored. Every style of yoga stresses some form of a meticulous attitude but ensure that you're willing to go as far as to deeply analyze everything about a certain move. If not, another style might be more appropriate.

Facts and Statistics

A survey of 100 Yoga teachers in 1995 revealed that 65% had foundations in meticulous yoga in place before they began teaching. Of that 65%, 60% claim that meticulous yoga is what led them to teach.

Only about 7% of the population regularly practicing yoga in the United States use a meticulous approach to yoga as their only form of study.

Though the amount of calories burned during meticulous yoga is dependent on the poses that are performed, most people can expect to burn about the same amount of calories as gentle activity or 135 per hour for the average male and 105 for the average female.

Well educated people are more likely to study Meticulous Yoga with 45% having bachelor's degrees and 35% possessing post graduate degrees (25% masters, 10% doctoral).