Functional Yoga for the 21st Century body

Asanas you might find in a Functional Yoga class

Utkatasana/Chair pose

This is the only version of sitting in a chair that is truly good for the body! Chair pose requires lots of work from the spine, quads, gluteals, feet, and ankles. It is a strength-building asana that would help you to get up from a chair more easily as well as help those with back pain by stretching out the spinal muscles.

Adho mukha Svanasana/Downward facing dog

Another strength pose for the arms, wrists, and shoulders as well as a spinal and lower limb mobiliser, downward dog can be a tough asana for the beginner. Building strength through the body is essential for humans, particularly as they get older if they want to continue doing what they enjoy doing. We might adapt this pose with a big bend in the knee and heels lifted off the ground, allowing the less flexible to enjoy a big lower back and hamstring stretch whilst still working on upper body strength.

Revolved crescent lunge/ Parivṛtta Aṅjaneyāsana

A kneeling lunge with spinal rotation is a big stretch through the front of the hips with a nourishing spinal rotation. Spinal rotation should appear in every yoga class, in my humble opinion, it is an essential spinal movement that needs to be practiced. It helps us do those functional movements we need each day, like reaching into an awkward cupboard or taking clothes out of the washing machine. The more we practice these spinal movements and become more mobile, the lower our chance of injury in daily life.

All these asanas also use our core strength, which is so important for our daily balance and lower back support. A functional class will focus on the core to help build strength around the back and pelvis. There would also be a focus on the feet, since we need to build strength from the ground up to be truly stable.

In summary, functional yoga looks to use multiple muscles groups to build strength and to increase mobility. But please remember that we still work with the breath and focus on looking inward, with the brain and body working together just like in any other yoga class. Ultimately functional yoga is about improving our quality of life.

Some benefits of Functional Yoga

• An individual approach that suits those recovering from injury
• The use of props to help all individuals achieve an asana
• A focus on discovering muscular weaknesses and working on building strength
• Often popular with those who are a little intimidated by the word “yoga”
• Great for those who participate in sports and want to improve body awareness and mobility
• Brings an increased awareness to your own body and where your strengths and weaknesses lie.