Rage Yoga/Instagram
Yoga is one of the most relaxing experiences ever. The combination of meditation and intense stretching can make anyone feel more mindful and even caring towards the other people in their lives. Yet, not everyone on Earth finds chimes and lotus positions to be the best way to find relaxation. For some, rage is the way to go! For those people, rage yoga now exists…
Different Types of Yoga
Of course, traditional yoga, also known as Hatha Yoga, is far from the only form of yoga. Over the years, quite a few different types of yoga have cropped up. Now people do yoga with their dogs, partners, aerial yoga, even hot yoga in the heat. Meanwhile, it doesn’t matter what form of yoga you decide to participate in, most are designed more to straighten your core and muscles than anything else. However, a few types of yoga focus more on the meditation and mental aspects of yoga, like laughter yoga, which seeks to release stress via laughter. Now, there’s a new type of yoga sweeping the world in response to laughter yoga and the more tranquil forms of the workout: rage yoga!
Creating Rage Yoga
On the official website, it’s stated that rage yoga is “a practice involving stretching, positional exercises, and bad humor, with the goal of attaining good health and to become zen as f*ck. More than just a practice, Rage Yoga is an attitude.” Now, thanks to its carefree attitude and stress-relieving nature, rage yoga is being adopted by more and more gyms and studios across the world.
“It took me a long time to get my ass into a studio, and then when I finally worked up the courage, I felt really out of place…” says Lindsay Istace, rage yoga’s creator. Believe it or not, once upon a time, Istace actually felt intimidated by even beginners yoga classes! Then, when she eventually conquered her fear, she actually found yoga studios quite dull. In fact, Istace called them “libraries with people stretching.” So, she decided to create her own version of yoga, one that brought her chaotic energy to the practice that she loved so much. But what is rage yoga, exactly?
A Typical Class
While Istace created rage yoga in Canada, it quickly hopped the border to the United States. One teacher, Amanda Kauffman, documented one of her classes in Kansas City for Instagram, and it was quite wild!
One of the most significant differences between rage yoga and regular yoga? Rage yoga takes place in a brewery. Yup, you read that right! Even better, each participant gets a glass of beer to enjoy throughout the class. There are also “beer breaks” instead of water breaks in rage yoga! Meanwhile, while in regular yoga people typically remain quiet, rage yoga participants are encouraged to moan, groan, and even yell their stress out. Without a doubt, it makes for a stage show. The class also allows for cursing, as no one under 21 is allowed in, given the location. Watching the clips on Instagram, rage yoga looks more like a bar fight or rock concert that a yoga class, but the participants seem to adore it!
Looking to try out rage yoga? Well, you can do so from the comfort of your own home, as long as you have some beer and an internet connection. The founder has placed some classes online for everyone to enjoy, whenever they need to let off a little steam!
