Class Descriptions

Bikram Hot Yoga is a beginning level yoga class utilizing the classic 26 postures performed twice, the exact way every class. There are no inversions, and no upward & downward dog transitions. This class is 90 minutes.

Hot Hatha 1 is considered a basic beginning level yoga class. 30 classical yoga postures are performed in this sequence. There is an introduction to Sun Salutations, but there are no upward & downward dog transitions and no inversions. This class is 75 minutes.

Barkan Method Hot Yoga is considered a beginner/intermediate level yoga class. The addition of upward & downward dog transitions makes this class intermediate and different from Bikram Yoga and Hot Hatha Yoga. Beginners are welcome to this class, but standing and kneeling Sun Salutations are performed. Some strength training preparations are used to help students move ont to more intermediate/advanced postures. This class is 80 minutes.

Hot Hatha 2 is considered a beginner/intermediate level yoga class. There are no upward & downward dog transitions, which makes this class different from Barkan Method Hot Yoga. We also add Sun Salutations from the Classical Hatha Yoga lineage. Introductions to lotus, meditational postures and partial inversions makes this class intermediate. 39 of the 84 postures are performed. This class is 90 minutes.

Hot Hatha 3 is a intermediate/advanced class designed for students who have been practicing for 1 to 2 years as well as 3 to 5 times a week in Classical Hatha Yoga. Full Lotus meditation and inversions are introduced in this class. There are no upward & downward dog transitions. Students must have instructor permission to enter this class.

* Sun Salutations from the Classical Hatha Yoga lineage are challenging and very different from the Vinyasa lineage. Please be prepared to practice these Sun Salutations differently from how you may have originally learned them. It is the safest for everyone when there is unity and synchronicity in class.

* Pranayama is the practice of improving energy through breath control and awareness. Pranayama exercises are utilized in all classes.

Yoga Cikitsa (chi-KIT-sa) private yoga therapy: Beginners are often intimidated by the thought of entering a classroom full of people. A few private classes can help ease into the practice. Private classes can also be advantageous for those with a physical injury or disability. They can be taught to modify the postures accordingly before entering the classroom. Students who have been practicing for some time often use private classes to "fine tune" their practice and receive more hands on adjustments. Private classes are also available for teens, children and those with special needs. These classes are designed therapeutically to meet each persons abilities and promote a healthy mind and body. Please call for appointments.

History of Martha's Vineyard Hot Yoga

Classical Hatha Yoga

All disciplines of yoga have been passed down by word of mouth from a guru (teacher) to their students. Traditionally students dedicated their entire lives to the guru's teachings and practiced everything that is taught, without question. Hatha Yoga came to the west in the 1920's and has since been change to fit our cultural needs. Vineyard Yoga attempts to maintain Classical Hatha Yoga, while adapting to our current society. Our hope is to re-establish the science of Hatha Yoga through the positive results of your practice.

Hot Yoga Lineage

Hot Yoga was developed and brought to the U.S. by Bikram Choudhury. The lineage of Hot Yoga extends back to Yogi Matsyendranath, regarded as the first human teacher of Hatha Yoga. In this lineage there are 84 postures to be practiced. Bikram learned this series from his guru, Shree Bishnu Charan Ghosh (1902-1970) who learned yoga from his older brother Paramhansa Yogananda. This lineage extends back to deathless saint Mahavatar Babaji. Bishnu established Ghosh's College of Physical Education in 1924 to teach the classic 84 postures. These postures (asanas), originated from a series codified between the 5th and 10th century A.D. by the Nath sect. Followers of the Nath believed the main objective of Hatha Yoga is to create an absolute balance of the physical body, mind and energy.

Bikram Hot Yoga Lineage

Learning the 84 postures can take a lifetime to master. Under the guidance of his guru, Bikram Choudhury ultimately chose 26 of the most basic yoga postures anyone can perform regardless of age or ability. He arranged them in a sequence where the postures build upon and balance each other in the same way as the 84 postures do. When he brought the system to from India to America in 1974, Choudhury decided to create an environment similar to the one in which he had practiced since the age of four. Bikram decided to heat the room so that the students could have the same experience as practicing in Calcutta. He found the warm room to be a safer place to practice and students progressed faster with fewer injuries. Bikram believed that scientifically the sequence was perfectly designed and should always be practiced the same way, which was very helpful for western students to improve and progress. Students who traveled found it helpful because from studio to studio they can always practice the same Bikram series. All the postures are performed twice giving the student many opportunities for success. There is short rest period in between each posture, allowing students time to recover. The 26 postures can be taken to very advanced places making it a challenging class for all levels of students.

The Barkan Method Hot Yoga

James Barkan opened the first Hot Yoga studio in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1983. He began to incorporate various postures from different styles of Vinyasa Yoga, but kept many of the original 84 postures. James decided to call his style, "The Barkan Method Hot Yoga". You will find a Barkan Hot Yoga class very similar to a Bikram Hot Yoga class, as many postures are the same and are performed in the same order. Some postures are linked together using upward/downward dog transitions. This is different from Classical Hatha Yoga where there are short resting periods throughout a class.