Yes, sloth yoga is a real thing.
By Emily Francos — Written on Sep 29, 2019
Yoga has been a practice that has been around for more than 5,000 years. This exercise is more than just a body workout, it also works the mind. Yoga is a mind-body exercise that strengthens your body and allows you to stretch while practicing deep breathing, meditation, and relaxation.
Some yoga classes are fast-paced and intense, while others are slow, relaxing and gentle because intensity levels can vary depending on the class.
Yoga classes work on toning the full body while also working on flexibility, and strength, while also being as low-impact as you need it to be.
Yoga classes are awesome because you can take a low-impact class and still get a full-body workout. Yoga is also a natural reliever of anxiety and depression. This is because yoga helps you release stress through breathing and poses.
As a stress relief, yoga helps a person learn self-soothing techniques like meditation, exercise, socializing, and relaxation. This causes your body to slow down on the stress responses, which then lower your blood pressure and heart rate and eases your breathing.
Also, yoga helps you gain body positivity. Because yoga bodies are not all the same, everyone is different. Most women are curvy and are in love with their curves. Everyone shares their pictures of their poses because they are beautiful.
Yoga really is an art form that everyone needs to embrace when they are feeling down because you will see yourself as beautiful. And once you realize you are beautiful, you will exert confidence in your body. Follow the movement #LoveMyShape in your quest to finding yourself.
Did you know that there are more than 100 different forms of yoga? Here are the top 20 most unconventional yoga classes that you must try at some point in your life.
1. Goat Yoga
Yes, this is exactly what it seems. You execute yoga poses and goats join in. They will jump on your back, crawl over and below you, and even snuggle when you are doing child's pose. There is something about goats that just embrace the whole concept of yoga.
2. Kitten Yoga
For all the cat lovers out there, there is a yoga class where you can exercise while kittens snuggle with you. Did you know that being a crazy cat lady has become normal?
3. Wine Yoga
At the beginning of class, you get a nice sparkling wine. The instructor of the wine class will instruct you when to take sips as you maneuver through the yoga poses. The class usually involves drinking games and catchy music.
This is not a sloppy drinking fest, it's exercise with a little inhibitor of wine to help you loosen up after a long day's work.
4. Puppy Yoga
Do you have a little furry friend who you want to take with you to yoga class? If your answer is yes, doggy yoga is perfect for you. Bring your furry friends and embrace the yoga poses together. This will bring harmony into your relationship as you twist and turn as you train your pets to memic your poses. Or, you never know, your pet may teach you.
But if you are not all that into the poses, then snuggles are always nice and accepted.
5. Sloth Yoga
Sloths are really good at hanging. So, having a sloth in a barre class is not something odd. You can take the time to stretch with a sloth and pick up their nice, calm vibes.
6. Nude Yoga
This is exactly what you think it is. I couldn't imagine doing naked yoga in my own home, let alone in front of other people. Supposedly, when you aren't wearing any clothing, you are more in touch with your bodies movements. This should also help with self-esteem because if you can get in some of these positions with it all hanging out, then you should be confident.
There is no room for shyness when you go to a nude yoga class.
7. Yoga Raves
This yoga class has all the aspects of a rave but you do yoga poses on a mat. There is body paint, glowsticks, black lights and more. Yoga raves are a combination of meditation and music to create a very powerful spiritual journey. This class also involves a lot of dancing like normal raves and then the yoga aspect brings the participants back to balance and peace. This is basically a very popular party with some yoga thrown in.
8. Aerial Yoga
Aerial yoga has become one of the most favorite fitness classes. This class uses special wide ribbons that are attached to the ceiling like a trapeze. These ribbons support you while you do your proses. Don't try this one at home.
9. Stand Up Paddle Boarding Yoga
SUP yoga is a class where you use a paddleboard to do yoga. You really can hone in your balance and coordination skills. So take the scenic route if you are a skilled yogi and go try yoga on water.
10. Aqua Yoga
Aqua yoga is awesome because it is a great workout but it is also low impact on your joints. Because we naturally float, there won't be any awkward wobbling and hobbling on one foot so you will be able to get deeper into the stretches and poses. Just FYI, don't try downward dog in this position.
11. Tantrum Yoga
This yoga class brings out your inner insolent child. You get to do yoga while kicking, screaming, and stomping your feet like a child. This not only is important for your body because you are nourishing your body through the poses and breathing, while you are also relaxing a lot.
You will find that you will sleep better because you let all of your frustrations out. Sometimes it's good to just act like a little kid again.
12. Toe-ga
This yoga class is for your feet. Literally. This class is yoga for your feet. The instructor leads you through exercises to engage your feet and your toes in order to strengthen them and reduce the possibility of injury. This class is a great way to stretch out your toes.
13. Stripper Pole Yoga
This very aerobic yoga class on a pole brings yoga to a new level. Instead of doing yoga on the flat ground, you are going to be doing yoga in the air while supporting yourself on a pole.
Now, yoga is hard enough, who can do this you are probably wondering? Was it created for torture? Well, no, it combines the very feminine movement and powerful feelings of working the pole and the calming effects of yoga into one. Thus, there is no stripping involved. The pole acts as just a prop in the studio to help with balance and poses.
14. Beer Yoga
Originally started in Berlin but now international, beer yoga is combining two old remedies for the body and soul, yoga and beer. Enjoy your favorite brew as you exercise with your friends in a nice calm and relaxing setting.
15. Laughter Yoga
Laughter yoga consists of having fits of laughter for a prolonged period of time while practicing yoga poses. The instructor will lead breathing exercises to warm up your lungs and then laughter is used in tandem with the normal yoga positions. Who doesn't enjoy a nice chuckle during a workout?
16. Horseback Yoga
This is a thing. It does take some serious core strength to be able to keep yourself on top of the horses back. This class really centers your body in mind. Jessie Tierney, the founder of Horseback Yoga, tells Sofeminine, “Horseback Yoga teaches you how to unite with your equine partner in a meaningful way, through calming your mind, conscious breathing, heightening awareness, and gently opening tight spaces in the body. Through conscious awareness, this approach deeply enhances your connection to and communication with the horses you love, it’s applicable to all disciplines, and it’s a lot of fun!”
17. Foodie Yoga
The love of your body and the love of good food go hand and hand. Once you complete your full workout, you sit down and chow down on a fully catered 'blowout meal." Just go ahead and replace all of those calories burned.
18. Harry Potter Yoga
This yoga class has one intention, to take you to Hogwarts within the hour. You will find inner peace and get fit on your quest to make it to the wizarding world of Harry Potter.
19. Hot Yoga
Hot yoga gives you the chance to sweat out all of the negativity and toxins in your body. Joanna Thurlow told Soul and Spirit Magazine that “The heat also allows you to go a little more deeply and safely into the postures, so you know you’re really warming up the muscles and you can really approach the postures from a safe place.”
I don't know about you, but I would slip on my own sweat.
20. Stroga
Stroller yoga. Yes, mammas, here is your new and improved mommy and me exercise. These stroller yoga exercise classes usually include a 20-30 minute walk and then instructor-led yoga. In this yoga class, the stroller plays the role as a prop to assist new moms in balancing during their yoga positions. With this class, baby weight will be a thing of the past.
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Emily Francos is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture and relationship topics. For more of her content, follow her on Facebook.