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Chillin With My ‘OM’ies

by: Shanel Odum | Mar. 12, 2007

 

Zen’s great for hip hoppers, not just hippies.

Yoga may be over 5,ooo years old but the ancient Indian discipline of exercise, diet and meditation isn’t going out of style any time soon. Whether you’re interested in stretching, strengthening, aerobic conditioning, or meditation–yoga seems to be the go-to fitness regimen these days.

With more than 60 styles practiced in US alone, picking the best one for you can seem like a mental workout in itself. If you're seeking the stress-busting, fitness-boosting benefits of yoga here are a few…alternative classes we found worth checking out:

Hip Hop Yoga- Phat Farmer Russell Simmons is not only a multi-million dollar flossing mogul, he’s been a devout yogi for more than a decade. In an attempt to introduce the practice to his disciples, he’s released Yoga Live, a fitness DVD with a hip hop soundtrack. Now you can downward dog to DMX and corpse pose to Dead Prez.

Hasya or Laughing Yoga- This new form of laughter therapy is contagious. It combines deep, controlled breathing, stretches, and chants like "ho-ho" and "ha-ha-ha" to trigger relaxing laughter. The use of abdominal muscles during the practice of forced laughter tones the abdominal muscles and contribute to a healthy digestive system. No, seriously.

Budokon Yoga- This new California hybrid is Japanese for "way of the spiritual warrior." The holistic mind-body-spirit system mixes martial arts, yoga, meditation and optimal nutrition. Think Tae Kwon Do meets Pilates or just plain old Tae Yo.

Nude Yoga- Self-explanatory. Just thought we’d put it out there.

Get your yoga on:

Russel Simmon's Get Yoga Live DVD

self-realization.com

yoga.com