Most gyms have a secluded yoga room so that loud noises cannot penetrate its walls to distract the people inside. Now, a new type of yoga is flipping this idea on its head, encouraging loud music and aggressive behavior to help relieve stress.
According to Pop Sugar, Rage Yoga is extremely popular in Canada, and it may be coming to the U.S. very soon. A variation of traditional yoga, Rage Yoga allows participants to vent frustrations by cursing, making rude gestures, and doing whatever else they want to feel better inside.
Lindsay Istace, the founder of Rage Yoga, started to play around with the traditional rules of yoga when she grew tired of her normal exercise routine. She describes Rage Yoga as “a practice involving stretching, positional exercises and bad humor, with the goal of attaining good health and to become as zen as f**k. More than just a practice, Rage Yoga is an attitude.”
While the new exercise is loosely based on Vinyasa Yoga, an aggressive form of traditional yoga, there are some key differences between the two methods. For example, Istace encourages participants to release their frustrations on their own accord, whether it be through screaming, using swear words, or blaring loud metal music.
Over 15 million Americans practiced yoga as of 2015, and most practice a traditional form of yoga known as Hatha. However, several distinct yoga variations have become quite popular over the past decade, including “hot yoga” and “curvy yoga.”
When Istace realized that yoga was not a “one size fits all” exercise, she decided to develop a routine that reflected her unique personality. As Bustle recently reported, the young entrepreneur stumbled upon “Rage Yoga” following a tough breakup with her ex-boyfriend.
“My [yoga] practice is what got me through it,” Istace said. “But I was hurt, confused and angry. This started to come out in my home practice. There was a lot of swearing and shouting in poses, and I found that it felt great to let it out on the mat!”
Istace is fully aware that Rage Yoga is widely seen as a gimmick, but she was quite serious when asked about how her new method of yoga can help people enhance their quality of life.
“The main benefit that is more unique to Rage Yoga is that we create a safe space to deal with negative emotions in a positive way,” Istace added. “I’ve never been able to will away negative feelings. Rage Yoga is a great way to harness and use them in a constructive way that makes you a stronger and happier person.”
Currently, Rage Yoga classes are held in the basement of Dicken’s Pub in Calgary, Alberta, which is the only room Istace could afford. However, she is planning on offering more classes in both Canada and the U.S. due to the positive response she has received online.