Capoeira and yoga?

Posted by Sorriso on June 5th, 2009 at 12:16am

Question:

A lot of my friends who have been doing capoeira for a while are really flexible. I’m wondering if practicing yoga can be beneficial to my capoeira practice. Can a down dog help my armada?

Answer:

When most people think of yoga, they think of those famous static poses (i.e. the downward dog). Yet yoga is so much more then these asanas. Yoga has many internal cleansing techniques, breathing exercises, and even a moral code to live by.

Yoga is a complete internal science with the ultimate purpose of merging the practitioner with the divine, whether that be God, the universe, nature, or any energy that is bigger then the self.

The yoga asanas are meant to increase flexibility while strengthening all the muscles in the body. This allows for yogis to engage in meditation without physical discomfort. It also can be a great addition to your capoeira practice.

I have always felt that capoeira looks like yoga in motion. The wheel pose looks like the ponche, the esquiva resembles the bent leg triangle pose, and the warrior posture looks a lot like part of the ginga.

So to me, it is a very natural thing to combine yoga practices with capoeira. Both disciplines require the participant to be fully present in the moment. To perform well in both practices, one must be calm and relaxed, and both yoga and capoeira give the practitioner a sense of well being and a heightened world view.

So go ahead and give yoga a try. There are many different types to choose from, including but not limited to: gentler styles, flow classes, classes in hot rooms, meditation lessons, and so much more. Once you find the yoga class that fits you, you will find that both your yoga practice and your capoeira will reach new levels.

Tags: yoga

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