What’s the Difference?
Chances are, you’re familiar with Yoga and can immediately bring to mind what a yoga class looks like and sounds like when you hear the term: long held stretches, tapping into your chakras, sitting in contemplation for hours…Well, JOGA is not that.
Yes both JOGA and Yoga are mind and body practices, but that’s where the similarities end. So what exactly makes JOGA different than Yoga?
YOGA
Yoga is a mental, physical, and spiritual practice that originated in ancient India. The goal of traditional Yoga was not only to become more flexible and to train the body and mind to sit in contemplation for long periods of time – as we commonly think of Yoga in the Western world today – but to discover an understanding of the connection between mind, body, and spirit. Traditional Yoga is deeply rooted in this philosophy of practicing self-awareness and enlightenment.
True to its heritage and beginnings in Hinduism and Buddhism, Sanskrit, the ancient language of South Asia, is still used when teaching and practicing Yoga today. Just like the word ‘Yoga’ itself, which comes from the Sanskrit word yuj meaning ‘union’, most Yoga terminology ties back to its foundations in these ancient schools of philosophy. Ultimately, Yoga is a discipline with deep roots in achieving spiritual harmony.
JOGA
Similar to Yoga, JOGA involves physical postures, breathing, and relaxation techniques. However, where the goal of Yoga is to become more flexible and spiritually aware, JOGA’s aim is to enhance performance, improve concentration, and reduce recovery time within the context of an athletic environment.
Athletes don’t need to be flexible, nor do they need to be able to torque and hold their bodies in bendy positions. In fact, performing many of the passive positions found in Yoga can actually do more harm than good for an athlete as athletes have to be tight to some degree to produce power and speed. Therefore, JOGA is a three dimensional neuromuscular system intended to build muscle memory and balance joint mobility/stability. It’s not just ‘yoga for jocks’ or ‘athletic yoga’. Through emphasizing the kinetic chain and a combination of dynamic and static positions, JOGA addresses common muscle imbalances, overuse injuries, and mobility/stability weaknesses that appear in an athlete’s specific kinetic environment.
The specific breathing and relaxation techniques in JOGA are used to support a more balanced nervous system so athletes can be better equipped to manage the high-stress demands of the job. From learning how to stay calm and non-reactive while executing plays to practicing calming the mind for better sleep, JOGA’s breathing and relaxation techniques educate an athlete on how to connect their breath to their core and become more self aware.
Which One is Right for You?
If you are looking to become more bendy and find inner peace, then take a Yoga class. But if you’re an athlete who needs to be moving at high speeds and loading the joints, then JOGA is for you. With JOGA, you get the physical and physiological benefits of Yoga, but in a way that is individual to your body and cohesive to the biomechanics of your sport.
In JOGA, we’re not going to tell you to lift your heart to the sky or ask you to connect to your third eye. We’re going to use language that resonates with an athlete’s mindset, like agility and proprioception, so you can understand how what you’re doing is helping you build more efficient movement patterns and giving you more gains for you to go out on the field or court and namaSLAY.