Which element calls you?
Yoga for the water element in Asheville
Move like water, soft and fluid.
Water classes take apas, the water element, as their theme, one of the five great elements of Indian philosophy, Ayurveda and yoga. In practice that means fluid, circular movement, flowing transitions and a soft, rhythmic pace, often with a focus on the hips.
46 classes coming up at 1 studio.
What Water does for you
You trade straight lines for waves and circles, and your body tends to follow. Rolling through the spine and hips can leave you loose and warm all the way down. Many people come for the pleasure of moving without forcing anything, and leave feeling softer. It is a good pick for when your movement has gone stiff and mechanical.
It suits you if
- you want to move without forcing
- your hips and spine feel stiff
- you like flowing classes but not fast ones
- you enjoy rhythmic, music-led practice
Read the full guide to WaterWhat a class is like, your first time, history and the words you will hear
What a class is like
Classes run 60 to 75 minutes, usually at a steady, rhythmic pace. Expect spinal waves, hip circles, moon salutations, flowing lunges and side bends, sometimes with a slower, yin-style stretch for the hips at the end. Ujjayi, the soft ocean-sounding breath, often sets the rhythm, and the music may include water sounds or ambient tracks. Some classes tie the theme to the sacral chakra. You warm up and might sweat a little.
Your first time
- Wear fitted clothes that move with you.
- Bring water and a towel.
- If you have wrist or knee trouble, tell the facilitator so they can suggest options for the flowing parts.
Good to know
- Flowing classes mean many transitions through wrists and knees; slow down or skip a round whenever you need to.
Where it comes from
Water, apas or jala in Sanskrit, is one of the pancha mahabhuta, the five great elements alongside earth, fire, air and ether. Indian thought gives it the qualities of fluidity, cohesion and coolness. In Samkhya philosophy each element arises from a subtle element (tanmatra) tied to a sense, and water is linked to taste.
Ayurveda uses water in two of its three doshas: with earth it forms kapha, associated with stability and lubrication, and with fire it forms pitta, associated with heat and transformation. In the chakra system described in tantric texts such as the 16th century Sat-Cakra-Nirupana, water belongs to Svadhisthana, the second chakra, shown as a white crescent moon inside a six-petaled lotus. Hatha manuals such as the 17th century Gheranda Samhita describe a concentration practice for water as for each of the elements.
Modern water classes use all of this loosely, as imagery and a movement quality rather than a set sequence. The moon salutation often taught in them is a modern sequence. Studios schedule water themes in summer to cool down, or as one week of a five-element series. Some yin facilitators work with the Chinese five phases instead, where water is linked to winter, a separate system from Chinese medicine.
Berlin, a city of lakes, canals and the Spree, gives the theme an easy summer setting, and water-themed classes sometimes move outdoors near the water when the weather allows.
Words you will hear
- Apas
- Sanskrit for water, one of the five great elements.
- Jala
- Another common Sanskrit word for water.
- Ujjayi
- 'Victorious' breath, a slow breath through the nose with a soft, ocean-like sound.
- Chandra namaskar
- Moon salutation, a slower, side-to-side sequence often used in water classes.
- Svadhisthana
- The second chakra, traditionally linked to the water element.