History tells us that yoga-like practices were first mentioned in the Rig Veda and the first known appearance of the word ‘yoga’ with the same meaning as the modern term is in the Katha Upanishad. While traditional yoga focuses on meditation and release from worldly attachments, in the modern world, yoga is often associated with asanas, a posture-based tool for physical fitness. Consequently, over years, several variations of yoga have emerged - ranging from ordinary to unusual to outright bizarre styles.

This year marks the 10th International Day of Yoga with the theme‘Yoga for Women's Empowerment’ that aims to transform yoga into a widespread movement that emphasises women’s well-being and promotes global health and peace.

On International Day of Yoga, let’s look at some unusual yoga styles.

Goat Yoga

A website dedicated to Goat Yoga calls it the ‘cutest thing on earth’. In its original goat avatar, it was in the form of a nightly walk in Lainey Morse’s farm in Arizona. Visitors came for the Goat Happy Hour. But the happy hour soon turned into Goat Yoga when Morse first held a goat-accompanied yoga session in 2016. The world quickly picked up this yoga style in which you attempt a yoga pose contouring your body around a goat. Or, just curl up and breathe right while the goat grazes next to you.

Face Yoga

Forget the salon or the cosmetologist. Get the perfect jawline by moving a few face muscles. Face yoga is a gentle form of strength training for your face and neck that typically concentrates on one of the 57 facial muscles (or groups of muscles) at a time and celebrities like Meghan Markle and Gwyneth Paltrow have touted the powers of this yoga. There’s face yoga for smile lines, face yoga for eyes, face yoga for frown lines, face yoga for jawline. And if you know nothing about it, download Face Yoga apps that even offer personalised face yoga routine.

Yoga Trance

If you love dancing and want to combine it with yoga, this is for you. Shiva Rea, one of biggest proponents of Yoga Trance, who has studied many forms of yoga and dance in India, Africa, Nepal, Jamaica, and Bali describes it as ‘a high-energy movement meditation to liberate your creative life force'. And how do you achieve that? Move however you wish - dancing, sitting in meditation, stretching, shaking, laying on your mat or doing yoga are all appropriate. No judgment here!

Motorcycle Yoga

Yes, Motorcycle Yoga is a thing. Some people are practising and proclaiming the benefits of combining yoga and motorcycling. Motorcycles have been used a prop to market all kinds of products but those who swear by Motorcycle Yoga believe it has a tangible basis in physiology and philosophy. Want to know more? Read Motorcycle Yoga: Ways to Make Motorcycle Touring More Comfortable and Safe by Lisa Haneberg who had also published a calendar titled the Biker Yoga Goddess Calendar.

Doggo Yoga

On a social media platform, user Downward Doggo describes herself as ‘Just a girl nourishing her body, mind and soul. While patting some puppies’. She, of course, is talking of Doggo Yoga. Primarily, an American pet health concept, this form of yoga (also called Doga) is practicing yoga with your dog. You and your dog doing some asanas together!

Dungeon & dragon yoga

This is a yoga and dungeon & dragon (D&D) mash-up - it is a yoga style that combines traditional stretches with a voiceover narrative and the frequent rolling of 10-sided dice. Created by experimental artist Scott Wayne Indiana, in this yoga session players take on different fictional characters such as paladins, wizards, and half-elf rangers. One player becomes the ‘dungeon master’ or leader of the game, and the team works together to stop the evil forces. All in the name of yoga.

Tantrum Yoga

A relatively new form of yoga, Tantrum Yoga (also known as Rage Yoga) combines traditional yoga poses with yelling, cursing, and other forms of expressive release. The basic idea behind Tantrum Yoga is that by allowing yourself to express your anger and other negative emotions through physical movement and verbal release you can reduce stress and anxiety. Someone cheekily called it ‘two-minute road to peace’.

Slackline Yoga

Improve your balance, focus, and core strength: doing yoga poses on a slackline. It certainly isn’t easy - the consequences of losing focus on a loose line are more pronounced than when you’re on a mat. Focus, stand firm on the rope or else you fall off. Some poses, like Revolved Triangle are actually easier on the line than on the ground but Navasana (Boat pose) can be hardest on the line. Veteran slacklining yoga enthusiasts can sit on the rope in Lotus Pose and meditate for 20-30 minutes.

Laughter Yoga

Whoever said laughter is the Best Medicine perhaps did not think then of combining laughter and yoga. Laughter Yoga (LY) program was developed by Indian physician Dr Madan Kataria where anyone can laugh without relying on humour, jokes or comedies. Practised in more than 110 countries, it combines laughter exercises with yoga breathing techniques (Pranayama) which brings more oxygen to the body and brain making one feel more energetic and healthy.

Beer Yoga

Created in the US nearly a decade ago (probably during the Burning Man Festival), Beer Yoga is a hybrid form of yoga in which participants practice yoga in taprooms and breweries or drink beer during/after yoga sessions. Well, you cannot drink and drive but you can drink and knot into an asana.

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