Remember how you moved as a kid? Spending all day running, jumping, rolling around and rarely getting injured because you were fearless and tuned in to your body?
Budokon yoga – a unique combination of martial arts, calisthenics, yoga asana, and animal locomotion – has helped me to reconnect with this childlike nature by encouraging me to move my body in a challenging yet playful way.
Developed in 2000 by Cameron Shayne, Budokon [Bu (warrior)-Do (way)- Kon (soul)] can be translated as “the way of the warrior spirit”. The practice offers an intense, full-body workout, as it combines the integrity of martial arts movement with the strength of calisthenics, the playfulness of animal movement, and the fluidity of yoga.
The practice offers an intense, full-body workout, as it combines the integrity of martial arts movement with the strength of calisthenics, the playfulness of animal movement, and the fluidity of yoga.
Budokon yoga is sometimes also called “the art of transition” because so much attention is focused on how we move in and out of shapes. Take the transition to Prayer Squat, for example: you can walk there, lightly hop or effortlessly float there. Unlike a regular yoga class, Budokon is quite athletic, focusing as much on strength and agility as on flexibility.
In a recent interview, Cameron Shayne described the benefits of Budokon: “Contemporary postural yoga doesn’t demand nor produce the kind of strength a human being is capable of. Postural yoga’s primary and original purpose was to aid in the comfort of seated meditation, and has since developed into a health and wellness practice for the average person. It, however, has never been, and most doubtful ever will be, a system that develops athletes. For this reason, I developed BDK Yoga for people who want to explore greater physical possibilities”.
By adding animal movements, calisthenics and martial arts elements to my asana practice, I’ve gained a lot of shoulder girdle strength and better balance between shoulder and hip girdle. I also love the way Budokon yoga encourages me to move my body in different, often unfamiliar ways.
So if you also wish to explore greater physical possibilities, this practice is for you. It will quickly make you feel stronger and more balanced. No matter whether you want to improve your athletic performance or change up your yoga routine, you will benefit from BDK yoga.
The style is adaptable to almost all levels. Everybody can find something where they are good at and even more so something that challenges them. And don‘t forget to have fun while moving, jumping, crawling, hopping, rolling, and swinging!
Try out some Budokon
EkhartYoga members can follow a series of Budokon classes with Gilda as part of the Revolutionise Your Yoga programme. Join us and get playful!
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