Buti Yoga: What is it, what are the benefits and where can you try it?

Time to get your Buti in gear

BUTI (YouTube)

Many may think of yoga as a soothing form of exercise, something that you can do when you fancy a bit of peace and quiet.

However, Buti Yoga will completely subvert everything that you thought you knew about the practice.

Founded by celebrity trainer Bizzie Gold in 2012, Buti Yoga is a combination of traditional yoga moves, tribal dance and plyometrics that has proven popular with stars such as Jennifer Love Hewitt.

The workout claims to greatly benefit both your physical and mental wellbeing.

Here’s everything you need to know about the energetic style of yoga, its benefits and how you can give it a go.

What is it?

Buti Yoga brings a variety of different movements together, including vinyasa-style yoga, tribal-inspired dancing and plyometric exercises (otherwise known as ‘jump training’).

The high-intensity classes are paired with pumping music and are open to people of all fitness abilities.

Buti Yoga is no walk in the park - anyone taking part in one of these classes, whether in a fitness studio or at home, should expect to sweat buckets.

The workout employs the spiral structure technique (SST), a signature strengthening technique introduced by Buti Yoga that activates all areas of your abdominal muscles by using spiral movements, as opposed to linear ones.

According to the Los Angeles Times, one 75-minute class could burn approximately 800 to 1,000 calories.

What are the benefits?

While Buti Yoga is undoubtedly a physically testing dynamic form of exercise, it has also supposedly been designed to target your mental wellbeing as well.

Buti is a Marathi Indian term that can be translated as meaning “the cure to something that’s been hidden away or secret.”

Taking part in a Buti Yoga class can be an extremely fun and liberating experience, something that Gymbox user Genevieve Teevan felt when she tried out the class at the studio.

“It’s impossible to dislike Buti,” she wrote.

“This combination of yoga, South African stomping, shamanistic ritual-meets-Shakira and gawd-knows-what-else should be ridiculous - but if fact feels very natural and light-hearted.

“This is the most relaxed I’ve felt in weeks.”

The group atmosphere will help spur you on to push your body to the limit and to shed any inhibitions that are holding you back.

Where can you try it?

Gold currently offers a number of Buti Yoga fitness DVDs online for you to purchase.

She will also be holding pop-up Buti Yoga classes in West Hollywood from March 20, with preparations to open a studio in New York currently underway.

Gymbox currently offers the class in several of its London locations.

The 45-minute classes are led by instructors Hester Campbell, who has a background in professional dancing and Sara Fakih, a qualified level three personal trainer and dance fitness instructor.

You have to be a member of Gymbox in order to take part in the class.