What To Expect During Buti Yoga

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Written By: Suzanne Kvilhaug

Oh em gee. Holy crap. WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! Was all I could think after my first Buti Yoga class.

I’m in decent shape and I’ve taken all types of fitness classes but this was different and far from what I expected. To say it exceeded my expectations wouldn’t do it justice.

Before my first class, I didn’t know much about Buti Yoga. I saw a few short videos and could see that shaking and dancing were involved, but that’s about it. I’m coordinated and I can dance to some extent yet dance class really isn’t my thing. Sign me up for a 5k race or a vinyasa yoga class instead. But I kept seeing Buti Yoga on the schedule at every studio that I go to, and one night I took the bait. I signed up for class and in the back of my mind thought, one and done. Do it once and check it off the fitness class bucket list.

So I arrived to the studio and right off the bat the instructor was really nice and super sweet. After seconds of meeting her it’s obvious she’s a beautiful soul inside and out. With an incredible body to boot. The kind that make woman think, I’ll do whatever she’s doing. Then she proceeds to pass out goddess cards to everyone in class. Goddess cards before a workout? Ok, now she’s speaking my language!

What went down next was sort of a blur. Invigorating, extreme, intense, fun, challenging and mystic are words that come to mind. Lots of movement, dancing, shaking, downward dogs, squatting, hips swaying, planks and moves that might have a name but I don’t know them. A total body workout to say the least. With what I just did, I should have felt exhausted but I think I was too stunned to.

Buti Yoga explained

Founded by celebrity trainer Bizzie Gold, the word Buti was derived from an Indian Marathi language, and translates to “the cure to something hidden or kept secret”.

This can be referring to feminine power, confidence, empowerment, the ability to heal yourself, true desires coming to the surface or whatever it is that Buti gives to you.

Buti Yoga fuses various tribal hip-shaking dance moves, yoga flows, and heart-pumping plyometrics. The workout uses 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 instead of linear ones.

The spiritual aspect that makes it unique

What’s most unique about Buti Yoga is the importance placed on the spiritual aspect of the practice. Buti Yoga emphasizes that the workout is about transforming the body from the inside out while uniting the body, mind and soul. But don’t think that means it’s not physically challenging -- I would say it’s one of the most demanding workouts I’ve ever done. Sweating begins within the first few minutes and it doesn’t stop until the end. One 75-minute Buti Yoga class burns approximately 800 to 1,000 calories.

Buti Yoga was created with the intention to release and tone the body while activating and energizing your shakti, the divine feminine energy within you. Shakti is said to be the divine feminine energy that lies dormant at the base of the spine and can be moved upward through things like asana, pranayama, dance and meditation. During Buti Yoga, feminine energy is unleashed through moves like hip rotations and powerful warrior yoga poses. The intent is to sculpt long, lean muscles with sexy feminine curves.

It’s about empowerment and connection

If you’re reading this and think that Buti Yoga sounds intimidating, it’s understandable. Anything that’s new and requires you to put yourself out there physically isn’t easy in the beginning. Once you get the first class out of the way and learn the basics, your fears will be released quickly.

Buti Yoga is for all fitness levels and as cliché as it sounds, it feels like a judgement-free zone. From women in top shape who could be on a Buti DVD, to middle-aged women who haven’t danced in public in years, I’ve seen it all. Everyone does what they can and nobody seems to feel less than or embarrassed. Buti Yoga is about enjoying the freedom of movement and doing so with a bunch of women who have a shared common goal of bettering themselves inside and outside the studio.

The word tribe is used a lot in Buti Yoga. That’s because Buti describes its practice as a tribe of empowered women who support each other in their journeys to great health and happiness. I can wholeheartedly say that I feel this every single time I do it. Not only does it feel like a comfortable and inclusive environment, it has a certain magic unlike anything else. To me Buti Yoga is a one of a kind workout that can’t fully be understood until experienced. So much for my one and done theory. Once a week is more like it.