What Is Rocket Yoga? Sequences, Poses, Benefits & More
I’m always amazed when I encounter a new form of yoga. I feel that, after over 15 years of practicing various forms of yoga, I would have seen, tried, or at least heard of it all. But no. On my recent trip to Barcelona, I saw many studios had “Rocket Yoga” on their menu and I got curious…
So what is rocket yoga? Am I going to shoot to the moon? Sadly not, but close enough.
Rocket Yoga is a fast-paced, dynamic style of yoga developed by Larry Schultz out of the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga tradition. The rocket yoga method takes the traditional Ashtanga series and reworks it into a unique flow across three sequences, Rocket I, Rocket II, and Rocket III. You get the same demanding postures as traditional Ashtanga yoga, but with far more freedom to modify, skip, or adapt poses to your own body structure.
Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir gave the practice its name after watching Larry Schultz teach it on tour. This guide covers what a rocket yoga class actually looks like, the three sequences, the poses you’ll encounter, the real benefits, how it compares to traditional Ashtanga, and whether it’s a good fit if you’re new to yoga.
If you’re into advanced postures that crank up your heart rate, looking for yoga alternatives that use more body strength, or a sweaty physical practice like me, listen up.
What Is Rocket Yoga?
In some ways, I found that rocket yoga is the bad boy of Ashtanga. Larry Schultz built the rocket yoga method from the teachings of K. Pattabhi Jois, then gave it a modern twist that places a greater emphasis on individual expression and personal needs. Unlike traditional Ashtanga, where you master each pose before moving to the next, rocket vinyasa lets you work at your own pace and build your own interpretation of the traditional asana.
The rocket sequences work your entire body through continuous body movement, moving past the limitations of classical Ashtanga yoga while keeping its core teachings of yoga intact. You’ll find forearm stands, arm balances, and inversions mixed with hip openers and forward bends. Teachers encourage you to listen to your body and modify as needed, which makes this playful practice accessible whether you’re coming from hatha yoga, hot yoga, power yoga, or picking up yoga for the first time. Many practitioners take up the rocket system for weight loss and overall physical fitness, alongside the mental focus it builds.
As a dedicated student of Pattabhi Jois, Schultz spent seven years in the United States immersed in the traditional Ashtanga series before he designed each rocket yoga sequence as part of a progressive Ashtanga Vinyasa method built for transformation. Rocket yoga teacher training programs and workshops have since spread from San Francisco to Costa Rica, Europe, and Asia.
What Is a Rocket Yoga Class Like?
A single rocket yoga class runs 60 to 90 minutes, and the fast-paced nature of rocket yoga means you’ll keep moving the whole time. You’ll start with Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar) A and B, then move through 66 standing, balancing, sitting, and inverted poses linked by continuous movement, much like a vinyasa flow class. The class closes with a wind-down series similar to the traditional closing series of Ashtanga, though the rocket practice moves at a noticeably quicker clip than Ashtanga’s steady pace. Many seasoned yogis build it into a daily practice.
Instead of the intense hands-on adjustments typical of Mysore-style Ashtanga, rocket yoga teachers use a gentler approach and encourage you to listen to your own body. Practitioners across the yoga community say this calmer style of teaching helps settle the nervous system and supports mental health alongside the physical work. Every pose comes with a modification, so a room full of yoga practitioners at different levels can move through the same sequence side by side. That freedom of movement is what separates a rocket yoga class from a traditional Ashtanga one.
The Rocket Yoga Sequences
Rocket yoga is built from three sequences, not three difficulty levels. Each one draws from a different part of the Ashtanga system and has its own focus.
- Rocket I: based on the Ashtanga primary series. Works hip openers, forward bends, and standing poses, plus arm balances and handstands. This sequence gives you a strong foundation in the system, but it really isn’t a beginner class. It’s simply the specific sequence most teachers use to introduce you to rocket yoga.
- Rocket II: draws more from the Ashtanga intermediate series, also known as the second series. Works chest openers, backbends, and twists, with a focus on spinal flexibility, upper-body strength, and other advanced poses.
- Rocket III: combines Rocket I and Rocket II into one full-body practice. Also nicknamed “Yoga Mats Happy Hour”, since it leans into a playful approach and practitioners challenge each other and have fun.
As you build consistency in your rocket yoga practice, you can move between all three sequences depending on what your body needs that day. A seasoned yogi will often rotate through Rocket I, II, and III across a week rather than sticking to just one, and some go on to join rocket trainings themselves once they know the sequences well.
Rocket Yoga Poses: What to Expect
Rocket yoga poses combine traditional Ashtanga with creative transitions and modifications. You’ll work through classic poses like downward dog, warrior sequences, and seated forward folds, alongside more advanced postures.
Common rocket yoga poses include:
- Forearm stands and handstands
- Flying pigeon and other arm balances
- Scorpion pose and deep backbends
- Crow pose and side crow variations
- Supta Vajrasana and Bakasana
- Inversions like headstand and shoulderstand
Don’t fret: every pose comes with options. Take the traditional version, or adapt it to your own body structure and skill level. That’s what makes rocket yoga accessible to yoga practitioners at very different levels in the same class.
Benefits of Rocket Yoga
Rocket yoga benefits go beyond a good workout. A consistent rocket yoga practice touches your body and your mind.
Physical Benefits:
- Upper body and core strength through arm balances and inversions
- Flexibility in your hips, shoulders, and spine
- Cardiovascular endurance from the steady, continuous movement
- Better balance and body awareness
- Stronger back muscles and improved posture
Mental Benefits:
- Reduced stress through focused movement
- Improved concentration
- A greater sense of calm through regular practice
- More confidence as you progress to the next level
- A stronger mind-body connection
Rocket yoga also builds real freedom of movement over time, as your body adapts to the arm balances and inversions. If you have any medical conditions, talk to your teacher before class so they can point you toward the right modifications.
Rocket Vinyasa vs Traditional Ashtanga
Understanding the difference helps you pick the right practice.
Traditional Ashtanga follows a strict, set sequence. You practice the same poses in the same order every time, and you master each pose before your teacher lets you move forward. That builds consistency, but it can feel rigid.
Rocket vinyasa reworks that same sequence and gives you more freedom. Teachers adjust the flow based on the class energy, and you can skip poses that don’t work for your body that day. The pace differs too. Traditional Ashtanga holds poses at a steady, meditative pace, while rocket yoga moves through dynamic sequences with quicker transitions, covering more ground in a single class.
| Rocket Yoga | Traditional Ashtanga | |
|---|---|---|
| Sequencing | Reworked into Rocket I, II, and III | Fixed primary, intermediate, and advanced series |
| Pace | Fast, dynamic, continuous movement | Steady, meditative, longer holds |
| Modifications | Encouraged and built into the practice | More structured, pose mastery expected |
| Advanced postures | Introduced within each sequence | Earned through progression |
| Teaching style | Playful, creative, gentler adjustments | Disciplined, traditional, hands-on Mysore adjustments |
| Origin | Ashtanga Vinyasa, via Larry Schultz | Ashtanga Vinyasa, via K. Pattabhi Jois |
Both styles build strength, flexibility, and focus. Rocket just does it with more rock and roll energy.
Is Rocket Yoga Good for Beginners?
Yes, potentially, but rocket yoga isn’t necessarily the easiest style to start with. The sequences include advanced postures, and the fast pace can feel overwhelming if you’ve never set foot on a yoga mat.
If you’re new, look for a class labeled “all levels” and let your teacher know it’s your first time. A good teacher will offer modifications for every pose and won’t expect you to nail an arm balance on day one.
Some vinyasa or power yoga experience helps you get more out of a rocket yoga class from the start, especially compared with a slower, more traditional yoga class like hatha yoga. And keep this in mind: Rocket I isn’t a “beginner” sequence. It’s just the specific sequence most teachers use to introduce new yoga practitioners to the system, even if a seasoned yogi is standing right next to you doing the same one.
A Brief History of Rocket Yoga
Larry Schultz developed rocket yoga in San Francisco in the 1980s, after studying under K. Pattabhi Jois for seven years. In the 1990s, Schultz toured with the Grateful Dead as the band’s personal yoga teacher. Between hotel room stretches on the road, he kept refining his own take on the Ashtanga system.
Bob Weir (sometimes written Bob Wier), founding member of the band Grateful Dead, gave the practice its name. After one class, he asked Schultz what to call it. Schultz didn’t have a name for it, so Weir suggested “The Rocket,” because, in his words, it “gets you there faster.” The name stuck, and that’s the birth of rocket yoga as we know it.
The late Larry Schultz (also spelled Larry Shultz in some places online) passed away in 2011, but the rocket yoga teachers he trained, including David Kyle, Duncan Wong, Russell Yamaguchi, and Amber Jean, carried his method around the world through his studio. Today you’ll find rocket yoga teacher trainings and various styles of rocket classes from San Francisco to Berlin.
Where Can You Practice Rocket Yoga?
Rocket yoga classes now run in major cities worldwide, from the United States to Costa Rica, Europe, and beyond. Look for studios that list “rocket vinyasa” or “It’s Yoga” style classes on their schedule. Plenty of hot yoga studios have added rocket sequences too, since the fast-paced nature of rocket yoga builds heat on its own.
If you want to go deeper into your rocket yoga practice, rocket yoga teacher training programs run both in person and online for yoga instructors and new teachers alike, and cover all three sequences along with the history and philosophy behind Schultz’s original vision. If there’s no studio near you, online rocket yoga classes let you build a home practice at your own pace, though in-person instruction still helps most with alignment.
My Take on Rocket Yoga
Rocket yoga is a fantastic, dynamic practice, and a form of power yoga I’d genuinely recommend trying. The freedom of movement keeps it interesting, and the focus on individual expression means you never feel stuck inside someone else’s version of what a pose should look like.
I love that rocket yoga respects the aspects of yoga that matter most to me while staying accessible. You get the intensity of a traditional practice without feeling boxed into someone else’s rules. That’s rare, and it’s part of why this practice has built such a loyal following, driven by real love of the practice, among rocket yoga teachers and practitioners around the world.
If Barcelona’s studios are anything to go by, rocket yoga isn’t slowing down anytime soon. I’m adding a class to my next trip, and I’ll report back on how it compares to my usual Ashtanga practice.
To balance out all that heat, I also recommend checking out a more restorative yoga form once in a while, like yin yoga. Rocket and rest work best together.
Frequently Asked Questions About Rocket Yoga
Is rocket yoga good for beginners?
It can work for beginners who choose an all-levels class and let their teacher know it’s a first attempt, but the fast pace and advanced postures make it more approachable if you already have some vinyasa or power yoga experience.
Is rocket yoga hard?
Yes. The fast-paced nature of rocket yoga, combined with arm balances and inversions, makes it a physically demanding practice, even with all the built-in modifications.
What’s the difference between rocket yoga and Ashtanga?
Traditional Ashtanga follows one fixed sequence you master pose by pose. Rocket yoga reworks that sequence, moves at a faster pace, and gives you more freedom to modify or skip poses.
What are Rocket I, Rocket II, and Rocket III?
They’re three separate sequences, not three levels. Rocket I draws from the Ashtanga primary series, Rocket II from the intermediate series, and Rocket III combines both into one full-body practice.
What poses are included in rocket yoga?
Expect forearm stands, handstands, arm balances like crow and flying pigeon, backbends, deep hip openers, and inversions like headstand and shoulderstand, mixed with standing and seated Ashtanga poses.
How long is a rocket yoga class?
Most rocket yoga classes run 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the studio and which sequence the teacher leads.
Amélie is a health and wellness junky. Certified yoga instructor with Yoga Alliance in the Vinyasa and Ashtanga styles, she has a Yoga Instructor Certification – Level I (300 hours) and Yoga Instructor Certification – Level II (200 hours) under her belt. She also has a certified Open Water Diver certification with PADI and SSI Scuba Schools International Freediving Level I certification with SSI Scuba Schools International. She’s been vegan for over 15 years and is obsessed with anything wellness-related.