How
is this Yoga Style Different?
Although there are many styles of
yoga, the differences are usually about emphasis, such as focusing
on strict alignment of the body, coordination of breath and
movement, holding the postures, or the flow from one posture
to another. All of the styles share a common lineage. In fact,
the founders of three major styles—Astanga, Iyengar and
Viniyoga—were all students of Krishnamacharya, a famous
teacher at the Yoga Institute at the Mysore Palace in India.
Two other styles, Integral and Sivananda, were created by disciples
of the famous guru Sivananda. No style is better than another;
it's simply a matter of personal preference. More important
than any style are the teacher and the student-teacher relationship.
If you are not physically fit, with
some of intense Yoga, like Bikram Yoga, etc., you may easily
get hurt your body, which may have long- term negative effects.
In other words, you have to be very careful in selecting various
types of Yoga that being promoted in the West by some time inexperience
instructor. It is important that you select a Yoga teacher who
is teaching you from his or her Yogic/spiritual experience and
not just from a book!
Satyananda
Yoga—Guru,
Spiritual Teacher of Acharya Bharat
"Satyananda Yoga is the Yoga of head, heart and hand"…
If we look into the different aspects of Satyananda Yoga we
find that it is the combination of Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga,
and Karma Yoga…..
Satyananda Yoga is a system of yoga
developed by Swami Satyananda Saraswati and his lineage, which
incorporates practices derived from ancient and traditional
sources. Satyananda Yoga uses practices in a traditional way,
Asanas (postures) to balance the body and mind through the physical
body, Pranayam (breathing practices) to work on the energy body
(equated with Ki or Chi in other systems), and meditation to
calm and focus the mind. It also takes a broader outlook by
teaching and encouraging yogic lifestyles, not only for renunciates
but also for householders and lay practitioners.
To this end Satyananda Yoga adopts
the attitudes of Jnana Yoga (the path of knowledge), Bhakti
Yoga (the path of heart and emotion), Karma Yoga (the path of
service) and other yogas which enable the practitioner to frame
all aspects of their lives in a way which is conducive to spiritual
growth.
The Satyananda approach incorporates
the whole person, not just the body. There is an emphasis on
awareness and practitioners are encouraged to learn about all
aspects of their personality through Yoga. Change is a process
that takes place naturally as a consequence of regular practice
with full awareness, rather than by forcing the mind and body
to the limit and beyond.
Sivananda
Sivananda is one of the world's largest schools of yoga. Developed
by Vishnu-devananda and named for his teacher, Sivananda yoga
follows a set structure that includes Pranayam, classic Asanas,
and relaxation. Vishnu-devananda wrote one of the contemporary
yoga classics, The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga. First
published in 1960, the book is still one of the best introductions
to yoga available.
Ananda
Ananda Yoga is a classical style of Hatha yoga that uses asana
and Pranayam to awaken, experience, and begin to control the
subtle energies within oneself, especially the energies of the
chakras. Its object is to use those energies to harmonize body,
mind, and emotions, and above all to attune oneself with higher
levels of awareness. One unique feature of this system is the
use of silent affirmations while in the Asanas as a means of
working more directly and consciously with the subtle energies
to achieve this attunement. Ananda Yoga is a relatively gentle,
inward experience, not an athletic or aerobic practice. It was
developed by Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple of Paramhansa
Yogananda, author of the spiritual classic, Autobiography of
a Yogi.
Ashtanga
For those who want a serious workout, Ashtanga may be the perfect
yoga. Developed by K. Pattabhi Jois, Ashtanga is physically
demanding. Participants move through a series of flows, jumping
from one posture to another to build strength, flexibility and
stamina. It's not for beginners or anyone who's been taking
a leisurely approach to fitness. The so-called Power Yoga is
based on Ashtanga.
Bikram
Bikram Choudhury's yoga is hot, hot, hot, so be prepared to
sweat, sweat, sweat. In class, they crank the thermostat up
high, then perform a series of 26 Asanas, sometimes twice, that
is designed to "scientifically" warm and stretch muscles,
ligaments and tendons in the order in which they should be stretched.
Founder Bikram Choudhury studied yoga with Bishnu Ghosh, brother
of Paramahansa Yogananda.
Integral
Developed by Swami Satchidananda, the man who taught the crowds
at the original Woodstock to chant "Om," Integral
classes put almost as much emphasis on Pranayam and meditation
as they do on postures. Integral yoga is used by Dr. Dean Ornish
in his groundbreaking work on reversing heart disease.
Iyengar
Ever think standing was just a matter of keeping your body on
top of your legs? It's hard to appreciate how involved a simple
thing like just standing can be, how much concentration and
how many subtle movements and adjustments it takes, until you
take an Iyengar yoga class. Of course, the point is that you're
not just standing. You're doing Tadasana, Mountain pose, and
in yoga in the style of B.K.S. Iyengar, Tadasana is an active
pose. B.K.S. Iyengar is one of the best-known yoga teachers
and the creator of one of the most popular styles of yoga in
the world. His style of yoga is noted for great attention to
detail and the precise alignment of postures, as well as the
use of props such as blocks and belts. No doubt part of Iyengar's
success is due to the quality of teachers, who must complete
a rigorous 2-5 year training program for certification.
Kali Ray Tri
Yoga
Kali Ray TriYoga, founded by Kali Ray, brings posture, breath
and focus together to create dynamic and intuitive flows. The
Tri Yoga flows combine flowing and sustained postures that emphasize
spinal wavelike movements, economy of motion, and synchronization
with breath and mudra. The flows are systematized by level and
can be as gentle or as challenging as desired. Students may
progress from basics to advanced as they increase their flexibility,
strength, endurance and knowledge of the flows.
Viniyoga
Developed by Krishnamacharya, who taught B.K.S. Iyengar, K.
Pattabhi Jois and others, Viniyoga is a gentle form of flow
yoga, with great emphasis on the breath and breath-movement
coordination. Rather than work toward idealized postures, poses
and flows are chosen to suit the student's abilities.
To schedule
your free Yoga session, call Acharya Bharat at 503.591.0984
or email him at
bharatji108@gmail.com
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