Yoga Style

ANANDA YOGA - Realize God in daily life

Based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, the global movement shows how everyone can realize God in their daily lives as a tangible, loving reality. Yogananda's teachings embrace the truths that underlie all the great religions. This gentle yoga combines breath, affirmation and yoga postures,moving from body awareness to energy awareness, to finally find silence and consciousness of the inner self.

For more information, please see:
http://www.ananda.org

ANUSARA YOGA - Heart opening

Anusara means "following your heart" and is a still a young form of Yoga. In 1997, John Friend founded this popular Hatha Yoga Style with its emphasis on "the Universal Principles of Alignment". The Philosophy is based on Tantra and an important aspect of Anusara Yoga is to attain bliss and joy in practice and everyday life.

For more information, please see:
http://www.anusara.com

ASHTANGA YOGA - Dynamic, Flowing and Energetic

A system of yoga, that has been developed by K. Pattabhi Jois at the Yoga Research Institute in Mysore, India. It refers to the eight limbs according to the teachings of Patanjali in his Yoga Sutra. Students move from one posture to another in a continuous flow and link the movements with the breath. Ashtanga Yoga is a dynamic, flowing and energetic style of Yoga. There are six series: Primary, Intermediate and "Advanced A", B, C and D. A set of Asanas are performed at each level in a strict and continuous sequence.

For more information, please see:
http://www.ashtanga.com/

BIKRAM YOGA - Heat it up

Bikram Yoga (sometimes also called Hot Yoga) and the worldwide Yoga College of India have been founded by Bikram Choudhury. The room will be heated up to 105°F (40.5°C), with an ideal humidity of 40%. The students go through 26 postures and two breathing exercises in approximately 90 minutes. Through sweating, the body will be cleaned from the inside out.

For more information, please see:
http://www.bikramyoga.com/

HATHA YOGA, Sun and Moon unified

Hatha Yoga is a generic term that refers to most of the modern "named" styles of yoga that combine asanas (Yoga Postures), Pranayama (breath techniques) and meditation. In some definitions "HA" is referred to sun/male and "THA" as moon/female. The practice of Hatha Yoga aims to melt the opposites into a complete union. The asanas are experienced in a gentle, slow-paced and mellow way and this therefore a ideal form for beginners or elderly people.

For more information, please see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatha

IYENGAR YOGA - Alignment "Props"

B.K.S Iyengar, the founder of Iyengar Yoga, has been practicing and teaching Yoga for more than 75 years. Under the guidance of his brother-in-law, Sri Krishnamacharya he studied the wisdom of Yoga at an early age and brought it to the west.
Iyengar Yoga is characterized by great attention in detail and precise focus on body alignment. Iyengar incorporated the use of supports of "props" - such as cushions, benches, blocks, straps and chairs- to help the student align. Each Asana is held for a longer period of time than in most other yoga styles.

For more information, please see:
http://www.bksiyengar.com/

JIVAMUKTI YOGA, "Liberation while living"

David Life and Sharon Gannon founded Jivamukti Yoga in 1986 to incorporate their study of Ashtanga Yoga with the spiritual teachings, putting special emphasis on how to apply yogic philosophy to daily life. Jivamukti means "liberation while living" and its ultimate aim is spiritual enlightenment and awareness.
It is a vigorously physical and intellectually stimulating practice combined with an equally strong foundation in ancient spiritual traditions of Yoga.

For more information, please see:
http://www.jivamuktiyoga.com

KRIPALU YOGA - Honor the "Wisdom of the Body"

Yogi Amrit Desai is the founder of Kripalu Yoga and the Kripalu Center in Massachusetts (US), which opened it doors in 1966. This Hatha Yoga Style puts great emphasis on proper breath and alignment and encourages the students to honor "the wisdom of the body". The connection to your inner teacher and the embodiment for personal growth and potential are key aims of Kripalu Yoga.

For more information, please see:
http://www.kripalu.org/

KUNDALINI YOGA - Awake the Kundalini Energy

The origins of Kundalini, lie with the wisdom of the rishis in India and Tibet. These sacred and secret teachings were brought to the west by Yogi Bhajan in 1969. Kundalini Yoga enables each person to access and utilize his or her own creative power for elevation of consciousness and healing, awakening the Kundalini Energy. Kundalini is often pictured as a coiled, sleeping serpent in the lower end of the spine.

For more information, please see:
http://www.kundaliniyoga.org/

SIVANANDA YOGA - a Yogic Lifestyle

Upon the request of his Guru, Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh (India) Swami Vishnu-devananda brought this style of yoga to the West in 1959, opening the first Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center in Montreal Cananda. The intention is to unite one's individual consciousness with the Universal Consciousness. The five guidance points in the Sivananda Traditions to a healthy life are: 1. Proper Exercise, 2. Proper Breathing, 3. Proper Relaxation, 4. Proper Diet, 5. Positive Thinking and Meditation. The Yoga exercise is gentle, and each session takes the student through the twelve sun salutation postures accompanied by chanting, meditation and deep relaxation.

For more information, please see:
http://www.sivananda.org/

VINIYOGA - Focus on individual needs

The term Viniyoga has come from the teachings of TKV Desikachar, the son of Krishnamacharya, who was one of the most influential yoga teachers of the 20th century. The emphasis in Viniyoga is to adopt the Asanas to each individual and to his or her current situation and needs. It is a gentle form of yoga that seeks to teach all the branches of yoga in ways that are appropriate to the physical and other needs of the individual student at the time. Viniyoga is suitable for beginners, for those with injuries and illnesses and people who seek for a more individual approach of yoga.

VINYASA FLOW YOGA - Breath leads the movement

In Vinyasa Flow classes, the asanas are synchronized by the breath. The breath leads and helps the student to flow dynamically from one to the other asana. A typical Vinyasa flow practice includes variations of sun salutations and develops strength, flexibility and balance, increases the energy level and releases tensions. This is a more active and dynamic yoga form. Well-known vinyasa teachers, each with his or her own unique variation, are Shiva Rea, Erich Schiffmann, Baron Bapiste and Seane Corn.

For more information, please see:
http://www.yogachicago.com/nov03/vinyasa.shtml

YIN YOGA - opening and releasing joints and connecting tissues

Yin Yoga is a yoga form with slightly different aspects and characteristics. In Yin Yoga the students stay in a pose for 3 to 5 minutes and try to relax the body muscles completely and deepen the stretch in the joints and the connecting tissues such as ligaments, tendons and fascia. The benefits are to create more space, more inner freedom, stillness and peace in body and mind. It is also about finding the peaceful middle between activity and stillness, between Yang and Ying. Yin can be perfectly practiced in addition to any other more dynamic yoga styles to help finding the balance This Taoist-influenced style of Yoga is recently popularized by such teachers as Paul Grilley and Sarah Powers.

For more information, please see:
http://www.yinyoga.com/