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 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 is the student-teacher relationship.
Ananda
Ananda Yoga is a classical
style of hatha yoga that uses asana and pranayama 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.
Anusara
Anusara (a-nu-SAR-a) means, "to step into
the current of Divine Will", "following your heart", "flowing
with Grace", "to move with the current of divine will." A new
style developed by John Friend, Anusara yoga is described as
heart-oriented, spiritually inspiring, yet grounded in a deep
knowledge of outer and inner body alignment. Each students
various abilities and limitations are deeply respected and
honored.
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 pranayama 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 TriYoga
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.
Kripalu
Called the yoga of consciousness, Kripalu
puts great emphasis on proper breath, alignment, coordinating
breath and movement, and "honoring the wisdom of the body" --
you work according to the limits of your individual
flexibility and strength. Alignment follows awareness.
Students learn to focus on the physical and psychological
reactions caused by various postures to develop their
awareness of mind, body, emotion and spirit. There are three
stages in Kripalu yoga. Stage One focuses on learning the
postures and exploring your bodies abilities. Stage Two
involves holding the postures for an extended time, developing
concentration and inner awareness. Stage Three is like a
meditation in motion in which the movement from one posture to
another arises unconsciously and
spontaneously.
Kundalini
Kundalini yoga in the tradition of Yogi
Bhajan, who brought the style to the West in 1969, focuses on
the controlled release of Kundalini energy. The practice
involves classic poses, breath, coordination of breath and
movement, meditation.
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 pranayama, 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.
Svaroopa Yoga
Developed by
Rama Berch, Svaroopa Yoga teaches significantly different ways
of doing familiar poses, emphasizing the opening of the spine
by beginning at the tailbone and progressing through each
spinal area in turn. Every pose integrates the foundational
principles of asana, anatomy and yoga philosophy, and
emphasizes the development of transcendent inner experience,
which is called svaroopa by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. This
is a consciousness-oriented yoga that also promotes healing
and transformation. Svaroopa is not an athletic endeavor, but
a development of consciousness using the body as a
tool.
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.
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