YOGA

Iyengar Yoga

2008-02-24T06:10:00.000-08:00

Iyengar yoga: created by B.K.S. Iyengar, is a form of yoga known for its use of props, such as belts and blocks, as aids in performing asanas (postures). It is firmly based on the traditional eight limbs of yoga as expounded by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras, emphasizing the development of strength, stamina, flexibility and balance, as well as concentration (Dharana) and meditation (Dhyana).
Iyengar Yoga, a form of Hatha Yoga, focuses on the structural alignment of the physical body through the development of asanas. Through the practice of a system of asanas, it aims to unite the body, mind and spirit for health and well being. Iyengar Yoga is considered a powerful tool to relieve the stresses of modern-day life which in turn can help promote total physical and spiritual well being[1].
Iyengar Yoga is characterized by great attention to detail and precise focus on body alignment. Iyengar pioneered the use of "props" such as cushions, benches, blocks, straps, and even sand bags, which function as aids allowing beginners to experience asanas more easily and fully than might otherwise be possible without several years of practice. Props also allow tired or ill students to enjoy the benefits of many asanas via fully "supported" methods requiring less muscular effort.
Standing poses are emphasized in Iyengar Yoga. They build strong legs, increase general vitality, and improve circulation, coordination and balance, ensuring a strong foundation for study of more advanced poses.
Unlike more experiential approaches where students are encouraged to independently "find their way" to the asanas by imitating the teacher, an Iyengar Yoga class is highly verbal and precise, with misalignments and errors actively corrected. Iyengar has trained thousands of teachers, who complete 2-5 years of rigorous training for the introductory level of certification (higher-level certification may take a decade or more).
Mr. Iyengar has also developed extensively ways of applying his practice to various ailments, diseases, and disorders. Many of these sources of suffering, from chronic backache to immunodeficiency to high blood pressure to insomnia to depression, have specific programs of Iyengar yoga associated with them, and recovery from such ailments through targeted yoga practice often outstrips other forms of physical therapy and sometimes even medicine[citation needed]. These programs are formulated in their most advanced form at the center of Iyengar Yoga: the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute located in Pune, India.

Hatha Yoga

2008-02-24T06:03:00.000-08:00

Hatha Yoga:
An OverviewHatha yoga is one of the four main traditions of Tantra Yoga। Hatha yoga is mainly practiced for health and vitality in this modern age। It comes from the words ‘Ha’ meaning sun and ‘Tha’ meaning moon unites in Hatha Yoga। It is commonly translated as the yoga, which brings combination "of the pairs of opposites।"It is the symbolic combination of active and passive energies, the opposites। Hatha yoga is sometimes also known as “forceful yoga।” It is from this yoga that several other styles of yoga originated including Power yoga, Bikram yoga, and Kundalini yoga.
History of Hatha yog:
Hatha Yoga is a system of yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a yogic sage in the 15th century in India. It is introduced to modern society by T. Krishnamacharya, a yoga teacher in Mysore Palace in south India, in late 19th century.His disciples B.K.S. Iyengar, K.Pattabhi Jois and Indira Devi, and his son T.K.V. Desikachar, were involved in setting up their schools and spreading Yoga all over the world, especially in America.Hatha Yoga tries to attain balance between body and mind, and also tries to free the more subtle spiritual elements of the mind through physical asanas, pranayama, and meditation.It basically concentrates on the practice of asanas and pranayama to energize the subtle channels. Therefore it focuses mainly on the 3rd and 4th steps in the eight limbs of yoga.

Ashtanga Yoga History

2008-02-22T07:37:00.001-08:00

The first mention of ashtanga yoga seems to have occurred in Pantanjali's yoga Sutras. The literal translation is "eight-limbed yoga." Ashtanga yoga embraced eight spiritual principles including moral restraint, posture, breath control, and meditation.

However, as practiced today in the West, ashtanga yoga has come to mean something different. Today, ashtanga yoga is sometimes referred to as power yoga. Its emphasis is less on the spiritual than on the physical ability to assume a set of complicated postures, such as the sun salutation, swiftly and gracefully. Ashtanga yoga places a strong emphasis on breathing techniques. Because if provides a full-body workout, it has found favor among many athletes and other celebrities who must keep their bodies strong and flexible.

Ashtanga yoga requires many difficult movements. Amateurs and even professionals may inadvertently injure themselves by pushing too hard or by forcing themselves into a posture they are not sure how to do. Therefore, people wishing to try ashtanga yoga are advised to take several classes to master the principles before trying to practice alone. It is also a good idea to purchase a yoga sticky mat or a rug to keep from slipping and falling while performing the postures. Some practitioners prefer rugs for doing ashtanga yoga, because the rugs absorb sweat better than mats do.

Types of yoga

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Ashtanga Yoga

Hatha Yoga

Iyengar Yoga

Prenatal Yoga

Tantra Yoga

Sahaja Yoga

Yoga

2008-02-22T07:18:00.000-08:00

Yoga (Sanskrit: योग)is a group of ancient spiritual practices originating in India. According to Gavin Flood, Academic Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies.it has been defined as referring to "technologies or disciplines of asceticism and meditation which are thought to lead to spiritual experience and profound understanding or insight into the nature of existence." Yoga is also intimately connected to the religious beliefs and practices of the other Indian religions.

Outside India, Yoga is mostly associated with the practice of asanas (postures) of Hatha Yoga or as a form of exercise, although it has influenced the entire Indian religions family and other spiritual practices throughout the world.

Hindu texts discussing different aspects of yoga include the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Shiva Samhita, and many others.

Major branches of Yoga include: Hatha Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Raja Yoga.Raja Yoga, established by the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and known simply as Yoga in the context of Hindu philosophy, is one of the six orthodox schools of thought.