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ABOUT YOGA > Are there
different styles of yoga?
There are five main aspects of yoga.
- Hatha Yoga represents the physical
poses we practice to keep the body strong and healthy.
- Raja Yoga represents the control of
the mind we practice during meditation to reduce stress brought on by
worried thoughts.
- Karma Yoga represents selfless
action we practice when we volunteer our time and do not expect
payment.
- Bhakti Yoga represents devotion to a
higher power, or something greater than our individual selves, which
we practice when we come together as a community for the highest good
of all.
- Jnana Yoga represents the path of
knowledge we practice when we learn more about ourselves through
personal study.
Practicing all of the aspects of yoga
in a variety of ways, creates a healthy, balanced person.
Since yoga, in all of its aspects, has
been passed down from teacher to student for thousands of years,
different lineages formed through the different experiences and
understandings of each teacher - creating different styles of yoga.
The poses are the same among the different styles, but the approach to
doing the poses is where they differ. Hatha Yoga is the description of the
physical poses practiced in yoga, but one teacher approaches the same
poses differently than another based on his or her own experience.
Hence, there is debate on the "correct" alignment of poses and the
best way to practice them. So,
which is the best style of yoga to practice? The one that resonates
with you the most! It's your practice! Yoga is non-competitive. Find a
style that connects with you, that brings you balance and a connection
to your own inner peace. What
type of style do we practice at Healthy Life Yoga Studio? All of the
different styles have their benefits so we teach an eclectic style to
make yoga accessible for you, regardless of age, gender, body type or
ability.
The following lineages influence the
eclectic style of our teachers. Anusara
Yoga
Anusara means “flowing with Grace,” “going with the flow,” “following your heart”.
Founded by John Friend in 1997, Anusara Yoga is a hatha yoga system that unifies Universal Principles of Alignment with a non-dual Tantric philosophy that is epitomized by a “celebration of the heart”.
The poses in Anusara Yoga are considered to be “heart-oriented”, and
are expressed from “inside out”.
>>
Learn more ... at www.anusara.com.
Integral Yoga®
Yoga using a specific sequence of traditional asanas (poses) with short rest periods, ending with guided deep relaxation, breathing techniques, and meditation designed to integrate body, mind and spirit.
It is a scientific system which integrates the various branches of Yoga
in order to bring about a complete and harmonious development of the
individual.
>>
Learn more ... at www.yogaville.org.
Vinyasa
This style of yoga is characterized by a focus on vinyasa, or a dynamic
connecting posture, that creates a flow between the more static
traditional yoga postures. The purpose of vinyasa is to create heat in
the body, which leads to purification of the body through increased
circulation and sweating.
>>
Learn more ... at www.ashtanga.com.
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benefits of yoga. |
