Anusara Yoga Training

From the Sanskrit word from "flowing with grace," Anusara yoga embraces a life-affirming philosophy of living fully in the moment. Every practice celebrates finding this flow by emphasizing a firm foundation and an open heart. The "three A's" and the Universal Principles of Alignment nurture a loving connection of body, mind and heart in your own dance with the divine.

History

John Friend founded the Anusara discipline in 1997. When he was 8, the Anusara website recounts, his mother read him yoga stories and, at age 13, he began learning yoga poses, called asanas, and philosophy. He studied and practiced various styles with top teachers and eventually taught Iyengar yoga, which emphasizes alignment and technique. During a 1989 stay in India, Friend was introduced to Siddha yoga, and learned Tantric philosophy, meditation practices and the ability to communicate through the heart. These studies provide the basis of Anusara yoga.

The Three A's

As the foundation of Anusara yoga, the three A's are Attitude, Alignment and Action, which can also be described as heart, mind and body, Friend's "Anusara Yoga Teacher Training Manual" explains. Attitude is the expression behind every action. Alignment is the awareness of connection. Action is the balance of freedom and stability through attitude and alignment.

When practicing asanas in Anusara yoga, you set an intention, or attitude; find optimal alignment by following the Universal Principals of Alignment; and express the energy of your attitude through action, the manifestation of the choices you make.

Universal Principles of Alignment

The five Universal Principles of Alignment provide the components for creating a healthy posture in every asana. The first, Open to Grace, requires setting a firm foundation and becoming receptive to the vast power around you. Muscular Energy is an inner expression of stability, and Organic Energy is an outward expression of freedom. The goal is to balance Muscular and Organic Energy to find an even flow of steadiness and flexibility. Inner Spiral and Outer Spiral, usually performed between Muscular and Organic Energy, polish the body's openness and solidity.

Anusara Class

Each Anusara class begins with centering via a heart-oriented theme and chanting a Sanskrit invocation. To build on the theme, a specific sequence of poses may include standing, sitting, forward bends, back bends, inversions, hand balances, hip-openers, twists and abdominal strengtheners. Meditation may precede savasana, the final resting pose.

Teacher Training

In the "Anusara Yoga Teacher Training Manual," Friend describes a great yoga teacher as someone with a soft, compassionate heart, a sharp, creative mind and a vibrant, inspiring nature as well as experience, technical knowledge and the ability to connect with students. Qualifications for the teacher training include completion of the 100-hour Anusara immersion, which comprises study of asana, breathing practice, called pranayama, meditation and Tantric philosophy.