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Anusara Yoga, founded by John Friend, is a unique approach to hatha yoga where the spirit of the HEART powerfully blends with the precision of biomechanical ALIGNMENT and balanced energetic ACTION in the performance of asanas (yoga postures). The word "anusara" originates from a line in the Tantric text called the Kularnava Tantra, "shaktipata-anusarena shishyonugraham arhati", which means: by entering the current of Divine Shakti's descent into the heart, the true disciple becomes capable of receiving grace. Anusara literally means to be in the flow. It is the current of the Divine, to flow with Grace. The philosophical basis of Anusara, as elucidated by Dr. Douglas Brooks, is called Rajanaka Yoga. |
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| mar 2004 at VIRAYOGA |
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Over
the past five months on this page, we've reviewed
the five Anusara Universal Principles of Alignment [developed by John Friend, founder of Anusara]. To bring all of us into a common understanding of how these physical principles fuse with the spiritual vision of Anusara, an excerpt from his "Vision of Anusara:" "The poses in Anusara Yoga are considered to be 'heart-oriented,' and are expressed from 'inside out.' Instead
of only trying to control the body
and the mind from the outside, the poses originate from a deep artistic feeling inside. There
is an emphasis on
remembering
the spiritual purpose of hatha yoga,
which
includes reconnecting with our innate goodness,
power and beauty,
and
expressing ourselves from that place."
john friend To reconnect with that intrinsic goodness, i practice observing my breath closely. When i've
forgotten the connection,
invariably
i've
forgotten to breathe as well.
Both in
practice and when interacting in the world,
the best place to begin connecting
with the heart is through the breath.
Take
a full breath into your lungs; see for yourself.
Observe the quality of your breath: during practice, daily life; while working, eating, speaking, reading. When
is it more labored? When is it deep and nourishing?
What are you considering at such times? With
this attention on our breathing
we begin to see the habitual progenitors of our forgetfulness: thoughts, words, situations that always stir us up. When we remember to breathe deeply instead
of reacting 'right this second',
we
respond to situations and perform yoga poses
from the goodness and the strength in our hearts. blessings
for the upcoming spring.
elena,
lynn and the staff at virayoga
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