By Jennifer Clawson, RYT Kundalini yoga is based on the teachings of Yogi Bhajan. The practices employed in Kundalini yoga are ancient, but for centuries, they were passed down in secret, from teacher to student. Yogi Bhajan broke with this tradition when he began teaching Kundalini yoga publicly in 1969. It derives its name from… [Read more…]
April 30, 2009
By Jennifer Clawson, RYT Viniyoga is an approach to yoga, taught by Gary Kraftsow. The technique was developed by T.K.V. Desikachar, based on the teachings of Sri Krishnamacharya. It is a therapeutic approach that addresses the specific needs of each student. A hallmark of viniyoga practice is moving into and out of a pose several… [Read more…]
March 20, 2009
By Jennifer Clawson, RYT A popular “type” of yoga taught at many yoga studios is vinyasa yoga. Vinyasa is not a brand or school of yoga. More accurately, vinyasa describes the way one moves through asana during a class. When you take a vinyasa class, expect to move constantly throughout the class. Like Ashtanga yoga,… [Read more…]
March 16, 2009
By Jennifer Clawson, RYT Ashtanga Yoga is a practice of a series of yoga poses, popularized by Sri K. Patthabi Jois. There are six different series practiced in Ashtanga yoga. In this type of class, asana are linked together, one after another, connected with the breath. Those familiar with the Sun Salutation will feel at… [Read more…]
March 10, 2009
By Jennifer Clawson, RYT As its name implies, “hot yoga” is yoga practiced in a hot room. In these classes, the room is usually heated to between 80-90 F degrees. Hot yoga differs from Bikram yoga in a few ways. Bikram classes are even hotter (100+ F degrees) than hot yoga classes. Hot yoga is… [Read more…]
March 8, 2009
Bikram Yoga was developed by and named for Bikram Choudhury. It is characterized by the intense heat of the room during practice. A Bikram class room must be heated to 105 F degrees, with 40% humidity. The practice consists of 26 asana, done in the same order, every time. The heat is meant to relax… [Read more…]
March 7, 2009
By Jennifer Clawson, RYT Kripalu Yoga stresses asana practice as “meditation in motion.” Flowing from pose to pose in Kripalu yoga is more organic. Practicioners follow the wisdom of their own bodies, allowing the body to move as it wishes. Another hallmark of Kripalu yoga is holding poses until there is a breakthrough in the… [Read more…]
March 5, 2009
By Jennifer Clawson, RYT I wrote this in response to a question from Beth who asked why we roll to our right side when coming out of savasana. Does it really matter if you come out of savasana on your right side? You know how some things are handed down through generations, and no one… [Read more…]
February 25, 2009
Iyengar Yoga is a style of teaching, named after B.K.S. Iyengar. Iyengar classes are characterized by a “come and see” method. The teacher demonstrates an asana, stressing a particular aspect of it, while students gather around and watch. Then, students return to their mats to practice the pose themselves, applying the principles the teacher… [Read more…]
February 25, 2009
A few posts ago, I wrote about the many different styles of yoga being taught. Even though my feelings were pretty clear on the subject, the fact remains that there are many styles and many people are confused about what each style means. So, I will explain each style in the next several posts.
May 5, 2009
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