Anusara Yoga
Encyclopedia
Anusara yoga is a modern school of hatha yoga
started by American-born yoga teacher John Friend in 1997. Friend derived his style from the Iyengar
style of Hatha Yoga
and re-introduced elements of Hindu
spirituality (specifically derived from Siddha Yoga
) into more health-oriented Western approach to Yoga
.
The emphasis of the school is on a set of Universal Principles of Alignment which underlie all the physical asana
s and are connected to philosophical aspects of the practice. According to the official Anusara Yoga website, the school's philosophy is "grounded in a Tantric
philosophy of intrinsic goodness".
Friend states that the term "Anusara (a-nu-sar-a), means 'flowing with Grace,' 'flowing with Nature' and 'following your heart,'" as interpreted from the Sanskrit , meaning "custom, usage, natural state or condition".
at age 13. He lived in Ohio
until 19 years old, and then moved to Texas
. Before becoming a yoga teacher, Friend worked as a financial analyst
until he quit in 1986 to teach yoga full time. In the years following he traveled to California to study with Judith Lasater, and began to focus on Iyengar yoga. He eventually served four years on the governing board of Iyengar Yoga.
Friend was a popular teacher in the Iyengar style and, during the 1990s, served on the board of the Iyengar Yoga Organization before leaving to found Anusara Yoga. Friend continues to take an active role leading the expansion of the school and training (and certifying) teachers.
Friend is a disciple of Gurumayi Chidvilasananda
, the current guru of the Siddha Yoga
school of Kashmir Shaivism
.
Shiva
and Shakti
.
The ultimate aim or "highest intention" of practicing Anusara yoga is the "alignment with the Divine" or "co-participation with the Supreme".
Friend delivers short sermons or "dharma talks" to his students, based largely on simplifications of Tantric principles, expressed in "the American idiom of self-improvement".
-shaped movements in the body. Looking at one's body in profile
, each of these loops has its origin in the center of the body, rotating toward the back plane of the body and looping either upward or downward and back in the other direction (down or up) along the front plane of the body. Each loop intersects with adjacent loops above and below it and has a right and left component. The seven energy loops are:
mantra
, beginning with Om Namah Shivaya, which Friend states he received from his guru Gurumayi Chidvilasananda
. All Anusara Yoga classes begin with three chants of om
, followed by three rounds of the Invocation, and concluding with one final om. The mantra's lyrics are:
The same mantra is known as the "Siddha Yoga mantra", and it also occurs as a verse in the Guru Stotram used by Sivananda Saraswati's Divine Life Society
.
Hatha yoga
Hatha yoga , also called hatha vidya , is a system of yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a Hindu sage of 15th century India, and compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika....
started by American-born yoga teacher John Friend in 1997. Friend derived his style from the Iyengar
Iyengar Yoga
Iyengar Yoga, created by B. K. S. Iyengar, is a form of Hatha Yoga known for its use of props, such as belts, blocks, and blankets, as aids in performing asanas . The props enable students to perform the asanas correctly, minimising the risk of injury or strain, and making the postures accessible...
style of Hatha Yoga
Hatha yoga
Hatha yoga , also called hatha vidya , is a system of yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a Hindu sage of 15th century India, and compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika....
and re-introduced elements of Hindu
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
spirituality (specifically derived from Siddha Yoga
Siddha Yoga
Siddha Yoga is a spiritual path based on the Hindu spiritual traditions of Vedanta and Kashmir Shaivism. The Siddha Yoga path was founded by Swami Muktananda Paramahamsa . The present spiritual head of the Siddha Yoga path is Gurumayi Chidvilasananda...
) into more health-oriented Western approach to Yoga
Yoga as exercise
Yoga is a term for a range of traditional systems of physical exercise and meditation in Hinduism.Modified versions of the physical exercises in hatha yoga have become popular as a kind of low-impact physical exercise, and are used for therapeutic purposes. "Yoga" in this sense, in common...
.
The emphasis of the school is on a set of Universal Principles of Alignment which underlie all the physical asana
Asana
Asana is a body position, typically associated with the practice of Yoga, originally identified as a mastery of sitting still, with the spine as a conduit of biodynamic union...
s and are connected to philosophical aspects of the practice. According to the official Anusara Yoga website, the school's philosophy is "grounded in a Tantric
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
philosophy of intrinsic goodness".
Friend states that the term "Anusara (a-nu-sar-a), means 'flowing with Grace,' 'flowing with Nature' and 'following your heart,'" as interpreted from the Sanskrit , meaning "custom, usage, natural state or condition".
Founder
John Friend (born May 30, 1959) started practicing yoga postures as shown in the book Integral Yoga Hatha by Swami SatchidanandaSwami Satchidananda
Swami Satchidananda , born as C. K. Ramaswamy Gounder, was an Indian religious teacher, spiritual master and yoga adept, who gained fame and following in the West during his time in New York. He was the author of many philosophical and spiritual books, including a popular illustrative book on Hatha...
at age 13. He lived in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
until 19 years old, and then moved to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Before becoming a yoga teacher, Friend worked as a financial analyst
Financial analyst
A financial analyst, securities analyst, research analyst, equity analyst, or investment analyst is a person who performs financial analysis for external or internal clients as a core part of the job.-Job:...
until he quit in 1986 to teach yoga full time. In the years following he traveled to California to study with Judith Lasater, and began to focus on Iyengar yoga. He eventually served four years on the governing board of Iyengar Yoga.
Friend was a popular teacher in the Iyengar style and, during the 1990s, served on the board of the Iyengar Yoga Organization before leaving to found Anusara Yoga. Friend continues to take an active role leading the expansion of the school and training (and certifying) teachers.
Friend is a disciple of Gurumayi Chidvilasananda
Gurumayi Chidvilasananda
Gurumayi Chidvilasananda is the commonly used name of Malti Shetty , who is the current guru of the Siddha Yoga lineage. She is formally known as Swami Chidvilasananda or more casually as Gurumayi...
, the current guru of the Siddha Yoga
Siddha Yoga
Siddha Yoga is a spiritual path based on the Hindu spiritual traditions of Vedanta and Kashmir Shaivism. The Siddha Yoga path was founded by Swami Muktananda Paramahamsa . The present spiritual head of the Siddha Yoga path is Gurumayi Chidvilasananda...
school of Kashmir Shaivism
Kashmir Shaivism
Among the various Hindu philosophies, Kashmir Shaivism is a school of Śaivism consisting of Trika and its philosophical articulation Pratyabhijña...
.
Principles
Anusara Yoga places more emphasis on tantric philosophical concepts than many other forms of Hatha Yoga commonly taught in the West. "As of January 2010, the philosophical vision of Anusara yoga is specifically called Shiva-Shakti Tantra", referring to the "divine polarities" of the Hindu deitiesDeity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
and Shakti
Shakti
Shakti from Sanskrit shak - "to be able," meaning sacred force or empowerment, is the primordial cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces that are thought to move through the entire universe in Hinduism. Shakti is the concept, or personification, of divine feminine creative power, sometimes...
.
The ultimate aim or "highest intention" of practicing Anusara yoga is the "alignment with the Divine" or "co-participation with the Supreme".
Friend delivers short sermons or "dharma talks" to his students, based largely on simplifications of Tantric principles, expressed in "the American idiom of self-improvement".
The Three A's of Anusara Yoga
The practice of Anusara Yoga is broadly categorized into three parts, known as the Three A's:-
- Attitude, writes Friend, is the "power of the heart as the force behind every action or expression in an asana." It is "the aspiration to reawaken to our divine nature, and the celebration of life."
-
- Alignment, according to John Friend, is the "mindful awareness of how various parts of ourselves are integrated and interconnected." Anusara's Universal Principles of Alignment (see below) are refinements of this principle.
-
- Action, according to Friend, is the "natural flow of energy in the body, which provides both stability and joyful freedom."
Universal Principles of Alignment
Anusara Yoga works with five major alignment principles. When assuming a yoga pose, Anusara practitioners make refinements on the pose's alignment by performing the principles in order. Within each principle, there are further refinements.| Principle | Elaboration |
|---|---|
| Opening to Grace | The practitioner intends to place him/herself in alignment with the flow of Supreme Consciousness Brahma Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the... . For asana practice, this includes having an attitude of soft-hearted devotion, and open-mindedness. Refinements of this principle include, "inner body bright", "outer body soft" and "side body long." |
| Muscular Energy | A drawing of energy from the periphery of the body into a central location in the body, called a Focal Point. Muscular Energy seeks to increase stability, strength, and physical integration in the pose. |
| Inner Spiral | An expanding energy spiral. In the legs it runs from the feet up through the pelvis into the waistline area to rotate the legs inward, move the thighs backward, and widen the thighs and pelvis. In the arms Inner Spiral spins the forearms inward from anatomical neutral |
| Outer Spiral | A contracting energy spiral. In the legs it runs from the waistline area down through the tailbone and out through the legs and feet to draw the pelvis and thighs closer together, move the tailbone and thighs forward, and rotate the legs outward. In the arms, Outer Spiral spins the upper arms out and away from each other from anatomical neutral, refining the heart-opening action of the Anusara Yoga practice. |
| Organic Energy | An outward extension of energy from the Focal Point through the core lines of the body to the body's periphery, which increases expansion, flexibility, and freedom in the pose. |
Energy Loops
In creating his style of yoga, John Friend noticed that there were further alignment refinements that corresponded to loopLoop
- Technology :*Loop , sending a signal on a channel and receiving it back at the sending terminal*Loop , a method of control flow in computer science*Loop device, a Unix device node that allows a file to be mounted on a directory...
-shaped movements in the body. Looking at one's body in profile
Profile
- Computing and technology :* Profile , a concept in Unified Modeling Language* Apple ProFile, a hard drive* User profile refers to the computer representation of user information...
, each of these loops has its origin in the center of the body, rotating toward the back plane of the body and looping either upward or downward and back in the other direction (down or up) along the front plane of the body. Each loop intersects with adjacent loops above and below it and has a right and left component. The seven energy loops are:
-
- Ankle Loop, starting from the center of the ankle bone, running down to the heel, under the sole of the foot and back up to the ankle.
- Shin Loop, starting from the center of the ankle bone, moving up the calf to just below the knee, then returning down the front of the shin.
- Thigh Loop, starting at the pelvic focal poin, running down the back of the thigh to just below the knee and back up the front of the thigh.
- Pelvic Loop, originating in the core of the lumbar spine, looping down the back to the pelvic focal point and back up the belly.
- Kidney Loop, beginning at the lumbar, running up the back ribs to the heart focal point and back down the front to draw floating ribs in.
- Shoulder Loop, originates at the upper palette, runs down the back of neck and shoulder blades, through the heart focal point and back up across front upper ribs and throat.
- Skull Loop, starts from the upper palette and drows over the back of the skull and down the face.
Anusara Invocation
"The Anusara Invocation" is a sanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
mantra
Mantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
, beginning with Om Namah Shivaya, which Friend states he received from his guru Gurumayi Chidvilasananda
Gurumayi Chidvilasananda
Gurumayi Chidvilasananda is the commonly used name of Malti Shetty , who is the current guru of the Siddha Yoga lineage. She is formally known as Swami Chidvilasananda or more casually as Gurumayi...
. All Anusara Yoga classes begin with three chants of om
Om
Om is a sacred syllable of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.OM and similar may also refer to:-Music:* Om , a stoner metal band* Om , a 1965 album* OM , a 2006 album* Om...
, followed by three rounds of the Invocation, and concluding with one final om. The mantra's lyrics are:
-
- 'Om Namah Shivaya Gurave (Hail to ShivaShivaShiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, the TeacherGuruA guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
- Sacchidananda-Murtaye
Cit (consciousness)Chit is a Sanskrit word meaning consciousness. It is a core principle in all ancient spiritual traditions originating from the Indian subcontinent. In Upanishads it is referred to as the Drishta or the Seer, the Sense that makes sense of all other sense experiences...
and Bliss) - NishprapanchayaNishprapanchayaNishprapanchaya is the dative of a Sanskrit noun, niṣprapañca, sometimes translated as "absolute presence".The dative form occurs in some popular mantras, as following Om Namah Shivaya ....
ShantayaShantiShanti, Santhi or Shanthi means peace, rest, calmness, tranquility, or bliss.The poet T.S. Eliot, in his poem The Waste Land translated it as "The Peace which passeth understanding."...
(The Singular OneHindu views on monotheismMonotheism in Hinduism is set in the views of the spiritual world are broad and range from monism, pantheism to panentheism, aptly termed as monistic theism and even open monotheism by some scholars, but are not polytheistic as outsiders perceive it to be...
, the Peaceful One) - Niralambaya Tejase'(The Self-supported One, the Lustrous One)
- 'Om Namah Shivaya Gurave (Hail to Shiva
The same mantra is known as the "Siddha Yoga mantra", and it also occurs as a verse in the Guru Stotram used by Sivananda Saraswati's Divine Life Society
Divine Life Society
The Divine Life Society is a religious organization and an ashram, founded by Swami Sivananda Saraswati in 1936, at Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh, India...
.