Jivamukti Yoga
Encyclopedia
Jivamukti Yoga, co-founded by Sharon Gannon
and David Life, is one of the nine recognized styles of hatha yoga
. Jivamukti Yoga is a physical, ethical, and spiritual practice, combining a vigorous hatha yoga, vinyasa
-based physical style with adherence to five central tenets: shastra
(scripture), bhakti
(devotion), ahimsa
(non-harming), nāda
(music), and dhyana
(meditation). Animal rights, veganism, environmentalism, and social activism are also emphasized. Jivamukti Yoga has developed a reputation as the chosen yoga style of many celebrities.
and her partner, artist and cafe owner David Life. Gannon and Life met in 1982 in Manhattan. In 1986 they traveled together to India and took the Sivananda teacher training program and met Swami Nirmalananda. Upon their return, they opened the first Jivamukti Yoga Society in the East Village
of New York City
. In 1990 they began to practice Ashtanga Yoga
with Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. In 1993 they met yoga scholar and ashram founder Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati. In 1998, the yoga center moved to Lafayette Street
, and in 2000, Jivamukti opened a second center on the Upper East Side
. In 2003, senior Jivamukti students Patrick Broome and Gabriela Bozic opened Jivamukti Munich, the first Jivamukti Yoga Center outside of New York City. In 2006, the Jivamukti Yoga School NYC relocated their main headquarters to an environmentally constructed studio with an organic vegan cafe in Union Square
.
The name Jivamukti is from the Sanskrit
jivanmuktih, wherein jiva
is the individual living soul, and mukti – like moksa – is liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth. Thus the Jivamukti method is "liberation while living".
, or scripture, refers to the study and exploration of the four central texts of yoga as well as to the study of the Sanskrit
language in which they were first written. The four texts are the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika
, the Bhagavad Gita
, and the Upanishads.
, literally "devotion to God" is the practice of devotion and humility. Jivamukti Yoga holds that "God-realization" is the goal of yoga practice, and that it does not matter to what form of God one's love and devotion is directed; what matters is that the devotion should be directed to something higher than one's own self or ego. Inter-religious understanding and tolerance are significant corollaries to this practice, and altars in Jivamukti centers are typically adorned with images of multiple religious and moral authorities: Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Ingrid Newkirk
intermingle with Jesus
, Buddha
, and Krishna
.
is the practice of nonviolence, or non-harming. Ahimsa is informed by compassion, and is defined in Patanjali's Yoga Sutra as the first of five yamas
. Yamas define the measure of how the yogi relates to other people and to the external world. The Jivamukti method teaches that the practice of ahimsa extends not only to other humans but to all animal life and advocates ethical vegetarianism both as a means of resolving human karma and as an environmental imperative for the future health of the planet. The Jivamukti method further teaches that the practice of ahimsa includes promoting and providing educational information about animal rights, environmental concerns, and the need to take social/political action.
centers on deep inner listening, chanting, and elevated music. Its theoretical and practical aspects are based on the premise that everything that exists, including human beings, consists of sound vibrations, called nāda. The aim of hatha yoga is to hear the nadam-the soundless sound, which is Om
-by first perfecting the ability to listen. Jivamukti Yoga practices this through chanting and inspiring music.
Jivamukti classes typically include Sanskrit chanting which integrates scriptural study and bhakti practice with nāda yoga.
Contrary to many other schools of yoga, Jivamukti teachers generally do not do the postures while they teach a class. This encourages students to learn by listening, rather than by watching, and in this way develop their ability to listen effectively. Sharon Gannon summarizes the intention of this approach as follows: “Through listening, hearing arises, through hearing knowing, through knowing becoming, by becoming being is possible.”
, or meditation
, as taught in the Jivamukti method is the practice of being still and watching one's own mind think. This practice is intended to enable a person to cease to identify with their thoughts and realize that they are more than their thoughts. All Jivamukti Yoga classes include a meditation practice.
Open: Jivamukti Open classes center on a theme based on a globally-set "focus of the month" essay, usually written by Sharon Gannon. The theme is explored through "dharma talks", Sanskrit chanting, reflections on the modern relevance of yoga scripture, music, asanas (postures or poses), pranayama
(breathing), and meditation. The largest portion of the class consists of asana practiced as vinyasa
. In vinyasa (movement synchronized with breath and intention) the teacher guides the student through a vigorous sequence of poses. The exact sequence is left to the discretion of the teacher, but always includes inversions, such as headstand and shoulderstand. During the vinyasa phase, the teacher assists practitioners with hands-on adjustments. The class concludes with a period of deep relaxation and meditation.
Basic: The Jivamukti Basic class is structured as a four-week fundamentals course that explores a different aspect of yoga each week. Starting with standing asanas, it next covers forward bending asanas, then backward bending asanas, and concludes with inversions and meditation. Whereas in the Beginner Vinyasa and Open classes vinyasa is emphasized, the Basic class stresses alignment. Students are taught “how to do” asanas and the use of props. The Basic class lays the foundation for eventual progression to an Open or Spiritual Warrior class.
Beginner Vinyasa: Jivamukti Beginner Vinyasa classes are designed to provide a beginner student with the underlying basics of how a vinyasa practice works. The class follows a set sequence of asanas but is presented at a slower, more relaxed pace than in the Spiritual Warrior or Open classes. Beginner Vinyasa classes provide beginner students with a transition from a Basic to an Open class, and more advanced students with the opportunity to refine their skills through deeper, slower exploration.
Spiritual Warrior: Jivamukti Spiritual Warrior classes are designed with busy people in mind who only have one hour to practice. The structure is a set, vinyasa-style sequence which includes chanting, an asana warm-up, sun salutations, standing poses, forward bends, twists, backbends, inversions, relaxation, and meditation. In the Spiritual Warrior class the teacher focuses on maintaining the pace, rather than on giving spiritual discourses.
In Class Private: Traditionally, yoga was taught one on one—one teacher teaching one student at a time. In modern times, yoga is more often taught in group classes. The Jivamukti Yoga In Class Private (or ICP) is a unique way to experience both methods of teaching: the student and his or her private certified Jivamukti Yoga teacher together attend a regular group class. From beginning to end, the student practices with the guidance and hands-on assists of the private teacher. ICPs always conclude with a special deep relaxation yoga massage in shavasana
, or corpse pose. An ICP can be adapted to almost any Jivamukti Yoga class, but is most frequently given in an Open class.
Meditation: The Jivamukti Yoga method of meditation is a mantra
form of meditation, and follows a three-step procedure: Sit down, Be still, and Focus. The mantra “Let-Go” is taught to all Jivamukti students, and provides the focus. The practitioner is instructed to align the silent repetition of the mantra with the incoming and out-going breath. By allowing a continuous movement of breath through the body and thought through the mind, Jivamukti teaches that the practitioner can eventually let go of identification with the body and mind and allow self-realization to arise — the goal of yoga. The class usually begins with Sanskrit chanting; this is followed by detailed meditation instruction and then about 20 minutes of actual sitting practice. Afterwards there is a Q&A session with the teacher, and a final closing.
, The Bhagavad Gita
and Hatha Yoga Pradipika
. Every teacher has to go through rigorous training and a series of examinations to be qualified to teach the method in a Jivamukti Yoga School.
Jivamukti Yoga operates several schools and affiliated centers. These are located in the United States (New York City
,Chicago
, Washington D.C. and Charleston
), Germany (Munich
and Berlin
), Canada (Toronto
and Whistler
), the United Kingdom (London
), Russia (Moscow
), Norway (Stavanger
), Switzerland (Bern) and Australia (Sydney
).
The Jivamukti Yoga School in lower Manhattan is the largest yoga studio in America, and has been featured on the BBC
, ABC
, PBS, and in the New York Times and New York Magazine.
Sharon Gannon
Sharon Gannon is a Philosopher who communicates her ideas through Art and Yoga. She is primarily known as a Yoga Teacher, Animal Rights Advocate, Musician, Author, Dancer/Choreographer and Painter. Along with David Life, she is the co-founder of the Jivamukti Yoga Method which is a path to...
and David Life, is one of the nine recognized styles 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....
. Jivamukti Yoga is a physical, ethical, and spiritual practice, combining a vigorous hatha yoga, vinyasa
Vinyasa
Vinyasa , is a Sanskrit term often employed in relation to certain styles of yoga. The term vinyasa may be broken down into its Sanskritic roots to assist in decoding its meaning...
-based physical style with adherence to five central tenets: shastra
Shastra
' is a Sanskrit term used to denote rules in a general sense. The word is generally used as a suffix in the context of technical or specialized knowledge in a defined area of practice; e.g., Bhautika Shastra , Rasayana Shastra , Jeeva Shastra , Vastu Shastra , Shilpa Shastra , Artha Shastra ' is a...
(scripture), bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
(devotion), ahimsa
Ahimsa
Ahimsa is a term meaning to do no harm . The word is derived from the Sanskrit root hims – to strike; himsa is injury or harm, a-himsa is the opposite of this, i.e. non harming or nonviolence. It is an important tenet of the Indian religions...
(non-harming), nāda
Nada yoga
Nāda yoga is an ancient Indian metaphysical system. It is both a philosophical system , a medicine, and as the name suggests a form of yoga. The system's theoretical and practical aspects are based on the premise that the entire cosmos and all that exists in the cosmos, including human beings,...
(music), and dhyana
Dhyana
Dhyāna may refer to:* Dhyāna in Buddhism * Dhyāna in Hinduism...
(meditation). Animal rights, veganism, environmentalism, and social activism are also emphasized. Jivamukti Yoga has developed a reputation as the chosen yoga style of many celebrities.
History
Jivamukti Yoga was co-founded in New York in 1984 by dancer and musician Sharon GannonSharon Gannon
Sharon Gannon is a Philosopher who communicates her ideas through Art and Yoga. She is primarily known as a Yoga Teacher, Animal Rights Advocate, Musician, Author, Dancer/Choreographer and Painter. Along with David Life, she is the co-founder of the Jivamukti Yoga Method which is a path to...
and her partner, artist and cafe owner David Life. Gannon and Life met in 1982 in Manhattan. In 1986 they traveled together to India and took the Sivananda teacher training program and met Swami Nirmalananda. Upon their return, they opened the first Jivamukti Yoga Society in the East Village
East Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 1990 they began to practice Ashtanga Yoga
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga is a system of yoga popularized by K. Pattabhi Jois, and which is often promoted as a modern-day form of classical Indian yoga...
with Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. In 1993 they met yoga scholar and ashram founder Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati. In 1998, the yoga center moved to Lafayette Street
Lafayette Street (Manhattan)
Lafayette Street is a major north-south street in New York City's Lower Manhattan, which runs roughly parallel to Broadway to the west. Originally, the part of the street below Houston Street was called Elm Place....
, and in 2000, Jivamukti opened a second center on the Upper East Side
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...
. In 2003, senior Jivamukti students Patrick Broome and Gabriela Bozic opened Jivamukti Munich, the first Jivamukti Yoga Center outside of New York City. In 2006, the Jivamukti Yoga School NYC relocated their main headquarters to an environmentally constructed studio with an organic vegan cafe in Union Square
Union Square (New York City)
Union Square is a public square in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York.It is an important and historic intersection, located where Broadway and the former Bowery Road – now Fourth Avenue – came together in the early 19th century; its name celebrates neither the...
.
The name Jivamukti is from the Sanskrit
Sanskrit
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...
jivanmuktih, wherein jiva
Jiva
In Hinduism and Jainism, a jiva is a living being, or more specifically, the immortal essence of a living organism which survives physical death. It has a very similar usage to atma, but whereas atma refers to "the cosmic self", jiva is used to denote an individual 'living entity' or 'living...
is the individual living soul, and mukti – like moksa – is liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth. Thus the Jivamukti method is "liberation while living".
Shastra
ShastraShastra
' is a Sanskrit term used to denote rules in a general sense. The word is generally used as a suffix in the context of technical or specialized knowledge in a defined area of practice; e.g., Bhautika Shastra , Rasayana Shastra , Jeeva Shastra , Vastu Shastra , Shilpa Shastra , Artha Shastra ' is a...
, or scripture, refers to the study and exploration of the four central texts of yoga as well as to the study of the Sanskrit
Sanskrit
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...
language in which they were first written. The four texts are the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali are 194 Indian sūtras that constitute the foundational text of Rāja Yoga. Yoga is one of the six orthodox āstika schools of Hindu philosophy, and Rāja Yoga is the highest practice....
, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika
Hatha Yoga Pradipika
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika is a classic Sanskrit manual on hatha yoga, written by Svami Svatmarama, a disciple of Swami Gorakhnath. Said to be the oldest surviving text on the hatha yoga, it is one of the three classic texts of hatha yoga, the other two being the Gheranda Samhita and the Shiva...
, the Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
, and the Upanishads.
Bhakti
BhaktiBhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
, literally "devotion to God" is the practice of devotion and humility. Jivamukti Yoga holds that "God-realization" is the goal of yoga practice, and that it does not matter to what form of God one's love and devotion is directed; what matters is that the devotion should be directed to something higher than one's own self or ego. Inter-religious understanding and tolerance are significant corollaries to this practice, and altars in Jivamukti centers are typically adorned with images of multiple religious and moral authorities: Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Ingrid Newkirk
Ingrid Newkirk
Ingrid Newkirk is a British-born animal rights activist and president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals , the world's largest animal rights organization...
intermingle with Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
, and Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
.
Ahimsa
AhimsaAhimsa
Ahimsa is a term meaning to do no harm . The word is derived from the Sanskrit root hims – to strike; himsa is injury or harm, a-himsa is the opposite of this, i.e. non harming or nonviolence. It is an important tenet of the Indian religions...
is the practice of nonviolence, or non-harming. Ahimsa is informed by compassion, and is defined in Patanjali's Yoga Sutra as the first of five yamas
Yamas
Yamas, and its complement, Niyamas, represent a series of "right living" or ethical rules within Hinduism and Yoga. These are a form of moral imperatives, commandments, rules or goals...
. Yamas define the measure of how the yogi relates to other people and to the external world. The Jivamukti method teaches that the practice of ahimsa extends not only to other humans but to all animal life and advocates ethical vegetarianism both as a means of resolving human karma and as an environmental imperative for the future health of the planet. The Jivamukti method further teaches that the practice of ahimsa includes promoting and providing educational information about animal rights, environmental concerns, and the need to take social/political action.
Nāda
Nāda yogaNada yoga
Nāda yoga is an ancient Indian metaphysical system. It is both a philosophical system , a medicine, and as the name suggests a form of yoga. The system's theoretical and practical aspects are based on the premise that the entire cosmos and all that exists in the cosmos, including human beings,...
centers on deep inner listening, chanting, and elevated music. Its theoretical and practical aspects are based on the premise that everything that exists, including human beings, consists of sound vibrations, called nāda. The aim of hatha yoga is to hear the nadam-the soundless sound, which is 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...
-by first perfecting the ability to listen. Jivamukti Yoga practices this through chanting and inspiring music.
Jivamukti classes typically include Sanskrit chanting which integrates scriptural study and bhakti practice with nāda yoga.
Contrary to many other schools of yoga, Jivamukti teachers generally do not do the postures while they teach a class. This encourages students to learn by listening, rather than by watching, and in this way develop their ability to listen effectively. Sharon Gannon summarizes the intention of this approach as follows: “Through listening, hearing arises, through hearing knowing, through knowing becoming, by becoming being is possible.”
Dhyana
DhyanaDhyana in Hinduism
According to the Hindu Yoga Sutra, written by Patanjali, dhyana is one of the eight limbs of Yoga, ....
, or meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
, as taught in the Jivamukti method is the practice of being still and watching one's own mind think. This practice is intended to enable a person to cease to identify with their thoughts and realize that they are more than their thoughts. All Jivamukti Yoga classes include a meditation practice.
Class experience
There are six types of classes, particular to the Jivamukti Yoga Method:Open: Jivamukti Open classes center on a theme based on a globally-set "focus of the month" essay, usually written by Sharon Gannon. The theme is explored through "dharma talks", Sanskrit chanting, reflections on the modern relevance of yoga scripture, music, asanas (postures or poses), pranayama
Pranayama
Pranayama is a Sanskrit word meaning "extension of the prana or breath" or more accurately, "extension of the life force". The word is composed of two Sanskrit words, Prāna, life force, or vital energy, particularly, the breath, and "āyāma", to extend, draw out, restrain, or...
(breathing), and meditation. The largest portion of the class consists of asana practiced as vinyasa
Vinyasa
Vinyasa , is a Sanskrit term often employed in relation to certain styles of yoga. The term vinyasa may be broken down into its Sanskritic roots to assist in decoding its meaning...
. In vinyasa (movement synchronized with breath and intention) the teacher guides the student through a vigorous sequence of poses. The exact sequence is left to the discretion of the teacher, but always includes inversions, such as headstand and shoulderstand. During the vinyasa phase, the teacher assists practitioners with hands-on adjustments. The class concludes with a period of deep relaxation and meditation.
Basic: The Jivamukti Basic class is structured as a four-week fundamentals course that explores a different aspect of yoga each week. Starting with standing asanas, it next covers forward bending asanas, then backward bending asanas, and concludes with inversions and meditation. Whereas in the Beginner Vinyasa and Open classes vinyasa is emphasized, the Basic class stresses alignment. Students are taught “how to do” asanas and the use of props. The Basic class lays the foundation for eventual progression to an Open or Spiritual Warrior class.
Beginner Vinyasa: Jivamukti Beginner Vinyasa classes are designed to provide a beginner student with the underlying basics of how a vinyasa practice works. The class follows a set sequence of asanas but is presented at a slower, more relaxed pace than in the Spiritual Warrior or Open classes. Beginner Vinyasa classes provide beginner students with a transition from a Basic to an Open class, and more advanced students with the opportunity to refine their skills through deeper, slower exploration.
Spiritual Warrior: Jivamukti Spiritual Warrior classes are designed with busy people in mind who only have one hour to practice. The structure is a set, vinyasa-style sequence which includes chanting, an asana warm-up, sun salutations, standing poses, forward bends, twists, backbends, inversions, relaxation, and meditation. In the Spiritual Warrior class the teacher focuses on maintaining the pace, rather than on giving spiritual discourses.
In Class Private: Traditionally, yoga was taught one on one—one teacher teaching one student at a time. In modern times, yoga is more often taught in group classes. The Jivamukti Yoga In Class Private (or ICP) is a unique way to experience both methods of teaching: the student and his or her private certified Jivamukti Yoga teacher together attend a regular group class. From beginning to end, the student practices with the guidance and hands-on assists of the private teacher. ICPs always conclude with a special deep relaxation yoga massage in shavasana
Savasana
-Etymology:The name comes from the Sanskrit words Shava meaning "corpse", and Asana meaning "posture" or "seat".-Description:...
, or corpse pose. An ICP can be adapted to almost any Jivamukti Yoga class, but is most frequently given in an Open class.
Meditation: The Jivamukti Yoga method of meditation is a mantra
Mantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
form of meditation, and follows a three-step procedure: Sit down, Be still, and Focus. The mantra “Let-Go” is taught to all Jivamukti students, and provides the focus. The practitioner is instructed to align the silent repetition of the mantra with the incoming and out-going breath. By allowing a continuous movement of breath through the body and thought through the mind, Jivamukti teaches that the practitioner can eventually let go of identification with the body and mind and allow self-realization to arise — the goal of yoga. The class usually begins with Sanskrit chanting; this is followed by detailed meditation instruction and then about 20 minutes of actual sitting practice. Afterwards there is a Q&A session with the teacher, and a final closing.
Books
- Jivamukti Yoga: Practices for Liberating Body and Soul (Sharon Gannon, David Life; 2002; ISBN 0345442083)
- The Art of Yoga (Sharon Gannon, David Life, Martin Brading; 2002; ISBN 1584792078)
- Yoga and Vegetarianism: The Diet of Enlightenment (Sharon Gannon; 2008; ISBN 1601090218)
Centers
Unlike many yoga centers in the world today, which operate much like a modern health clubs, the Jivamukti Yoga School is an educational institution where students are taught methods particular to the philosophy developed by the founders, Sharon Gannon and David Life drawn from the guidance of their gurus and based on classical yoga as found in the Yoga Sūtras of PatañjaliYoga Sutras of Patanjali
The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali are 194 Indian sūtras that constitute the foundational text of Rāja Yoga. Yoga is one of the six orthodox āstika schools of Hindu philosophy, and Rāja Yoga is the highest practice....
, The Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
and Hatha Yoga Pradipika
Hatha Yoga Pradipika
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika is a classic Sanskrit manual on hatha yoga, written by Svami Svatmarama, a disciple of Swami Gorakhnath. Said to be the oldest surviving text on the hatha yoga, it is one of the three classic texts of hatha yoga, the other two being the Gheranda Samhita and the Shiva...
. Every teacher has to go through rigorous training and a series of examinations to be qualified to teach the method in a Jivamukti Yoga School.
Jivamukti Yoga operates several schools and affiliated centers. These are located in the United States (New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
,Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Washington D.C. and Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
), Germany (Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
), Canada (Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Whistler
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
), the United Kingdom (London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
), Russia (Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
), Norway (Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
), Switzerland (Bern) and Australia (Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
).
The Jivamukti Yoga School in lower Manhattan is the largest yoga studio in America, and has been featured on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, PBS, and in the New York Times and New York Magazine.
Notable practitioners
Jivamukti Yoga has attracted many celebrity practitioners. Some of these are:- Christy TurlingtonChristy TurlingtonChristy Turlington Burns is an American model best known for representing Calvin Klein from 1987 to 2007. She has worked on dozens of modeling contracts with companies including Maybelline Cosmetics and Versace. Turlington starred in her fashion documentary Catwalk and Isaac Mizrahi's Unzipped...
- Diane KeatonDiane KeatonDiane Keaton is an American film actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. Keaton began her career on stage, and made her screen debut in 1970...
- Donna KaranDonna KaranDonna Karan is an American fashion designer and the creator of the Donna Karan New York and DKNY clothing labels.-Early life:...
- Ellen BarkinEllen BarkinEllen Barkin is an American film, television and theatre actress.-Early life:She was born Ellen Rona Barkin in Bronx, a borough of New York City, New York, the daughter of Evelyn , a hospital administrator who worked at Jamaica Hospital, and Sol Barkin, a chemical salesman...
- Gwyneth PaltrowGwyneth PaltrowGwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma...
- Heidi KlumHeidi KlumHeidi Samuel , better known by her birth name Heidi Klum, is a German model, actress, television host, businesswoman, fashion designer, television producer, and occasional singer. In 2008 she became an American citizen while maintaining her native German citizenship...
- MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
- Michael FrantiMichael FrantiMichael Franti is an American poet, musician, and composer. He is the creator and lead vocalist of Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band that blends hip hop with a variety of other styles including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock...
- Mike D
- Russell SimmonsRussell Simmons-External links:** * * * * * * from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum* *...
- Sting
- Thandie NewtonThandie NewtonThandiwe Nashita "Thandie" Newton is a British actress. She has appeared in a number of British and American films, including The Pursuit of Happyness, Mission: Impossible II, Crash, Run, Fatboy, Run and W....
- Trudie StylerTrudie StylerTrudie Styler is an English actress and producer. She is the second wife of the musician Sting.-Life and career:Styler was born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England. She attended North Bromsgrove High School, where one of her teachers was Clifford T. Ward...
- Uma ThurmanUma ThurmanUma Karuna Thurman is an American actress and model. She has performed in leading roles in a variety of films, ranging from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action movies. Among her best-known roles are those in the Quentin Tarantino films Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill...
- Willem DafoeWillem DafoeWillem Dafoe is an American film, stage, and voice actor, and a founding member of the experimental theatre company The Wooster Group...