Yoga series
Encyclopedia
Yoga series consist of a number of asana
s done in sequence, typically either in opposition to one another (commonly referred to as a counter-pose), or in variations of increasing difficulty (as found in the Ashtanga Vinyasa
system). The most common yoga series is Surya Namaskara
or the Sun Salutation, originating in the Hatha Yoga
system. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
is a system of Yoga
most noted for its six sets of yoga series. Bikram Yoga
is also noted for its set of 26 consecutive postures.
Surya Namaskara Sanskrit
for Sun Salutation owes its name for expressing devotion (bhakti) to Surya
, the solar deity in the Hindu
pantheon, by concentrating on the Sun. The Sun Salutation is, for many yogi
s, an exercise to be performed at sun rise, or at least in the morning. Surya Namaskara is a sequence of twelve asanas, where the five beginning asanas overlap with the last five of the sequence. The sequence thus consists of seven unique postures. The Sun Salutation can be practiced at varying levels of awareness, ranging from that of physical exercise, to a complete sadhana
which incorporates asana
, pranayama
, mantra
and chakra
meditation
.
is characterized by a focus on vinyasa
, or a dynamic connecting posture, that creates a flow between the more static traditional yoga postures. The vinyasa 'flow' is a variant of Surya Namaskara. The whole practice is defined by six specific series of postures, always done in the same order, combined with specific breathing patterns (ujjayi breath
ing).
A standard Vinyasa
consists of the flow from chatarunga, or plank, to chatarunga dandasana, or low plank, to urdhva mukha svansana (Upward-facing dog), to adho mukha svasana, or Downward-facing dog. The purpose of vinyasa is to create heat in the body, which leads to purification of the body through increased circulation and sweating. It also improves flexibility, as well as tendon and hard tissue strength, allowing the student to practice advanced asanas with reduced risk of injury.
There are six series altogether. Each sequence typically begins with 10 Sun Salutations and the standing poses. This is referred to as the "opening sequence". The student then moves to either the Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, B, C, or D, depending on his or her skill level, finally closing with a set of inverted postures, referred to as the "finishing sequence". Ashtanga Yoga is traditionally taught in Mysore style
(supervised self practice), where each student moves through the practice at his or her own pace and level. In the West, it is more common to find classes devoted to a specific series, and guided by an instructor.
developed by Bikram Choudhury
and a Los Angeles, California based company. Bikram Yoga
is ideally practiced in a room heated to 105°F (40.5°C) with a humidity of 40%, and classes, which are 90 minutes long, are a guided series of 26 postures and two non-pranamic
breathing exercises.
and nei gung than traditional Hindu
Yoga
. The technique does focus on the higher level practices of chakra
balancing, and the cultivation of both pranic energy
and kundalini
, which is what warrants its mention in this article.
The "Tibetans" found its way from Taoist Yoga
into Tibetan Buddhist practice, hence the name, and was first publicized in the West by Peter Kelder in 1939, and republished in 1975. The practice was re-introduced by Christopher S. Kilham in 1994, with his publication "The Five Tibetans".
Each of the Five Rites are dynamic, thus similar in nature to qigong or vinyasa yoga. The first involves spinning 21 times with the arms stretched, like the Sufi dervish
practice, and the last four by executing a simple sequence of moving back and forth between two different asana-like postures. According to Kelder, the rites are healthy because of the fitness
element it contains, and that people above the age of 40 would rejuvenate by doing them each day. Kilham focuses more on the metaphysical aspects of the practice, noting the benefits of chakra balancing, energizing the pranamayakosha
sheath, and awakening kundalini.
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 done in sequence, typically either in opposition to one another (commonly referred to as a counter-pose), or in variations of increasing difficulty (as found in the Ashtanga Vinyasa
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...
system). The most common yoga series is Surya Namaskara
Surya Namaskara
Surya Namaskara , known in English as Sun Salutation , is a common sequence of Hatha yoga asanas. Its origins lie in a worship of Surya, the Hindu solar deity...
or the Sun Salutation, originating in the 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....
system. Ashtanga Vinyasa 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...
is a system of Yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
most noted for its six sets of yoga series. Bikram Yoga
Bikram Yoga
Bikram Yoga is a system of yoga that Bikram Choudhury synthesized from traditional hatha yoga techniques and popularized beginning in the early 1970s. Bikram's classes run exactly 90 minutes and consist of a set series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises...
is also noted for its set of 26 consecutive postures.
Surya Namaskara
Surya Namaskara 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...
for Sun Salutation owes its name for expressing devotion (bhakti) to Surya
Surya
Surya Suraya or Phra Athit is the chief solar deity in Hinduism, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wives, Aditi; of Indra; or of Dyaus Pitar . The term Surya also refers to the Sun, in general. Surya has hair and arms of gold...
, the solar deity in the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
pantheon, by concentrating on the Sun. The Sun Salutation is, for many yogi
Yogi
A Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...
s, an exercise to be performed at sun rise, or at least in the morning. Surya Namaskara is a sequence of twelve asanas, where the five beginning asanas overlap with the last five of the sequence. The sequence thus consists of seven unique postures. The Sun Salutation can be practiced at varying levels of awareness, ranging from that of physical exercise, to a complete sadhana
Sadhana
Sādhanā literally "a means of accomplishing something" is ego-transcending spiritual practice. It includes a variety of disciplines in Hindu, Sikh , Buddhist and Muslim traditions that are followed in order to achieve various spiritual or ritual objectives.The historian N...
which incorporates 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...
, 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...
, mantra
Mantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
and chakra
Chakra
Chakra is a concept originating in Hindu texts, featured in tantric and yogic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Its name derives from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning" .Chakra is a concept referring to wheel-like vortices...
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....
.
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
This style of yogaYoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
is characterized by a focus on 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...
, or a dynamic connecting posture, that creates a flow between the more static traditional yoga postures. The vinyasa 'flow' is a variant of Surya Namaskara. The whole practice is defined by six specific series of postures, always done in the same order, combined with specific breathing patterns (ujjayi breath
Ujjayi breath
Ujjayi breathing is a breath technique employed in a variety of Hindu and Taoist Yoga practices. In relation to Hindu Yoga, it is sometimes called "the ocean breath"...
ing).
A standard 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...
consists of the flow from chatarunga, or plank, to chatarunga dandasana, or low plank, to urdhva mukha svansana (Upward-facing dog), to adho mukha svasana, or Downward-facing dog. The purpose of vinyasa is to create heat in the body, which leads to purification of the body through increased circulation and sweating. It also improves flexibility, as well as tendon and hard tissue strength, allowing the student to practice advanced asanas with reduced risk of injury.
There are six series altogether. Each sequence typically begins with 10 Sun Salutations and the standing poses. This is referred to as the "opening sequence". The student then moves to either the Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, B, C, or D, depending on his or her skill level, finally closing with a set of inverted postures, referred to as the "finishing sequence". Ashtanga Yoga is traditionally taught in Mysore style
Mysore style
The Mysore style of yoga asana practice is a particular way of teaching yoga within the Ashtanga Yoga tradition as taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in the southern Indian city of Mysore...
(supervised self practice), where each student moves through the practice at his or her own pace and level. In the West, it is more common to find classes devoted to a specific series, and guided by an instructor.
Bikram Yoga
Bikram Yoga is a style of yogaYoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
developed by Bikram Choudhury
Bikram Choudhury
Bikram Choudhury is a multi-millionaire Indian yoga guru and the founder of Bikram Yoga, a form of hot yoga performed in a series of 26 hatha yoga postures done in a hot environment. Choudhury is a student of Bishnu Ghosh...
and a Los Angeles, California based company. Bikram Yoga
Bikram Yoga
Bikram Yoga is a system of yoga that Bikram Choudhury synthesized from traditional hatha yoga techniques and popularized beginning in the early 1970s. Bikram's classes run exactly 90 minutes and consist of a set series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises...
is ideally practiced in a room heated to 105°F (40.5°C) with a humidity of 40%, and classes, which are 90 minutes long, are a guided series of 26 postures and two non-pranamic
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 exercises.
Five Tibetan Rites
The Five Tibetan Rites, more commonly referred to as "The Five Tibetans", is a derivative of Taoist Yoga and closer in nature to the practices of Chinese alchemical and martial practices of qigongQigong
Qigong or chi kung is a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation...
and nei gung than traditional Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
. The technique does focus on the higher level practices of chakra
Chakra
Chakra is a concept originating in Hindu texts, featured in tantric and yogic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Its name derives from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning" .Chakra is a concept referring to wheel-like vortices...
balancing, and the cultivation of both pranic energy
Prana
Prana is the Sanskrit word for "vital life" .It is one of the five organs of vitality or sensation, viz. prana "breath", vac "speech", chakshus "sight", shrotra "hearing", and manas "thought" Prana is the Sanskrit word for "vital life" (from the root "to fill", cognate to Latin plenus...
and kundalini
Kundalini
Kundalini literally means coiled. In yoga, a "corporeal energy" - an unconscious, instinctive or libidinal force or Shakti, lies coiled at the base of the spine. It is envisioned either as a goddess or else as a sleeping serpent, hence a number of English renderings of the term such as 'serpent...
, which is what warrants its mention in this article.
The "Tibetans" found its way from Taoist Yoga
Taoist yoga
Taoist Yoga is the title of a 1999 book about Tao Yin, meditation techniques in Taoism.Traditionally and historically speaking, Daoyin practices are stretching exercises, and static postures, usually combined with breath-work...
into Tibetan Buddhist practice, hence the name, and was first publicized in the West by Peter Kelder in 1939, and republished in 1975. The practice was re-introduced by Christopher S. Kilham in 1994, with his publication "The Five Tibetans".
Each of the Five Rites are dynamic, thus similar in nature to qigong or vinyasa yoga. The first involves spinning 21 times with the arms stretched, like the Sufi dervish
Dervish
A Dervish or Darvesh is someone treading a Sufi Muslim ascetic path or "Tariqah", known for their extreme poverty and austerity, similar to mendicant friars in Christianity or Hindu/Buddhist/Jain sadhus.-Etymology:The Persian word darvīsh is of ancient origin and descends from a Proto-Iranian...
practice, and the last four by executing a simple sequence of moving back and forth between two different asana-like postures. According to Kelder, the rites are healthy because of the fitness
Physical fitness
Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness , and specific fitness...
element it contains, and that people above the age of 40 would rejuvenate by doing them each day. Kilham focuses more on the metaphysical aspects of the practice, noting the benefits of chakra balancing, energizing the pranamayakosha
Kosha
A Kosha , usually rendered "sheath", one of five coverings of the Atman, or Self according to Vedantic philosophy. They are often visualised like the layers of an onion. Belling states:...
sheath, and awakening kundalini.