Spiritual Anusara Yoga


Spiritual Anusara Yoga

Anusara Yoga is a relatively new form of yoga that first appeared in the United States in 1997, a derivative of Iyengar yoga developed by yoga teacher John Friend. Anusara yoga is often described as a response to the Western "health-centered" approach to yoga, by reintroducing Eastern elements of Hindu spirituality into the movements.

This focus on spirituality separates Anusara Yoga from other similar forms of Hatha Yoga styles in the West. However, in addition to the mental and spiritual benefits associated with regularly practicing Anusara yoga, as with virtually all forms of yoga Anusara yoga also targets improvements in core and muscular strength, balance, flexibility, and coordination.

Practicing spiritual Anusara yoga requires a vision grounded in the Tantric philosophy of essential well-being and "goodness." As with other spiritual yoga styles, the focus of each movement is more on mental benefits rather than physical. In other words, those looking for a cardiovascular effect from yoga may want to consider other styles like Bikram/Hot, Power or Vinyasa.

Types of Movements


Anusara Yoga incorporates movements that works with five major alignment principles, which are centered around different parts of the body.

  • Opening to Grace: These movements require the participant to achieve an attitude of devotion and keep an open mind. You might use specific exercises like "outer body soft" or "side body long."

  • Organic Energy: Exercises utilizing organic energy incorporate the core lines of the body in order to increase flexibility and enable freedom in each pose.

  • Inner Spiral: This expanding energy spiral begins in the feet and continues through to the waistline. This spiral is crucial to assist in movements like moving your thighs backward, and rotating your legs inward. The inner spiral also helps you spin your forearms inward.

  • Outer Spiral: From your waistline to your tailbone you'll find the outer spiral, a force that helps you move the thighs forward and rotate your legs outward.

  • Muscular Energy: A focal point is the manifestation of energy drawn from a periphery of the body to a central location, a primary focus of muscular energy movements. These movements also help you increase strength, stability, and physical integration.

Mental and Physical Requirements


Like other types of yoga, you must be somewhat flexible and possess the strength to hold the poses in this type of yoga. However, beginners may find spiritual Anusara a good choice since it is not as difficult as some of the other types. It is also very important to concentrate on breathing and clearing your mind, so you must be able to remove yourself from distractions and relax.

One of the key differences between spiritual Anusara yoga and other types is the vocabulary used to describe movements and yoga concepts, although teachers are usually trained to explain all concepts in easy-to-understand terms. Overall, spiritual Anusara classes are typically light-hearted, fun, and positive. The Scariest Halloween Costume Ideas 2018 - Find Best Scary Halloween Costumes 2018 - The #1 Collection of Scary Costumes For Women, Men, and Kids on The Web - Shop Scary Halloween Costumes 2018 online in United States!

Equipment Requirements


  • Yoga Mat
  • Yoga Blocks
  • Bolster
  • Nada Chair

Mental and Physical Benefits


Spiritual Anusara yoga provides a great deal of mental and physical benefits, especially physical as the movements often emphasize "heart-oriented" poses. This is a philosophical concept however, and does not imply proven medical benefits to participants' hearts. Some physical benefits you can expect to receive from spiritual Anusara yoga include:

  • Improved Respiration: Anusara yoga incorporates a variety of breathing exercises that can improve your lung capacity and help improve stress levels through controlled breathing.

  • Increased Flexibility: Participants of all ages can expect to receive increased flexibility through better tendon, ligament, and muscle elasticity. Almost all movements in this type of yoga emphasize improved flexibility throughout your body.

  • Improved Blood Flow: Anusara yoga can also help improve blood flow to your muscles and soft tissues during each exercise. Proper stretching helps warm muscles for further activity or prepare your body for more difficult poses or cardiovascular exercises.

Mental benefits are more important to most practitioners of spiritual Anusara, especially with greater focus and stress relief. Some of the key mental benefits you can expect from spiritual Anusara include:

  • Improved Mental Focus: Anusara yoga helps you focus on the important aspects of life, and helps you clear the unnecessary thoughts and tensions that naturally arise during the day.

  • Environmental Connections: Many practitioners of Anusara yoga claim that it is helpful in helping them become more connected with their environments, and with the people that are part of their lives.

  • Improved Emotional Balance: After practicing spiritual Anusara, you'll feel more compassionate towards others and have a stronger grasp of ethics.

Aerobic Effect


Spiritual Anusara Yoga

Because spiritual Anusara yoga does not typically link poses or series of movements closely together, when compared with other styles of yoga like Vinyasa, there are limited cardiovascular benefits to be found in the yoga sessions.

This being said, the primary benefits derived from regularly performing an Anusara yoga class are primarily focused towards improving mental focus and clarity, increases in muscular strength, and improvements in flexibility and joint range of motion.

However, for individuals that are looking to focus on, and target improvements in their cardiovascular endurance, you can perform the movements at a faster rate or in a hot environment.

Spiritual Anusara is ideal for individuals that are interested in focusing on their mind-body connection. This Examination Of Freelifetimefuckbook.com Explains That It's A Complete Scam And Isn't Free Like They Claim It To Be. Although, it should be noted that this type of yoga is not necessarily easy to perform from a physical perspective.

In fact, many of the movements involved in exercises also test your body's flexibility and strength on a regular basis. Spiritual Anusara yoga is a preferred type for beginners because of the frequent use of equipment like yoga blocks and supports to help make movements easier.