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All styles of Yoga stem from the ancient tradition of Hatha Yoga*. This practice integrates Asanas (physical postures), breath, and meditation. Yoga opens and strengthens the body, mind, and heart, and will help you return to radiant health, joy, and peace. A daily practice helps us to relax and recharge which is essential to living well. The word YOGA means “yoke” or “union,” a brining together of our body, mind and heart in a way that creates more harmony and balance in our lives. It is an empowering practice where each of us has the opportunity to reveal and cultivate our best qualities. Yoga helps us uncover our boundless divine nature and encourages us to shine forth into all that we do.
*Most styles of Hatha Yoga practiced in the world today are derived from the teachings of the renowned yoga teacher Krishnamacharya, who lived in India early last century. This great master was the teacher of two of the most influential Yogis now living, BKS Iyengar (founder of the Iyengar method of Yoga) and Sri K Pattabhi Jois (founder of the Ashtanga style of Yoga). Many teachers at SPACE have either studied directly with these two masters or with teachers directly taught by them.
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Hot
Hot Yoga is a detoxifying practice in an intentionally heated room (38-40° C). Expect to perspire! Hot yoga is an ideal practice for flushing the body of toxins, increasing flexibility, and building core strength. Each class is conducted facing a mirror, allowing students to observe their progress and easily make adjustments to their alignment. Hot Yoga is a pre-set sequence of asanas, which allows for the practitioner to observe progress over time in a systematic way. All postures can be modified to suit the individual. This series is a cardiovascular workout that strengthens, tones, and stretches the muscles while calming the mind and reducing stress. Regular practice helps improve concentration, balance, endurance, and alleviates fatigue. Hot yoga is not recommended for pregnant women or those with high or low blood pressure.
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Flow
Flow is a dynamic, strengthening practice, combining the movement and breath as well as alignment. The goal is to synchronize the breath and movement, allowing the postures to form around the breath. Flow Yoga uses smooth flowing vinyasa transitions from pose to pose. The heat in Flow Yoga is created from the "inside out" with the use of the ujjayi breath and energetic engagements of the inner musculature of the body (bandhas). Each class is different allowing for a comprehensive exploration and transcendence of the limits of body and mind. Classes may form around a theme such as back bending, hip-opening, or forward folds, or a variety of postures may be combined to challenge and invigorate. Some Flow classes will introduce gentle pranayama (prana = Qi and ayama = expansion) to fill the body with vibrant energy. Flow Yoga is appropriate for any body, in any stage of Yoga practice.
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Restorative
Restorative Yoga is a blissful, gentle, deeply healing and meditative practice. It is ideal for relieving stress and tension and works on the connective tissues and internal systems of the body. All asanas are seated or reclining and maintained for 5-15 minutes each while being deeply supported by props (blankets, bolsters, and blocks) and aromatherapy. Deep deliberate breath is encouraged. These soothing and well-supported poses offer the opportunity to linger quietly while finding space from the activities of life, to savor its simple sweetness. With regular practice, you will be rewarded with the ability to drop with ease into a place of stillness already present and waiting within yourself. Restorative Yoga is an ideal accompaniment to your regular asana practice. SPACE recommends at least one Restorative class per week to balance your personal practice.
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Anusara Anusara is one of the fastest growing styles of yoga in the world. Anusara means “Flowing with Grace”. It is a creative, powerful and highly sophisticated style of Hatha yoga combining the strongest features of many traditional systems together with a deep philosophical base. John Friend, one of the greatest authorities of yoga in America, founded Anusara yoga after a lifetime of study with many teachers both in India and the United States. He was a senior, certified Iyengar teacher for many years when he met his spiritual teacher, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda in India. It was from her influence and spiritual guidance that Anusara yoga was born. Anusara uses the “Universal Principles of Alignment” to strengthen and open the body and is highly therapeutic. Working in this way with the body, and from an attitude of always looking for the good, we may open our hearts and minds to realize our fullest potential as people. Anusara is a celebration of heart, which deeply honors each student's unique abilities and limitations. A distinctive feature of Anusara is that within an energetic, playful and transformative flow of postures, we may occasionally pause to learn specific alignment, or work in partners to more safely and clearly deepen the practice. Anusara has one of the most rigorous training and/ certification programs in the world, taking several years to complete. Each certified Anusara teacher has thousands of hours training in yoga alignment and therapeutics, anatomy, history and philosophy, leadership and classroom skills.
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Ashtanga
Ashtanga Yoga, literally means eight-limbed yoga, as taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. This eight-limbed yoga theory was explained by an Indian sage, Patanjili, in the Yoga Sutras. The eight limbs are: yama (abstinences), niyama (observances), asana (postures), pranayama (breath control), prathyahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (contemplation or bliss).
Ashtanga Yoga is an ancient system of yoga passed down from Sri T. Krishnamacharya to Sri K. Pattabhi Jois beginning in 1927 with his studies with Krishnamacharya. Pattabhi Jois (known affectionately as Guruji) is the master of the Ashtanga Yoga system today and head of the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in Mysore, India. He is responsible for Ashtanga’s transmission to the west. His grandson Sharath Rangaswamy is the assistant director of the A.Y.R.I. and teaches with his Grandfather.
Ashtanga is a powerful sequence of Hatha postures practiced continually (vinyasa) in combination with bandhas (internal muscle contractions), ujjayi breath and drishti (focused gaze). Ashtanga is a challenging practice that enhances mental focus, builds strength and endurance and increases lung capacity. This practice creates a deep internal heat and a relaxed, meditative state. If you enjoy regular Hatha yoga classes or flow classes, Ashtanga will take you deeper and give you a much more intense experience.
There are six series in the Ashtanga system. Each series prepares the student for the next one. Students practice Series One (Primary Series) until proficient and then begin the study of Series Two (Intermediate Series). Each series unlocks a particular aspect of the body and mind. The Primary Series, called Yoga Chikitsa (Yoga Therapy) is said to realign, rehabilitate and detoxify the physical body. The Intermediate Series, called Nadi Shodana (Nerve Cleansing) purifies and strengthens the nervous system and the subtle energy channels that link the seven chakras. The four advanced series are known as Sthira Bhaga (Divine Stability). These sequences take further the aspects of strength, flexibility, concentration and energy flow begun in the Primary and Intermediate Series. It is the Primary Series that is taught in the classes at SPACE. The Intermediate Series is taught in the Mysore style classes. The advanced series must be learned from senior teachers certified by Guruji Pattabhi Jois.
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Mysore
Mysore is a kind of class meant to draw association with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. He has studied Ashtanga-Vinyasa in Mysore, Karnataka, India, for over 70 years. He first studied with the great Indian master T. Krishnamacharya for 26 years. And then was full professor of sanskrit studies, Ayurveda, and Ashtanga-Vinyasa yoga at Mysore University- the most prestigious sanskrit college in India. To teach a Mysore class is teach as Krishnamacharya taught Pattabhi Jois and Jois taught us (myself, Sally Evans, and Gladys Huang-all authorised teachers) That is a student is introduced to a set pattern of asanas linked with breath and focus (dristi). All students will ultimately find a posture in the sequence that is difficult for their constitution or ability. The teacher will adjust the student untill the body changes and then the student will move on. Ashtanga-vinyasa has an excellent capacity to affect dramatic change to a student's physique. It also quiets the nervous system and the mind. The sole point of yogasana is to give yoga students the opportunity to free themselves of polarised thought. They will feel neither cold nor heat. Or at least they shouldn't mind as much.
russell case adv. practitioner with Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois, auth. 2005
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Power Yoga
Taught in a warm room (30 degrees), this class requires focus, awareness, and high energy. Synchronized breathing combined with strong, flowing movements create a hot, invigorating practice. Different from other styles, Power Yoga is based on a choreographed, fixed sequence of poses (asana). These asanas flow into one another, creating a dynamic, core strengthening experience. The class begins with a series of standing and balancing asanas to open the body, release tension, and move energy; followed by a slow, deliberate cooling sequence to bring you back to your center and natural peaceful state. This class will help you to build strength, flexibility, and mental clarity. Power Yoga is suitable for beginners who want a challenge and students with a regular practice.
Benefits
- Strength/ Flexibility /Increased Endurance / Self-awareness
- Better overall health and fitness / More focus and clarity in daily life
This class is intended for people who seek a vigorous, disciplined approach to asana and mind-body integration. By practicing with correct alignment in the postures, you can heal and prevent injury, tightness and misalignment. Through a committed yoga practice every student can feel the benefits. Each teacher at SPACE adapts the class to the level of each student. Adaptations and modifications for the various levels of strength and flexibility are taught.
What is Power Yoga?
Power Yoga is a general term used in the west to describe a vigorous approach to asana. Most Power Yoga is closely modeled from Ashtanga . The term Power Yoga came into common usage in the mid 1990s, when several yoga teachers were looking for a way to make Ashtanga Yoga more accessible to a western audience. Power Yoga at SPACE follows a set series of poses.
Who Invented Power Yoga?
Two American yoga teachers are most often credited with the birth of Power Yoga: Beryl Bender Birch, based in New York, and Bryan Kest, based in Los Angeles. Both of these teachers studied Ashtanga with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. Power Yoga differentiated the intense, flowing style of yoga they were teaching from the gentle stretching and meditation that many associated with yoga.
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All styles of Yoga stem from the ancient tradition of Hatha Yoga. It is an empowering practice where each of us has the opportunity to reveal and cultivate our best qualities. Yoga helps us uncover our boundless divine nature and encourages us to shine forth into all that we do. |
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