Various Styles of Yoga - The destination is One the paths are Many!

If you are new to the practice of yoga it may be mind-boggling to try to navigate between the different styles of yoga while trying to decide where to start in the first place. After all what's the difference anyway? Isn't yoga just yoga!? I often have to field questions from new students who are overwhelmed and confused at the various styles in existence, so I thought I would write a little article with my thoughts on the topic in the hopes to help clarify. The following perspective is my personal experience and I am sure will heat up a large debate among yoga teachers and passionate practitioners of a particular style, but here goes nothing...

The REALLY, REAL different types of yoga are:
Raja Yoga - meditation
Karma Yoga - practicing selfless service, working without a focus on reward
Jhana Yoga - yoga of knowledge, converting knowledge to wisdom and self inquiry
Bhakti Yoga - practicing devotion to god and includes "Japa Yoga" - devotional chanting or mantra
Hatha Yoga - practice of asana (postures) to purify our body and mind

When we talk about "Yoga" in the West, we are typically talking about "Hatha Yoga." "Hatha" means "Ha" - Sun and "Tha" Moon. It is meant as a practice to cleanse the body of toxins and balance the duality of Sun (masculine / energetic / left brain) and Moon (feminine / receptive / right brain) energies within us.

To break it down further, the modern approaches to the practice of Hatha yoga consist of five main differences:
1: A dynamic practice of asanas: flowing, connected to breath, moving in and out of postures, limited use of props - if at all)
2: A static practice of asanas: holding postures for a period of time, working on alignment within the posture and using props)
3: A practice of always the same sequence of postures: these can eventually be memorized or even practiced at home
4: A varied practice with different focuses, whether it be on a philosophical theme or an area of the practice such as anatomy or building up to an advanced posture. Sometimes it can be taught intuitively by the whims of the instructor.
5: Pace of the practice: slow, medium, fast paced

Unfortunately we are plagued by a lot of different "Styles" which are not really styles but a variation of these differences. Sometimes all of the above can be named after the instructor, such as Iyengar or Bikram, which can also add to the confusion of too many names or appearances of style. To help distinguish some of the various styles and names that I have experienced, here it goes:

Ashtanga - Dynamic, the same sequence of postures, can be done slow, medium or fast pace
Vinyasa - Dynamic, varied sequence, can be done slow, medium or fast pace
Restorative - Static, varied sequence, very slow (holding postures, mostly reclining with lots of props for long periods of time, meant to be restful, rejuvenating, meditative
Hot Yoga - Can be any of the above 4 qualities just in a hot room
Power Yoga - see "Vinyasa", typically done very fast pace
Kundalini - Dynamic, mostly seated postures, can be done slow, medium or fast pace
Yin Yoga - Static, varied sequence, very slow pace, holding postures for a long period of time.
Mysore - Dynamic, the same sequence of postures, can be done slow, medium or fast, practiced on your own with an instructor circulating the room helping to adjust postures like they do in Mysore, India

Styles named after an instructor or developed by a popular instructor
Iyengar - Static, varied sequence, usually very slow pace
Bikram - Dynamic, the same sequence of postures, can be done slow, medium or fast, in a very HOT, heated room!
Anusara - Dynamic, varied sequence, can be done slow, medium or fast pace, founded by John Friend
Sivananda - Static, the same sequence of postures, usually slow to medium pace
Jivamukti - Dynamic, varied sequence, can be done slow, medium or fast pace, found by David Life and Sharon Gannon in NY
Integral - Dynamic, varied sequence, usually slow or medium pace, found by Swami Satchidananda
Kripalu - Dynamic, varied sequence, usually slow or medium pace

As you can see, most styles can be categorized in these basic ways, but they are ALL Hatha Yoga. Naturally there are differences in focus, approach and the personality of the instructors. I hope this little guide will help you to experiment and choose or try a type of practice that you are drawn to. I find that it's very important that you feel connected and hopefully encouraged and uplifted by the instructors you may find and the style they teach. This will be most evident by how you feel after class and maybe even throughout the week. Hopefully you will find an instructor and a style that makes you want to go to class or even practice more on your own.

In my personal practice, I feel it's balanced and healthy for me to vary my approach to yoga based on how I feel energetically and physically. The body knows what it needs if only we are able to listen to it. When I feel fatigue and need healing, I am usually drawn to a slow or restorative practice. When I feel energetic or even heavy and lethargic, I find a vigorous Vinyasa style is what helps to balance me, either releasing energy or invigorating me. It's good to also balance knowledge of alignment and anatomy with face-paced, flowing classes, so in my opinion a mixture of Vinyasa, Iyengar and Restorative from time to time are helpful.

Namaste!

Going on a Yoga Retreat - It's all a state of mind

Upon organizing a yoga retreat next weekend, the idea of going on a retreat has been on my mind lately... Certain questions such as "what does it mean to go on a yoga retreat or to take a retreat in general?" have come up for me.

Just to say the word "retreat" almost sounds like we're trying to run AWAY from it all. Aren't we supposed to FACE reality, according to yoga? Sometimes the idea of going away from our lives, situations, responsibilities and daily living can also bring up feelings of the ego and thoughts such as "Am I being selfish or self-indulgent? Do I deserve a treat like this?"

Going on a retreat is very different from going on a vacation, where we may run off to do all of the above while trying our best to get some needed relaxation. Most of the time, even on vacations, we fall pray to the antics of our restless minds, and usually come home just as tired as when we left after scurrying from one itinerary to the next.

In my opinion, a retreat is truly about setting aside time to explore our internal landscape rather than just the external one. It's meant not to run "away", but to run inside and meet your Self. It could be an opportunity to simply allow ourselves to "be," to meditate, and give our bodies and minds a chance to stop running or "retreating" as it were, from being in the present moment. Oh yes, and also to give ourselves the chance to relax, away from the stress of daily life!

A retreat can also be a great way to focus on making positive changes in our lives in various areas such as:
Our practice: It can reinvigorate our yoga practice or inspire us to start a daily practice once we get a taste of making it a part of our day.
Our diet: It can inspire positive lifestyle changes including eating a healthy diet or even different diets such as vegetarian or vegan in some cases.
Our minds: It can inspire our mental attitude toward a positive light so that we return home well-rested, invigorated and inspired to make positive changes.
Our hearts: Most of the time we are asked to be there for others, but we can only give if we also allow ourselves the chance to rest and rejuvenate so that we can come back and give that much more! It's very important that we are also compassionate to ourselves.

If these are the intentions and the results, then going on a retreat is a wonderful chance to make our lives and the lives of the people around us better and is hardly a self-indulgent act in such a light. When it comes time to make changes in our lives, it is also helpful to be surrounded by like-minded people who have similar intentions. Going on a group retreat is a great way to receive the positive support of others. This can be very encouraging and inspiring. Conversely, If you already have a supportive group in your life and are constantly surrounded by people, including friends and family, then going on a solo or silent retreat might also be a good experience to receive the alone-time you might be lacking.

In any case, it's best to be honest with yourself and ask your heart what it is you truly need in your life right now. The right retreat, in a place you find appealing, with an instructor you are drawn to, can be just the right medicine for whatever your heart desires and oh yes, it's a lot of fun too!

Namaste, Jennifer

Yoga for Women - Monthly Cycle and Pre-Natal

Recently the issues of menstruation and pregnancy have come up in my classes, so I figured I would write a little outline of my notes to help my students find it all in one place. Hope this is a starting place to guide you and feel free to ask me any questions you may have regarding your personal practice. - Namaste, Jennifer

Guidelines for Yoga Practice During Menstruation
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A woman's body goes through cycles of change throughout the month, therefore it is hard to approach yoga as a "one-size-fits-all" practice. We need to be sensitive and aware to what our body is calling for in the present moment and be able to adjust our practice to suit our unique needs. Here are some rough guidelines:

Be aware of Fatigue:
During menstruation the body can tend to feel fatigue as it regenerates itself and women lose energy during this time.
• If you're feeling fatigue, take it easy in class. If the teacher offers child's pose or down dog to make your session less vigorous, take it and enjoy while concentrating on your breath.
• Allow your practice to become more restorative, healing, meditative and less vigorous or challenging
• Be sensitive to your current and natural energy-level

Relief for the Pelvis and the Hips:
The pelvis and hips are in repair and hip openers can offer relief and feel good. Remember to breath slow and deeply, extending exhalations for increased relaxation and well-being directed toward the pelvis and the hips.

Avoid Disturbing the Natural Downward Flow of Energy
Opt out of inversions such as hand-stand, head-stand and shoulder stand and replace with either downward facing dog or Legs-up-the-wall with a soft bolster or blanket underneath the sit-bones so you're able to reap the benefits of an inversion without disturbing your cycle.



Guidelines Before Beginning Pre-natal Yoga
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Most students have heard that yoga is a great tool during and after pregnancy to help soothe tension, build strength, apply awareness to breathing practices and retain well-being for the time of childbirth and beyond. But when finding out about a new arrival, it can be confusing and difficult to know what you should or should not do as your body goes through it's profound time of restructuring for the baby and you.

I advise the following:

1) Consult your physician and primary care specialist before attempting yoga practice or other physical activities since every body and situation is unique.

2) Seek out a pre-natal yoga class. It's supportive to practice with others who are going through the same thing you are, as well as have a class that is structured specifically for your needs.

3) If local pre-natal yoga classes don't work in your schedule, you can modify your practice for pregnancy in a group class setting, but first here is what you should do and know:

• If possible, take a workshop about pre-natal yoga to get more information or approach a knowledgeable instructor for a private lesson so they can show you how to modify postures during your pregnancy.

• Arrive early and always tell your group instructor that you are pregnant, before class begins so they can modify postures for you or tell you where to opt out.

That being said, here are some general guidelines and principles for modifying yoga postures during pregnancy:

What you CAN do:
- The good news is you can do most postures and practices, except for a few key things written below!

What to be CAUTIOUS of:
In general you do not want to disturb the womb, which means:

• Avoid twists from the abdomen, belly and lower vertebrae of the spine. Twisting gently from the heart and the shoulders is okay and can offer relief and open the chest and heart space.

• Steer clear of most inversions, which will put pressure on the womb. Modify with Viparita Karani (Legs up the wall with a bolster under the sit-bones) This posture will bring most of the same benefits as inversions without disturbing the womb.

• Avoid putting pressure or laying on the belly. Opt out of postures where your belly is on the floor, such as cobra and upward bow pose. Replace cobra with upward dog and bow pose with bridge or child's pose

• While your body is going through changes, your body is releasing hormones which loosen the pelvic region to make way for the baby. This can result in feeling loose in the hips and you may find that you're able to be more flexible in hip-openers than before. Take precautions and do not to force, push or go too far in hip openers. Take it easy, as it can be easy to injure the lower vertebrae, and sacroilliac joints in the pelvis during this time. That being said hip openers will also feel pleasurable, so that's a plus!

• One last caution is to careful and opt out of balance postures where you may fall or injure yourself such as most arm balance postures like crow, side crow or any pose where you are placing your elbows into your pelvis for a balance such as locust, to be safe you should avoid and replace arm balances with arm strengthening poses such as shoulder and chest openers or standing balances such as tree pose against the wall - use the wall to safely modify standing balances, remember you have extra weight in your belly now!

To opt out of a harmful postures in general while in a group class:
• Always take downward facing dog or child's pose if the class is doing a posture that would not benefit your current state of health and rejoin the practice for the next pose you're able to do comfortably.

Surya Namaskara - Sun Salutations

Surya Namaskara - Sun Salutations - the sequence of 12 postures we practice as a warm-up in the beginning of class, are a wonderful to begin a simple home practice.



It is recommended for beginners to practice 2-3 rounds (one round is practiced on the right side - right foot steps back and forward into lunge - and then repeated on the left side to balance the body)

For Intermediate level, practice 3-12 rounds fast (1 full breath per pose) to warm-up the body or 3-12 rounds slowly (1 full 3-count breath) for spiritual / meditative benefits.

It is also recommended to practice during sunrise or sunset, naturally. Surya Namaskara also helps to balance Pingala Nadi, the energy channel that corresponds to the right nostril and left brain, which flows with solar / masculine energy.

The 12 postures represent the 12 zodiac signs and the 24 hours in a day.

They also have mantras you can chant internally as you focus on your breath to help you stay grounded in the present while also adding an element of devotion to your practice.

In addition, to create a moving prayer, I also recommend adding your own original prayers or dedications to each round of Sun Salutations which helps you bring 100% dedication to each asana you perform.

For a slow practice:
Surya Namasakara Mantras:

1 - Prayer Pose - Om Mitraya Namaha - salutations to the friend of all
2 - Raised arms - Om Ravaye Namaha - salutations to the shining one
3 - Forward bend - Om Suryaya Namaha - salutations to he who induces activity
4 - Lunge - Om Bhanave Namaha - salutations to he who illumines
5 - Down dog - Om Khagaya Namaha - salutations to he who moves quickly in the sky
6 - Knee/chest/chin - Om Pushne Namaha - salutations to the giver of strength
7 - Cobra - Om Hiranya Garbhaya Namaha - salutations to the golden cosmic self
8 - Down dog - Om Marichaye Namaha - salutations to the Lord of the Dawn
9 - Lunge - Om Adityaya Namaha - salutations to the son of Aditi, the cosmic mother
Aditi- means boundless and free, in the Vedas Aditi is the mother of the celestial gods, the mother of all creation
10 - Forward bend - Om Savitre Namaha - salutations to the Lord of Creation
11 - Raised arms - Om Arkaya Namaha - salutations to he who is fit to be praised
12 - Prayer - Om Bhaskaraya Namaha - salutations to he who leads to enlightenment

For a fast practice the Beeja mantras can substitute and be repeated.
Beeja Mantras:

1 - Om Hraam
2 - Om Hreem
3 - Om Hroom
4 - Om Hraim
5 - Om Hraum
6 - Om Hrah

Counting breath cycles during Pranayama

While practicing pranayama (prana = vital life force energy, yama = control or expansion of) it's useful to count the breaths to sustain a rhythm and also keep track of how long and how many breaths have taken place.

One way is to count by chanting "Om" and a number internally.
For example: "Om 1, Om 2, Om 3"

Another way I learned recently, is to use one hand and count with you thumb on the creases of your fingers as illustrated below. This method can be used while internally chanting "Om 1, Om 2, Om 3, etc." and help to count the rounds of a cycle for multi-layerd pranayama practices such as nadi shodhana (alternate nostril breath, or nadi cleansing breath)

Prana Vayus – The 5 Winds

Prana - The Vital Life Force energy.

The Prana Vayus (the five winds), are subtle channels in which prana is distributed throughout our being. Below is a brief summary:

Prana Vayu - Felt and distributed by the Inhalation and organs of respiration from the heart to the throat (upward flow of prana)

Apana Vayu - Felt and distributed by the Exhalation (downward flow of prana) and affects the processes of elimination

Udana Vayu - Felt and distributed in a circular pattern around the throat and head and affects the throat, neck, thyroid / metabolism, the power of speech

Vyana Vayu - Felt and distributed by the heart (flow of prana from the heart out to the extremities - hands and feet), affects the blood, lymphatic and nervous system

Samana Vayu - Circular distribution around the navel from the inside out, affects the small intestine, digestion, especially agni - the digestive fire in the belly.

The 7 Chakras

The word Chakra means “wheel” or “vortex” which can be a useful visualization of the seven energy centers along the spine. Below is a brief introduction:

1. Muladhara Chakra: “The root”- base of the spine, coccyx

Physical aspects: spinal column, coccyx, rectum, legs, bones, feet, and immune system

Mental / emotional aspects: physical family, group safety and security, ability to provide for life’s necessities, ability to stand up for oneself, feeling at home, social and familial law and order, fears of physical survival, abandonment by a group, loss of order

2. Swadhistana Chakra: “One’s own dwelling place” – sacrum, lower vertebrae

Physical aspects: reproductive organs, large intestine, sacrum and lower vertebrae, pelvis,
appendix, bladder, hips

Mental / emotional aspects: relationships with others, pleasure, unconscious mind, storage of samskaras, blame and guilt, money and sex, power and control, creativity, ethics and honor in relationships, personal power

3. Manipura Chakra: “City of the shining jewel” – lumbar spine

Physical aspects: solar plexus, abdomen, stomach, upper intestines, liver, gall bladder, kidney, pancreas, adrenal glands, spleen, lumbar spine

Mental / emotional aspects: gut instinct, gut feelings, butterflies in our stomach, changing our appearance to reflect internal changes. maintaining principles without compromising spiritual energy, trust, self-esteem, self-confidence, self-respect, self-discipline, care of oneself or others, responsibility for making decisions, personal honor, ability to generate action, ability to handle a crisis, fight or flight reaction.

4. Anahata Chakra: “The un-struck chord / unbeaten sound” – thoracic spine

Physical aspect: heart and circulatory system, ribs, breasts, thymus gland, lungs, shoulders, arms, hands, diaphragm

Mental / emotional aspects: center of unconditional love / higher love, compassion, love and hatred, resentment and bitterness, grief and anger, forgiveness and compassion, loneliness and commitment, hope and trust. Releasing emotional wounds and being able to truly forgive, purity, devotion to god, the space where purity resides, the ability to heal oneself and others.

5: Vishuddhi Chakra = “To purify” – cervical spine

Physical aspect: throat, thyroid, trachea, cervical spine, mouth, teeth, gums, esophagus, parathyroid, hypothalamus

Mental / emotional aspects: choice and strength of will, personal expression, following one’s dreams, using personal power to create, capacity to make decisions, addiction, judgment, criticism, right speech, speaking truth, faith and knowledge, learning the power of choice, the authority of divine will, acting out of faith rather than fear, head and heart in union, detachment from the fruit of ones actions

6: Ajna Chakra = “To command” – the third eye center, mind’s eye

Physical aspects: brain, nervous system, eyes, ears, nose, pineal gland, pituitary gland

Mental / emotional aspects: developing witness consciousness, inner guru, intuition, self evaluation, truth, discipline, emotional intelligence, mind / body connection, openness to the ideas of others, intellectual abilities, ability to learn from experience, receiving inspiration, developing an impersonal mind, stilling one’s fear driven voices, having a sense of Self so strong it is not influenced by the external, getting perception from mind into the body


7: Sahasrara Chakra = “Thousand-petal lotus” - above the crown of the head

Physical aspects: muscular system, skeletal system, skin

Mental / emotional aspects: Sahasrara is symbolic of the power of the spirit and living in the present moment. It is the center for awakening higher awareness / consciousness, our connection to divinity, prayer, meditation, samadhi (super mental awareness) / enlightenment, our ability to trust life, our expression of values, ethics, courage, humanitarianism, selflessness, the ability to see the larger picture, faith & inspiration, spirituality & devotion, and heaven (above the head), bringing spirituality into daily life, living your yoga, developing a personal relationship with the higher self. It can also represent a “dark night of the soul,” a spiritual crisis, dramatic shifts, loss of identity, and abandonment.