Hatha Yoga - Asana
Ardha Uttanasana
Half Standing Forward Bend
Utthan Pristhasana
Lizard Pose
Anjaneasana
Low Runners Lunge
Tadasana
Mountain Pose
Sushumna Nadi
Nadi running along the center of the spine. - The midline. - The present. - The chakras reside here
Types of Yoga
- Hatha - Iyengar - Ashtanga - Power - Vinyasa - Yin - Restorative
Styles of Yoga
- Kundalini - Bikram - Anusara - Jivamukti - Bapiste Power Vinyasa - Forrest - Integral - Ishta - Kripalu - Swami Kripalu - ParaYoga - Prenatal - Acro - Arial Suspension
Pingla Nadi
- Left side of body - Collective Supra Conscious. - Future. - Super ego.
Ida Nadi
- Right side of body. - Collective sub conscious - Past - Ego
Four Quadrants of Human Experience
1. Body: Execution - Athletes and Dancers - Touch, feel, eating/drinking, pleasure, sensations - Ask what is? 2. Intellect: Knowledge - Scientists and engineers - Curiosity, distinction, discernment, names, labels, shapes, faces - Ask how does? 3. Spirit: Inspiration - Poets and mystics - Intuition, introspection, self-comparison, instinct, inner light - Answers big questions of why? 4. Emotions: Desire - Psychologists - Sadness, anger, fear, All the emotions accessed by yoga - Answers personal questions of why?
Sun Salutation A (Surya Namaskar A)
1. Tadasana Urdhva Hastasana (Mountain Pose with arms extended overhead) 2. Uttanasana (Intense Forward Stretch Pose) 3. Ardha Uttanasana (Half Intense Forward Stretch Pose) 4. Chaturanga Dandasana (Four Limb Staff Pose) 5. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) 6. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose) 7. Same as 3 8. Same as 2 9. Same as 1
Sun Salutation B (Surya Namaskar B)
1. Utkatasana (Fierce, Mighty, Powerful Pose) 2. Uttanasana (Intense Forward Stretch Pose) 3. Ardha Uttanasana (Half Intense Forward Stretch Pose) 4. Chaturanga Dandasana (Four Limb Staff Pose) 5. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) 6. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose) 7. Virabhadrasana One (Warrior One Pose - right side) 8. Chaturanga Dandasana (Four Limb Staff Pose) 9. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) 10. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose) 11. Virabhadrasana One (Warrior One Pose - left side) 12. Chaturanga Dandasana (Four Limb Staff Pose) 13. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) 14. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose) 15. Same as 3 16. Same as 2 17. Same as 1
Baddha Konasana
Bound angle pose, or butterfly
Majaryasana
Cat Pose
Subtle System
Central path of evolution. Collective unconscious. Consists of the pingla nadi on left and ida Nadi on right.
Bitilasana
Cow Pose
Anjaneyasana
Crescent Pose / High Lunge
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Downward Facing Dog
Garudasana
Eagle Pose
Supta Baddha Konasana
Reclined butterfly pose
Parivrtta Anjaneyasana
Revolved Lunge
Dandasana
Staff Pose
Uttanasana
Standing Forward Bend
Integral Yoga
Style of Yoga. A gentle practice based on chanting, postures, deep relaxation, breathing practices, and meditation. Integral Yoga focuses on returning us to our "natural condition," which includes health and strength, a clear and calm mind, a heart full of love, a strong yet pliable will, and a life filled with supreme joy. Founded by Swami Satchidananda (1914-2002), a student of Swami Sivananda, Integral Yoga is taught at the Satchidananda Ashram (Yogaville) in Virginia and the Integral Yoga Institute in Manhattan as well as at smaller centers and in studios.
Jivamukti Yoga
Style of Yoga. Aas founded in 1984 by Sharon Ganon and David Life. Jivamukti is mainly vinyasa flow-style classes infused with Hindu spiritual teachings. A series of chants usually open the beginning of class followed up by a series of poses that align with the five tenets of Jivamukti yoga and philosophy. At its core, this style emphasizes connection to Earth as a living being, so most Jivamukti devotees follow their vegetarian philosophy.
Ishta Yoga
Style of Yoga. Alan Finger laid the foundations for Ishta Yoga with his father, Kavi Yogiraj Mani Finger (a disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda and Swami Venkatesananda) in South Africa in the 1960s. The Ishta Yoga School in Manhattan was opened in 2008. Classes include alignment-based vinyasa sequences, with meditation, Pranayama (breathwork), and kriyas (cleansing techniques) to create specific energetic effects. ISHTA stands for the Integrated Science of Hatha, Tantra, and Ayurveda, and its aim is to balance the human organism to create a strong and stable platform for spiritual growth.
Arial Suspension Yoga
Style of Yoga. Also called "anti-gravity" yoga, it involves hanging from the ceiling, and helps to lengthen your body. These poses in this type of yoga make use of gravity in addition to your own body weight. Benefits: it is fun and athletic, and the lengthening part is supposed to be good for you (think inversion machines meant to lengthen your spine).
Bikram Yoga
Style of Yoga. Bikram yoga (Hot Yoga) is named after Bikram Choudhury and features a sequence of set poses in a sauna-like room—typically set to 105 degrees and 40 percent humidity. The sequence includes a series of 26 basic postures, with each one performed twice.
Forrest Yoga
Style of Yoga. Founded by Ana Forrest in 1982, this is a strong, hot practice designed to help you release physical and emotional tension and pain, and celebrate the strength of your own body. Working with the premise that clearing stored emotions makes room for your spirit to come home, the practice combines physically challenging sequences with deep emotional exploration.
Bapiste Power Vinyasa Yoga
Style of Yoga. Founded by Baron Bapiste, this is a physi- cally challenging, flowing practice that will get your heart pumping while also encouraging you to find your authentic personal power in life. Classes feature a vigorous 90-minute sequence, performed in a heated room and designed to condition the whole body.
ParaYoga
Style of Yoga. Founded by Rod Stryker in 1995, Rod was a student of Kavi Yogiraj Mani Finger and Pandit Rajmani Tigunait. Para Yoga combines Tantric philosophy with dynamic practice. Classes include challenging asanas with an emphasis on the practices of pranayama, meditation, mudras, and bandhas (locks). Rooted in ancient texts and modern life, this practice reveals how asana affects and transforms energy. Its aim is to manifest spiritual and worldly success through increased Self-awareness and the refinement of prana.
Acro Yoga
Style of Yoga. Short for acrobatic. It is done with partners. It is not usually offered as a regular class, but you might see it for a special workshop (especially for Valentine's Day since it's yoga for partners). Generally, one person is the base; they lie on their back and extend their legs and arms up to the ceiling, and the person on top rests on their feet and hands, moving into various positions. The benefits: it's fun, playful, and can build trust and communication between couples.
Swami Kripalu Yoga
Style of Yoga. Swami Kripalu (1913-1981) was a Kundalini Yoga master who taught that all the world's wisdom traditions stem from a single universal truth, which each of us can experience directly. The main center is the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
Kripalu Yoga
Style of Yoga. Through asana, pranayama, meditation, and relaxation techniques, you'll learn to observe the sensations in the body and mind, and thereby discover how well a pose, or a life decision, is serving you. Classes can be physically demanding or extremely gentle, such as chair yoga. The primary objective is to awaken the flow of prana—the natural life force that will enable you to thrive in all aspects of life.
Prenatal Yoga
Style of Yoga. is carefully adapted for "moms to be" and is tailored to women in all trimesters. Prenatal is one of the best types of exercise for expectant moms because of the pelvic floor work, focus on breathing, and bonding with the growing baby; prenatal yoga also helps mothers prepare for labor and delivery.
Kundalini Yoga
Style of Yoga. is equal parts spiritual and physical. This style is all about releasing the kundalini energy in your body said to be trapped, or coiled, in the lower spine. These classes really work your core and breathing with fast-moving, invigorating postures and breath exercises. These classes are pretty intense and can involve chanting, mantra, and meditation.
Anusara Yoga
Style of Yoga. Anusara is a modern-day version of hatha yoga, most similar to vinyasa in that it that focuses on alignment but with more focus on the mind-body-heart connection and different verbiage. Founded by John Friend, Anusara focuses on spirals and how each body part should be moving. Anusara is also known for its emphasis on heart opening. Expect to often stop in class and gather around a student as the instructor breaks down a pose.
Yoga Focal Points
The three possible focal points (and common corresponding poses) are: - The core of the pelvis. (standing poses) - The bottom of the heart. (most arm balances) - The center of the upper palate in the mouth. (inversions) Whatever focal point is the closest to the center of weight bearing is the focal point of the pose.
Vrksasana
Tree Pose
Power Yoga
Type of Yoga. A fast-paced, high-energy style of yoga that combines movement with breath, and is often done in a heated room (which heightens the intensity). The benefit of Power yoga is that you can combine your yoga and your workout into one, since Power yoga is both a cardio and muscle building workout.
Ashtanga Yoga
Type of Yoga. Founded by K. Pattabhi Jois (1915-2009), this system is taught around the world. Jois's grandson R. Sharath now leads the Shri K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore, India. There are teachers everywhere around the globe. In Sanskrit Ashtanga is translated as "Eight Limb path." Ashtanga yoga involves a very physically demanding sequence of postures, so this style of yoga is definitely not for the beginner. It takes an experienced yogi to really love it. Ashtanga starts with five sun salutation A's and five sun salutation B's and then moves into a series of standing and floor postures. In Mysore, India, people gather to practice this form of yoga together at their own pace—if you see Mysore-led Ashtanga, it's expected of you to know the series. Vinyasa yoga stems from Ashtanga as the flowing style linking breath to movement.
Vinyasa Yoga
Type of Yoga. Is the most athletic yoga style. Vinyasa was adapted from Ashtanga yoga in the 1980s. In Vinyasa classes, the movement is coordinated with your breath and movement to flow from one pose to another. Many types of yoga can also be considered Vinyasa flows such as Ashtanga, power yoga, and prana. Vinyasa styles can vary depending on the teacher, and there can be many different types of poses in different sequences.
Yin Yoga
Type of Yoga. This style of yoga is basically the opposite of Power yoga. It consists of long, deep stretches held for 3 to 5 minutes, which serve to open up your connective tissues - since connective tissues are not as elastic as muscles, you need to hold the poses longer in order to release the tension in them. The benefits of Yin yoga are that it is more of a relaxing, meditative style of yoga (they say it is supposed to "turn you inward") as opposed to power, and it is usually done at room temperature.
Restorative Yoga
Type of Yoga. This style of yoga was started from Iyengar yoga and is even more relaxing, and even less intense than Yin Yoga. Brought to the states by Judith Lassiter, this yoga is not looking for a stretching sensation as with Yin, but to put yourself into "restorative" poses and hold them for 5 minutes. The benefits are similar to those of Yin yoga, however it is more about relaxation and meditation that about getting a workout.
Hatha Yoga
Type of yoga. A broad term, covering many styles of yoga; you'll see it on the schedule of every yoga studio. It is generally slower paced than Power classes, but the specifics beyond that really depend on the studio, so it pretty much covers any style of yoga involving physical postures. There are other types of yoga that doesn't involve physical movement - but since everything that is normally considered "yoga" in North America does involve movement or physical poses, Hatha yoga basically just means "yoga".
Iyengar Yoga
Type of yoga. Was founded by B.K.S. Iyengar and focuses on alignment as well as detailed and precise movements. In an Iyengar class, students perform a variety of postures while controlling the breath. Generally, poses are held for a long time while adjusting the minutiae of the pose. Iyengar relies heavily on props to help students perfect their form and go deeper into poses in a safe manner. Although you won't jump around, you will definitely get a workout and feel incredibly open and relaxed after an Iyengar class. This style is really great for people with injuries who need to work slowly and methodically.
Virabhadrasana I
Warrior I Pose
Ujjai Breath
When done properly, Ujjayi (translated as "victorious") breathing should be both energizing and relaxing. In the Yoga Sutra, Patanjali suggests that the breath should be both dirga (long) and suksma (smooth). The sound of Ujjayi is created by gently constricting the opening of the throat to create some resistance to the passage of air. Gently pulling the breath in on inhalation and gently pushing the breath out on exhalation against this resistance creates a well-modulated and soothing sound—something like the sound of ocean waves rolling in and out.
