With yoga to inner stability and a big heart with a life-affirming attitude: Anusara Yoga is a modern form of Hatha Yoga. Loosely translated from Sanskrit, Anusara Yoga means “following the heart”. On a physical level, the focus is on the precise execution of the exercises (asanas). On a spiritual level, Anusara Yoga is about opening your heart to yourself and others.
The yoga style was founded in 1997 by John Friend. The American combined his years of Iyengar yoga practice with the philosophy of traditional Tantra. He also developed the style using insights from biomechanics and bioenergetics. The alignment principles based on this help to avoid injuries and reduce and prevent postural problems.
Basically, Anusara Yoga is very suitable for beginners. Regardless of the teaching level, each posture is announced with the greatest precision and built up step by step. More advanced yogis and yoginis can use the five alignment principles (see below) to delve deeper into the exercises and intensify their energy flow.
Anusara yoga exercises aim to promote the ability to concentrate, as well as to strengthen and harmonize body and mind. Anusara students always focus on the three A's:
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Attitude
The focus is on the practitioner's inner attitude. The power of the heart is the drive for life and also for asanas. Anusara students find the “why” of their existence in their own attitude.
According to Friend: “The power of the heart, as the driving force behind every action or expression in an asana.”
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Alignment
By consciously paying attention to physical and mental alignment, Anusara practitioners understand how the different parts of us and all that is are connected.
According to Friend: “The awareness and mindfulness that different parts of ourselves are integrated and connected.”
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action
Last but not least, it's about implementing the knowledge and putting the other two A's into action. Through personal action you find a form in which the energy can flow freely in your body and mind.
According to Friend: “The natural flow of energy in the body through which stability and joyful freedom are maintained.”
In short, the philosophy of Anusara Yoga aims to: When we feel good physically and emotionally, we experience a spiritual change and can open ourselves to life in a new way.
This is how Anusara Yoga works on the body and mind
With the help of Anusara Yoga, yoga practitioners should get to know their “optimal blueprint”, their ideal posture. The yoga style is specifically tailored to the needs of people in the 21st century. It is a very gentle and easy type of yoga that is based on the practitioner's level and strengthens the muscles through a holistic concept. The principles developed by Friend prevent poor posture and injuries and increase the ability to concentrate.
Anusara also teaches a deep and respectful attitude towards oneself and everything that is. The transformative aspect of yoga is in the foreground. On a psychological level, Anusara Yoga teaches you to take a life-affirming perspective on the world and to embrace life with all its ups and downs.
The energy of body, mind and heart should flow freely again through Anusara yoga exercises. Many students report that over time they become more confident, sensitive and experience more joy.
The 5 alignment principles in Anusara Yoga
In Anusara yoga classes, the universal alignment principles (UPA) are implemented in every posture. Through the application, the yoga practitioner should recognize and awaken the spiritual, the divine, the physical strength within themselves instead of looking for it outside. These principles have a therapeutic effect and embody the 3 A's during practice:
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Open to Grace:
Open yourself to divine grace: The goal is to bring yourself into harmony with the highest consciousness through devotion and spiritual openness and to create an optimal foundation.
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Muscular energy:
The aim is to draw the energy from the edge of the body to an internal point in order to stabilize the energy of the muscle and bring the resulting strength into the posture
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Inner spiral:
It is an expanding energy spiral that extends across different areas of the body: The inner spiral provides, among other things, more flexibility in the pelvis and hips, strengthens the natural arch of the lower back and aligns the arms and shoulders
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Outer spiral:
It is a contracting spiral of energy that extends across different areas of the body: The outer spiral extends the curve of the lumbar spine. To put it simply, the posture becomes more stable due to the counterplay to the inner spiral. Through its effect in the upper arms, the outer spiral strengthens the heart-opening effect of the exercise.
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Organic energy:
The goal is increased expansion, flexibility and freedom in posture through an outward spreading of energy.
Overall, Anusara Yoga focuses on three energy centers in the body: in the pelvis, below the heart and above the palate. Depending on which part of the body is targeted by an exercise, the nearest energy center is included. The strength of the muscles accumulates in the energy center and the organic energy then spreads throughout the body.
Anusara Yoga: Simple exercises
Unlike other yoga styles such as Asthanga Yoga or Bikram Yoga, there are no fixed exercise routines in Anusara Yoga. Each lesson is dedicated to a philosophical heart topic, which is presented and explained at the beginning of the lesson. This is followed by meditation and singing together. All teachers design their own lessons and focus on the level and ability of their students. There are both dynamic movement sequences and exercises in which you stay longer and more intensively in the respective asana.
Popular Anusara yoga exercises:
- Balasana – The Child’s Pose
- Uttanasana – Standing Forward Bend
- Marjariasana - Cat
- Adho Mukha Svanasana - Downward Facing Dog
- Virabhadrasana – Warrior
- Bhujangasana - Cobra
Open your heart with Anusara Yoga
To enjoy the flowing energy and heart-opening effects of Anusara Yoga, it is best to practice as regularly as possible. Ideally, you will develop a daily and individual practice over time. The best way to find yoga classes near you is to visit the Anusara website. You can intensify your knowledge in workshops and master classes.
If you are looking for a type of yoga that is designed to help you get to know yourself better and become a happier person, you should give Anusara Yoga a chance. In Anusara Yoga you will also experience a lot of exchange with other yoga enthusiasts: because the “Kula” or “community of the heart” is an integral part. According to Anusara, through relationships with others we encounter challenges that promote our personal growth. At the same time, the community reminds us that we are not alone with our questions and answers, with our pain and our joy.