“Yoga’s purpose is spiritual, and since Hatha yoga is the physical branch of Raja Yoga, Hatha yoga must have a spiritual purpose. It can’t be just to give you a good body. The goal of the postures is to awaken the energy, loosen the spine so the energy can reach the brain more easily, bring it up the spine to the brain, and give you the experience of centeredness and upliftedness.”Swami Kriyannada
Ananda Yoga® brings yoga back to its original spiritual essence
Exercise and stress relief are only the beginning; the higher purpose of Ananda Yoga practice is to uplift your consciousness. To accomplish that, you’ll work not only with the physical asanas, but also with pranayama (breathing and energy-control techniques), yogic meditation techniques, and applied yoga philosophy.
Yoga posture practice in Ananda Yoga® is gentle for beginning students, becoming more challenging with experience. It is an inwardly directed practice, and is never aggressive or aerobic. The primary emphases are:
- Safety and correct alignment
- Being relaxed at all times, even during the midst of effort
- Working directly with the body’s subtle energy via the yoga postures
- Using the power of the mind to increase and direct subtle energy
- Adaptation – modifying each yoga posture to fit the needs and abilities of the practitioner
Each yoga posture is paired with its own affirmation, which one practices silently while in the posture. The affirmation is designed to reinforce the posture’s natural effect on one’s state of consciousness, bringing the mind actively and directly into one’s practice. Thus Ananda Yoga® works on all three levels of body, mind and soul. It is a gentle form of yoga and suits every person respecting individual body types and limitations.
