Anusara: Awake and Celebrate!

When prospective students call me, the first thing they usually ask is what kind of yoga do you "do"? More specifically, they often want to know how I differentiate what I do from other teachers and other styles of yoga. I always struggle with how best or how well this question can be answered.

Hatha Yoga is the physical practice of yoga postures (asanas) and almost every yoga class being taught in the Western world (Anusara, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Bikram, etc.) IS a form of Hatha Yoga. In fact, most of the modern gurus who continue to inspire and inform the development of yoga today--BKS Iyengar, Sri Pattabis Jois, TVK Desikachar, AG Mohan--all had origins with the same teacher and same lineage, Sri Krishnamacharya.

With so many types of hatha yoga out there, it is easy to become confused about what kind is "best" or "true" or most "genuine". Just as we recognize there are many different religions and spiritual paths to best suit the cultural, geographical, and psychological natures of particular people, there are also many paths and approaches to yoga that will appeal differently to you.

"The best yoga practice can be defined as the one that WORKS." (Donna Farhi) For YOU--your unique structure, mind, heart.

I practice and teach hatha yoga that is guided and inspired by study with my yoga teacher John Friend (founder of Anusara yoga) and many other senior teachers in the Anusara tradition. I continue to study and teach this method because it resonates deep in my heart. At the same time, my practice also incorporates the work and wisdom of other brilliant teachers (of yoga and life) including Donna Farhi, TVK Desikachar, Judith Lasiter, and Chogyum Trungpa Rinpoche.

"Anusara is a hatha-yoga system that is based on a Tantric philosophy that sees the world as an embodiment of supreme consciousness, and that the essence of that is truly auspicious. There's an absolute goodness in the essence of all things and all people...The practice of Anusara helps us to gain a recognition, a deep understanding and a remembrance of this truth.

And so this practice is about awakening. Through our practice of yoga we learn skillful means of participating in and living our lives fully to bring greater happiness, greater health, and more beauty into the world."
John Friend

My intention is to teach yoga in a way that is dynamic, playful, supportive and FUN! Moving with the natural breath, we use the Anusara Universal Principles of Alignment as a means to unfold and reveal an expression of the inner spirit. Each posture becomes an opportunity to soulfully celebrate the heart. Every student's abilities and limitations are deeply respected and honoured. With the support of the kula, or community, we play deeply on our yoga mats to discover what IS possible in the present moment.