Class Descriptions: Anusara - Ashtanga - Iyengar - Mysore-style - Vinyasa Flow - Prenatal - About Hatha Yoga - Meditation - Healing Dance

Find the yoga that's right for you by trying out different styles, and check out our What is Yoga? and our New to Yoga? pages.

Founded by John Friend in 1997, Anusara Yoga® is a powerful hatha yoga system that unifies a Tantric philosophy of intrinsic Goodness with Universal Principles of Alignment™. Currently, Anusara Yoga is one of the most popular and fastest growing yoga styles in the world with over 1200 affiliated teachers and 100,000 students world-wide. Anusara classes are now found throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Europe, Australia, and Japan with a growing presence in many other areas of the world.

Ashtanga yoga is a dynamic and challenging form of hatha yoga. Each pose is linked to the next through a series of connecting movements called vinyasa, allowing the body to create heat and leading to more flexibility. Smooth, deep breathing (ujjayi), gaze (dristi) and locks (bandhas) are synchronized with the movements. This powerful and vigorous practice purifies and realigns the body, cultivating a feeling of inner peace, and leading to a natural state of meditation.

Ashtanga Foundations

This classes introduces students to the basic concepts and poses of the Ashtanga Yoga Series in a gentle, safe, and effective way. Basic philosophy is introduced along with an introduction to the sun salutations, standing poses, and some seated postures.
Extra time and attention are devoted to the breathing techniques and to establishing correct alignment within each posture. This class is designed to give the practitioner a firm and solid foundation in the practice, and is a great class for those new to the
series or the experience student who seeks a class devoted to detailing their existing ashtanga practice.

Beginning/Intermediate Ashtanga

This class builds on the basic introduction given in Ashtanga Foundations class, adding further intergration of breath and movement to the detailing of poses in the Foundations classes. In these classes all poses from the first half of the Primary Series are covered with variations for those newer to the practice. This class is recommended for those who have a strong background in yoga, athletics, or dance, or those who have had a comfortable experience in the Ashtanga Foundations class.

Ashtanga Yoga -  Led Primary Series

"1% is theory and 99% is practice." - K. Pattabhi Jois

This is the full Ashtanga Vinyasa Primary Series taught in the tradition of K. Pattabbi Jois of Mysore, South India. The class is recommended for students that are comfortable in the Intermediate Ashtanga class. Emphasis is on pace and breath rather than alignment, which is worked on all the other Ashtanga classes. See Ashtanga links for a complete description of the series and all the postures.

Ashtanga Yoga - Mysore Style Self-Practice (see also the Mysore-style page)

Mysore classes are Ashtanga classes taught as they are taught by Sri K. Patthabi Jois in Mysore, India. The classes are self-paced, so that the student has the opportunity to find and follow their own breath. The teacher spends one-on-one time with each student, giving adjustments and moving them forward at a pace suitable to their strengths and abilities. Students of all levels practice together. If you are new to Ashtanga yoga it is recommended that you attend a few of the led classes above before trying a Mysore-sytle class.

Go back to Class Schedule - See Ashtanga Links

Iyengar Yoga is a mainstream, tradition-based type of hatha yoga, taught worldwide. Developed by the Indian master teacher, B.K.S. Iyengar, now in his 80's, Iyengar focuses on developing strength, endurance and correct body alignment in addition to flexibility and relaxation.

Iyengar differs from other approaches in three main ways:

•  Its emphasis on precise alignment. This helps students dissolve stubborn physical and psychological blocks. It also helps beginning students gain a good understanding of yoga's poses.

•  The use of props -- such as blocks, chairs, blankets and belts -- to help students towards proper alignment while inside a range of motion safe and effective for their individual bodies.

•  Holding the poses longer as the student advances. The body thus becomes more and more purified by the poses as the student's practice progresses.

While the poses in Iyengar are similar to the poses in Ashtanga and other schools, there is no set series of poses utilized in each and every class. Besides poses, a class usually includes a relaxation period and, perhaps, some separate breath work. A “vinyasa,” or flow sequence, is often presented as part of a class.

Class Schedule - Iyengar Links

"Weave the tapestry of Vinyasa from the threads of breath and movement." -David Swenson

Vinyasa Flow

Vinyasa yoga is not a tradition of yoga, but an element of all yoga traditions, that has been taken by Western practitioners of yoga and developed into a new and unique style of yoga. Vinyasa is the synchronization of breath with movement, and in vinyasa classes postures are linked together in a continuous and challenging flow. Vinyasa is more than a simple set of physical maneuvers; the flow of the practice with the breath bring together the internal and the external. The practice engages prana, or energy found within the breath, and leaves the practioner feeling energized, centered and more connected with their Higher Self.

Strong Vinyasa Flow

This is a dynamic, vigorous and flowing blend of poses culled from Ashtanga, Bikram and other styles of vinyasa yoga. The many benefits of this class include strength, detoxification, mental and physical balance, flexibility, and stamina. Ultimately, your yoga practice can create feelings of peace and harmony. Every class will be a different sequencing of asanas, but you can be sure it will be challenging, sweat-inducing and include a little bit of laughter.

For this class we are drawing elements of music from all over the world for your enjoyment . From the relaxing chillout grooves that wash up on the shores of Café del Mar in Ibiza, to the deeply profound rhythms emanating from the Middle East and North Africa. From the amazing electronic multi-cultural fusion of down- and mid-tempo beats created in studios in London and San Francisco to the organic sounds of tabla and sitar from India, we hope this music will complement and elevate the energy of the class in whatever direction it goes.

Class Schedule

Healing Dance: Dancing with the intention of healing oneself. Creating a safe environment to allow yourself to completely let go of any fear and let the unversal "chi" take its course. Music has a natural way of breaking down barriers. Freedom of movement in a safe environment instigates change. Come awken your inner spirit's evolution and seek to achieve your highest human potential. Being human by being present. Feeling safe is the key to an open heart, "Healing Dance" will take you there!

Facilitator: Scott Franklin Manning (Sustainable Individualism) - read more about Scott

Although YiY does not currently offer prenatal classes, you can take prenatal classes with Marti Foster of The Yoga Solution:

http://yogasolution.com/prenatal.html

Hatha yoga is mostly yoga that prepares the body for the spiritual path via physical and breathing exercises, and asceticism.

Often in conventional forms of exercise people hold their breath while exerting themselves. In hatha yoga, you will learn to control your breathing in a relaxed and modulated way in order to provide focus in the different postures. Learning to do this properly is the gateway to many of the mental and spiritual benefits of hatha yoga.

As you progress with hatha yoga, you will gain greater flexibility in your body and mind. Like any form of exercise, hatha yoga helps develop physical strength. Hatha yoga adds another dimension to this with a matching development in emotional strength that will help you handle the challenges of life with a balanced disposition.

From there you can continue to grow with your hatha yoga practice. And you will find that there are plenty of resources to help you along the way. In contrast to conventional sports and physical training programs, hatha yoga has been developed over thousands of years as a way of teaching people how to improve their lives.

Exercise as it is usually done only reinforces misalignment. When people don't know how to exercise properly, they tend to stretch from their more flexible areas and rely on their better developed muscles for strength

When you study hatha yoga you will find that it works on several levels. As a beginner, you will experience the practice of hatha yoga as a form of physical exercise that challenges and refines your flexibility, strength and balance. Also, you will learn to control your breathing in a relaxed and modulated way in order to provide focus in the different postures. Learning to do this properly is the gateway to many of the mental and spiritual benefits of hatha yoga. As the individual progresses, greater flexibility of body and mind is gained. Hatha yoga's added dimension matches development in physical strength with emotional strength. This empowers the practitioner to face life's challenges with a balanced disposition.

For a more detailed description of yoga, check out our What is Yoga? page.

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