If you are looking for a place to stretch and exercise and do yoga postures, you'll find that at Ananda yoga. You'll find a lot more too. Yes, our classes practice hatha yoga postures as lead by certified yoga instructors. They will guide you in your practice, at your own personal level, to experience yoga as it was originally designed to be felt - within your body, mind, and soul.
Read more to explore:
- The primary goal of Ananda Yoga and how it expands beyond "western" yoga practice
- The use of affirmations
- The concept of pranayama
- How to get started
The Primary Goal of Ananda Yoga
The primary goal of Ananda Yoga, developed by Swami Kriyananda,
is to increase our awareness and to raise our consciousness.
Ananda Yoga brings the science of hatha yoga back to its original
purpose: transcending the limitations of the physical body in order to enter
into higher awareness as it brings the body, mind, and spirit into mutual harmony.
We find that the whole system of hatha yoga is a very important tool for
reminding us of our inner nature, and for strengthening that nature. Through
increased awareness, we gradually become aware of the body on a spiritual
level. Eventually we become aware of spirit without the body.
—Swami Kriyananda
Yoga is an art as well as a science. It is a science, because it offers
practical methods for controlling body and mind, thereby making deep
meditation possible. And it is an art, for unless it is practiced intuitively
and sensitively it will yield only superficial results. — Paramhansa Yogananda
How does Ananda Yoga expand beyond "western" yoga practice?
Ananda Yoga brings us to our calm, inner center, where we find the wellspring
of peace, inner strength, and mental clarity.
Ananda Yoga sessions use the movements of the yoga postures as a means to
relax the body and, more importantly, to bring the mind to a state of calmness.
Rather than emphasizing the perfect performance of a posture, Ananda Yoga pays
close attention to our state of mind while we assume the posture, while we are
holding it, when we return from it, and during the periods between one movement
and the next. We discover that hatha yoga is not really about physical
movements, but about conscious movement that leads to perfect stillness.
Ananda Yoga is as concerned with mental attitude as with physical postures.
Physical tension, stiffness, muscle tightness all come from corresponding mental
states of stress, inflexibility, and intolerance. Physical ailments are often
caused by such psychological states as fear, anxiety, resentment, and
judgmentalism.
In Ananda Yoga, mental affirmations are combined with each posture. The
affirmation is repeated throughout the posture, like a mantra, enabling the
thought-seed to penetrate deeply into the mind. The physical stretch is thus
enhanced by an expansion of mental outlook. The result is a gradual change of
mental attitude that makes the physical benefits of yoga more lasting. The body
is thus used as an instrument through which we can directly and powerfully
influence our mind and our mental habits.
I have found a very
harmonious environment, where I could relax and unplug my mind. I didn’t know
Ananda Yoga, and I was surprised and inspired by these affirmations, which
uplift you and are like a “beauty-wash” for the soul. I have never experienced
anything so beautiful! The affirmations have united us all, and everything has
become even more beautiful. — Maddalena, Perugia
The concept of pranayama (breath / energy control)
The Hindu word for ‘breath,’ ‘life,’ and ‘energy’ is the same: prana.
Prana surrounds us in the air we breathe. . . . We draw not only air
into our body when we breathe, but also vitality, strength, courage. When we
exhale, we throw out of our system not only carbon dioxide, but also mental
and emotional impurities: discouragement, weakness, despair. But inasmuch as
these are mental and emotional tendencies, we must use mental ‘lungs’ to draw
them into us or to expel them, even as we must use our physical lungs to
inhale and exhale air. When a deliberate mental effort is made to absorb prana
from the air that we breathe, then breathing can give us psycho-spiritual
benefits as well. —Swami Kriyananda, The Art and
Science of Raja Yoga
Yoga works primarily with the energy in the body, through the science of
pranayama, or energy-control. . . . Yoga teaches how, through
breath-control, to still the mind and attain higher states of awareness. — Paramhansa Yogananda, The Essence of Self-realization
How to get started
- Explore our web site, including an abundance of yoga articles and resources, to learn more about the philosophy of Ananda Yoga.
- Drop-in one of our yoga classes (or call us to schedule a visit)
- Attend The Art & Science of Raja Yoga class
- Sign-up for Yoga Teacher Training (pre-requisites apply)
- Contact us with your questions and thoughts
Thank you for your interest in Ananda Yoga.
