Buddha-U
Awaken, Enrich and Intensify the Buddha in YOU
Yoga \ The Basics
Yoga is a practice of drawing the senses inward and listening to the body. Developing a calm non-reactive mind and allowing the spirit to guide the actions... not the actions guiding the sprit. Come to yoga with an open heart and allow the eyes to turn in to the soul.
\ Yoga will help us gain flexibility ... not just in the body, but in the mind and the spirit.
\ Yoga will help us gain strength...not just in the muscles, but in the heart
\ Yoga will help us gain stamina...not just in the physical asana, but in willpower and confidence
\ Yoga will help us gain compassion....not just of our own shortcomings, but those of others as well.
What is Yoga?
Although there are many styles of yoga, the differences are usually about emphasis, such as focusing on strict alignment of the body, coordination of breath and movement, holding the postures, or the flow from one posture to another. All of the styles share a common lineage. In fact, the founders of four major styles -- Ashtanga, Iyengar,Viniyoga and Bikram-- were all students of Krishnamacharya, a famous teacher at the Yoga Institute at the Mysore Palace in India.
No style is better than another; it's simply a matter of personal daily preference.
Ashtanga
For those who want a serious workout, Ashtanga may be the perfect yoga. Developed by K. Pattabhi Jois, Ashtanga is physically demanding. Participants move through a series of flows, flowing from one posture to another to build strength, flexibility and stamina. It's not for anyone who's been taking a leisurely approach to fitness. The Power Yoga is based on Ashtanga.
Hatha
Hat means sun and ha means moon therefore Hatha represents opposing energies: hot and cold (fire and water, following the same concept as the yin-yang), male and female, positive and negative. Hatha yoga attempts to balance mind and body via physical exercises, or "asanas", controlled breathing, and the calming of the mind through relaxation and meditation. Asanas teach poise, balance & strength and are practiced to improve the body's physical health and clear the mind in preparation for meditation in the pursuit of enlightenment. Hatha class focus on breath, peace and harmony and bodily awareness.
Kripalu
Called the yoga of consciousness, Kripalu puts great emphasis on proper breath, alignment, coordinating breath and movement, and "honoring the wisdom of the body" you work according to the limits of your individual flexibility and strength. Alignment follows awareness. Students learn to focus on the physical and psychological reactions caused by various postures to develop their awareness of mind, body, emotion and spirit.
Meridian Yoga Created by Daniel Orlansky, Meridian yoga works to systematically activate and balance energy in the fourteen major meridians-- or energy pathways-- of Oriental medicine fostering physical health and ease of motion, mental peace and joy, and a feeling of connection with the creative infinite. Meridian Yoga poses open and balance each of the 14 meridians, improving the health and functioning of the associated organs; PNF/Resistance Stretching, a modern stretching method, scientifically proven to be the most efficient and safest way to elongate muscles and increase range of motion. Slow Flow Vinyasa Yoga Slow flow has been designed to bridge the gap between slower Hatha classes and faster Vinyasa or Ashtanga classes. Slow flow allows each student to move thru a series of simple poses at their own pace, offering exactly what you need. Each series has been created to work thru specific energy lines in the body building strength, flexibility and breaking through any energy stagnation in the body. Once the lines are open, prana (chi, ki, life force) can wash through the body increasing harmony and health. Vinyasa Power Yoga Vinyasa classes have come to be many different things. They all have a couple of things in common. Vinyasa means linking breath with movement, so each breath has a movement that we flow through. Vinyasa can also be the partial sun salute bringing us from pose to pose. This can be a fast class moving through many poses in a dance or a creative energetic flowing class. It is a great cardio and strength work out. Prana Yoga Prana Flow is an energetic, creative, full-spectrum approach to embodying the flow of yoga cultivated by Shiva Rea and the Global Vinyasa Collective of Teachers. Yin Yoga Most forms of Yoga practiced today are Yang, they emphasize muscular movement and contraction. By contrast Yin Yoga targets the connective tissue of the hips, pelvis and lower spine. Yin postures are held three to five to ten minutes at a time. This type of practice complements the more muscular styles of Yoga and is a great aid for learning to sit in meditation
Students of all levels are empowered to experience prana - the universal source of breath, life-energy and conscious intelligence - as the navigating source of yoga practice and vital living. Classes are ritual sadhanas (a groove to one's self). Prana Flow classes are breath inspired journeys that offer a complete spectrum (ha-tha) of rhythms from meditative and rejuvenating to the challenging and empowering. The wave of a class is created through cycles of effective and creative sequences (vinyasas) linked together through the breathwave. Every class is well-rounded : following the mandala of the body and asanas - to create whole body transformation of strength and fluidity, circulation and centering.
