Static yoga. Static practices

Static poses occupy a special place in yoga. In Vietnam they are used as an additional physical training in security forces. Yoga asanas are a holistic system that combines the unity of body, mind and spirit.

A static pose consists of 2 parts: entering the pose and remaining in it.

To enter a pose, you need to make a movement to assume a fixed position. Staying in a pose means focusing on sensations or energy.

The great yogi Patanjali said that correct performance of asana leads to the fact that the boundary between the body, thought and spirit disappears.

Before training, you need to fulfill several requirements. The first is to free the body from waste products. Perform asanas with an empty stomach, and if a person has eaten, then after several hours after eating.

The most suitable time for training is early morning or evening.

You should complete the asanas with shivasana or corpse pose, this will relieve fatigue.

The first pose is called “Snake”. Having taken a lying position with your face down, you need to stretch your legs back. The knees tighten and the toes point straight out. The palms of the hands are placed next to the pelvis. As you exhale, you need to press your palms to the floor and pull your body to the top.

Taking another exhalation, you need to smoothly raise your torso until your pubis touches the floor. In this position you need to freeze and tense your hips. This pose should be held for about 20 seconds with even breathing.

This asana can be repeated 3-4 times.

The positive effect of the exercise is that the vertebral discs return to normal and the chest opens.

Another exercise is called “Crocodile”. The asana is performed while lying on the ground. You need to bend your elbows and place them at waist level.

As you exhale, you need to rise above the floor and balance on your toes and palms. The body must be kept straight, knees tense. After taking several breaths and exhalations, you need to lunge forward 20 - 30 centimeters. Lunges are repeated 3 to 4 times.

These attacks outwardly resemble the behavior of a crocodile hunting for prey. After a short rest, you need to change the direction of movement and lunge backwards. The exercise ends with acceptance supine position. Thanks to this practice, the wrists develop and fatigue disappears from the body and mind.

Thanks to static exercises, you can develop significant strength in muscles and ligaments, which will have a beneficial effect on the condition of the body.

In contact with

Namaste, friends! We all have preferences in yoga, some like static asanas, others prefer to move dynamically in the flow, but which is more effective? Which practice will lead to health, statics or dynamics?

“Muscles are developed by the brain, which can do as much and even more than dumbbells” - Evgeniy Sandov.

Have you all heard about statics in yoga? This is when you hold an asana for as long as you can!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It turns out that statics were used at the beginning of our era by Shaolin monks to develop the strength of warriors. Now, static exercises used in training weightlifters, rowers, track and field athletes, yogis:)))

But what is a side effect for a weightlifter, is a bonanza for a yogi - flexibility, strength, endurance, handstand🏃🏼‍♀️
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And here are the advantages of static strength training:

• unlike dynamic practice, isometric practice does not increase body weight, but speed and endurance remain;
• less tiring, does not require long rest to restore the body;
• improves elasticity and plasticity, develops tendons after injuries;
• lose weight (burn fat)
• a low static pulse makes exercise possible for people with moderately high blood pressure.

So, the static training regime develops strength, flexibility, and stretching, but provides almost no increase in fluidity and dynamic endurance.

There was once a popular slogan in sports: “Run from a heart attack” and it has every right to life. During dynamic training, the heart gets used to supplying blood (oxygen) to tissues at an increased rate. This is how it trains. Dynamic loads include not only yoga, but also running, swimming, walking, push-ups, and squats.

Please enter an Access Token on the Instagram Feed plugin Settings page.

Pros of dynamic exercises:

1. have a beneficial effect on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems;
2. improve metabolism;
3. are increasing muscle mass(who wanted an elastic butt, come here);
4. improve joint function (yes, yes joint gymnastics dynamic);
5. gets rid of excess weight(running, swimming);
6. muscle tension alternates with relaxation.

I’ll tell you, friends, in order for the practice to be effective, develop your strength and endurance, without side effects, it is better that the practice consists of 30% statics and 70% dynamics! But since yoga always has a warm-up, the main part and , you can do a dynamic warm-up, static asanas, and end with a wonderful flight into Shavasana☺️
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Consider your practice taking into account all the pros and cons of statics and dynamics. And always consider contraindications! They are in every asana, and almost every practice🙏🏻
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Friends, give feedback if the post was useful

Yoga self-instruction course 114. Hatha yoga

Estimated time for completing the course: 72 hours of pure time, over 5 days.

Short description course: When we hear the word yoga, in 80% of cases we're talking about about hatha yoga. Hatha yoga is the science that helps you take a step into yoga. Hatha yoga can be taught to anyone. By practicing hatha yoga, a person becomes stronger, more resilient, and then a moment comes when intellectual power begins to grow. The physical body is directly related to mental activity. Our natural state is a feeling of happiness and joy. But it disappears from time to time. Hatha yoga helps to restore this state. Yoga does not bring anything into our lives, it only eliminates pain. To teach a person subtle practices, you must first teach him hatha yoga. The criterion for success in hatha yoga is the habit of practicing. There must be harmony in yoga. Experiencing harmony in the gross, a harmonious circulation of energy occurs in the subtle and causal, and this is how miracles happen. From this course you will learn: What is yoga? The first and second principles of yoga. What is the difference between Hatha yoga and yoga in general? Who invented yoga? Reasons for the popularity of yoga these days. What does yoga reveal in us? Yoga poses are like a set of keys that unlock what is inherent in us. Who is Hatha Yoga suitable for? The need to use common sense when practicing yoga. What is needed to practice yoga? Supporting and desirable factors for practicing yoga. Regularity and duration of classes. Issues related to the preparation of a practical lesson on Hatha yoga are considered: the number of poses used; Energy method, Consciousness method and their combination; harmony method; resting pose, etc. How to complete the lesson correctly? Yoga classes and nutrition. How to combine yoga classes with regular work? The practical part gives approximate version lessons with explanations. A description of some poses from the treatise “Narration of Hatha Yoga” is given. What are the criteria for success and mastery in yoga.

Vadim Zaporozhtsev.

1. Title: Hatha yoga from scratch

3. Brief description: From this course you will learn: What is yoga? The first and second principles of yoga. What is the difference between Hatha yoga and yoga in general? Who invented yoga? Reasons for the popularity of yoga these days. What does yoga reveal in us? Yoga poses are like a set of keys that unlock what is inherent in us. Who is Hatha Yoga suitable for? The need to use common sense when practicing yoga. What is needed to practice yoga? Supporting and desirable factors for practicing yoga. Regularity and duration of classes. Issues related to the preparation of a practical lesson on Hatha yoga are considered: the number of poses used; Energy method, Consciousness method and their combination; harmony method; resting pose, etc. How to complete the lesson correctly? Yoga classes and nutrition. How to combine yoga classes with regular work? In the practical part of the seminar, an approximate version of the lesson is given with explanations by Vadim Zaporozhtsev. A description of some poses from the treatise “Narration of Hatha Yoga” is given. Criteria for success and mastery in yoga.

4. Date and place of the lecture: 2009.04.26 Cultural Center "Enlightenment".

5. Audio, video and text of the lecture belong to: Open Yoga University in the city of Moscow ( Anandaswami Yoga School). You have every right to copy, replicate and distribute materials from this site, preferably provide a link to our site www.openyoga.ru.

6. Drawings: Anna Smirnova

7. Yoga School Address: Moscow, Russia, Novoslobodskaya metro station, st. Dolgorukovskaya, house 29, tel. 251-21-08, 251-33-67, Cultural Center "Enlightenment". Websites: www.openyoga.ru, www.yogacenter.ru, www.happyoga.narod.ru.

8. Main text of the lecture.

Today is April 26, 2009. My name is Vadim Zaporozhtsev. This is our Hatha yoga seminar. We are located in the Cultural Center “Prosvetlenie” near the Novoslobodskaya metro station in Moscow. All archived information is on our websites www.openyoga.ru, www.happyoga.narod.ru, www.yogacenter.ru. This is a seminar for the International Open Yoga University.

What is yoga?

Today we are going to get acquainted with Hatha yoga. And let us try to consider this subject in the best traditions of the Open Yoga University. We believe that even complex things can be explained in simple, understandable and accessible language, even for those people who have just started practicing yoga, as they say, from scratch. This is how we will go, so that a person from scratch can immediately understand what the meaning of Hatha yoga is, what its strength is, and how it can be directly applied in their personal life.

Let's start with the formal aspects. Strictly speaking, what is yoga?

We must decide from the very beginning what yoga is and what it is not. The answer is: yoga is a system of self-knowledge that has come to us since ancient times. So ancient that we can only speculate and guess when, in fact, this teaching arose. That is, this is a period of time calculated in thousands of years. Yoga is a very interesting system of self-knowledge, where a person is encouraged to observe moral and ethical principles. The so-called First and Second Principles of Yoga.

The first principle of yoga is This is not to harm anyone unless absolutely necessary, and if this is not possible, then to act as our duty tells us, and to try with all our might to reduce this harm.

Second principle - this is a principle of common sense, this is a principle of a certain logic that calls on us to spend all our vitality only to achieve the set goals. Those. with common sense approach all the tasks that we set for ourselves. And it doesn’t matter what the tasks are, but if we do yoga, then this is a task of self-knowledge.

And finally, the most important distinctive detail in yoga is that we must, as yoga calls us, engage in self-knowledge harmoniously. There can be no talk of any kind of violence against oneself. This is important to understand from the very beginning. Especially for people who have never practiced yoga. Usually, with the word yoga, they have a lot of fears, phobias, that they need to somehow force themselves, that they need to force themselves to do something, to experience some kind of discomfort. So, from the very beginning we must define this very clearly and clearly. Yoga does not involve violence against oneself. Another thing is that sometimes you have to force yourself, you have to make some effort. But even while making these efforts, we watch ourselves from the background and rejoice that we are overcoming ourselves.

This is all about yoga in general. Yoga is a system that no person should be afraid of under any circumstances. Everyone will find a path or a style of yoga that suits them personally. In this regard, even other people who do yoga are, in general, not an indicator for us. People are sometimes shown on TV doing very difficult twisted poses, and this scares a lot of people. Many people think to themselves: “No, I’ll never curl up like that, I’ll never achieve this.” So the most interesting thing is that yoga does not require you to twist like that, to demonstrate such miracles of flexibility. More precisely, over time, as yoga says, you will acquire it smoothly, naturally, without violence against yourself. So, a person should not be afraid of yoga. Unfortunately, there is such a trend now. Many people are afraid to even try yoga because they are afraid that it will be very difficult for them. From the very beginning, you need to clearly tell yourself that the ancient teaching does not imply that you should do more than your body is able to do at the time of starting yoga. Yes, of course, everything will change in the future. And the body will change, and the mind will change, and the nerves will become strong, but that will happen later. And now, what you have is good.

In its precise meaning, the word “yoga” is translated from Sanskrit as “harnessing” or “submission” and means psychopractice for changing consciousness; embodied in a special way of life, it helps those following its path to achieve enlightenment. In European schools, adapted styles are usually taught; in essence, this is yoga for beginners, which is a system gymnastic exercises. But even in this “reduced” form, it helps a person to understand the capabilities of his body and control them, allows him to learn to breathe correctly and relax; strengthen muscles; improve the condition of joints and internal organs, straighten posture, improve digestion, and regulate hormonal levels.

Universal health complexes based on yoga are based on two main practices - static (and its variety) and dynamic (Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga). Young people are advised to practice dynamic practice, as it is performed at a fairly fast pace; there are fewer restrictions for static practice.

• Hatha yoga classes involve static performance of asanas with pauses between them in the background correct breathing and concentration; in Iyengar yoga they are performed in a certain strict sequence. In addition to health benefits, Iyengar yoga is also used for medicinal purposes;
• Vinyasa is a kind of dynamic meditation based on a smooth transition from asana to asana in the rhythm of breathing, with each pose preparing the next. It is sometimes called “yoga for ordinary people,” that is, for those who do not have time to devote a lot of time to practice: through concentration and breathing work, it allows you to achieve results without using complex asanas.

“Synthetic” systems are also common in European countries, for example vinyasa flow or popular among women. Unlike classical vinyasa, there is no strict sequence of poses in flow; asanas are selected individually and arranged so as to alternate strength and aerobic exercise. Stretching alternates between static asanas and vinyasas, with the emphasis on stretching and working on the flexibility of the spine.

At home, you can do simplified complexes using both static and dynamic techniques, by studying the performance of asanas from descriptions, photos and videos, or by taking several lessons in the gym. It is better to start practicing synthetic practices under the guidance of a trainer, analyzing each exercise and their sequence step by step.

• Exercise at home every day for 20-25 minutes. If you are a night owl by lifestyle or character, and it is more convenient for you to pay attention to yoga in the evening or during the day, that’s okay. But keep in mind that in the morning hours it is easier to come to an agreement with your body, it is more responsive to stress and quickly gains harmony and strength.

• Try to concentrate on necessary movements and at the same time relax, drive away worries and worries. Is something not working out for you? It's OK! It will happen tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or in a month.
• You can’t do yoga after a heart attack or stroke, with illnesses and injuries to the joints and/or spine, with heart problems, exacerbations chronic diseases, for colds, flu and fever, and for women - during menstruation. Yoga is contraindicated for people with cancer. Pregnant women are allowed to perform some asanas, but if you have not done yoga before pregnancy, you should not start practicing on your own on the advice of your friends.

Morning hatha yoga: static

Many of the yoga asanas for beginners have long been familiar to you under other names from complexes for morning exercises and fitness. Thus, utkatasana resembles a plie squat, uttanasana is a regular bend to the floor, trikonasana and ardha matsyendrasana are types of twisting, and sarvangasana is nothing more than a “birch tree”.

The exercises are performed in the same way as with regular gymnastics: effort while exhaling, relaxation while inhaling.

You will do the next few asanas in a lying position. They need to be performed in this order, since each of them prepares the body for the next.

Hold each asana for three to five inhale/exhale breathing cycles unless otherwise directed. Did you feel pain or discomfort when performing a particular pose? Refuse it, do not try to do the asana by force, otherwise you will end up with a sprain at best, and at worst a torn ligament or joint injury.

The complex ends with shavasana - a relaxation pose. Despite the fact that it seems simple, savasana is one of the most important, effective and difficult in yoga, because it is the most difficult for beginners to learn to completely relax. Lie on your back, arms and legs in a cross pattern, breathe deeply through your nose. Tighten your whole body with all your might, freeze, count to five and completely relax, trying not to think about anything. Lie in shavasana for 5-7 minutes.

Surya Namaskar in dynamics

(“Sun Salutation”) is a circle of twelve asanas; five of them are repeated. It exists in two versions: for entry level and experienced yogis, but their breathing technique is the same: inhale when bending, exhale when bending.

1. Pranamasana, prayer asana. Stand straight, do not slouch, feet together, hands folded on your chest in a “namaste” gesture. Stretch the crown of your head upward, “towards the Sun”, feel how your spine straightens. Inhale deeply, filling your lungs completely, while simultaneously drawing in your stomach and holding your breath as long as you can. Exhale smoothly, and on the next inhalation move into the next asana.
2. Hasta Uttanasana. At the same time, raise your arms, placing them slightly behind your head, your back arching. At the top point of the asana, the arms remain parallel, palms facing up. Try to perform the movements accurately, but relaxed.
3. Padahastasana. Exhaling, bend your face toward your knees, pressing your stomach to your upper thighs, and clasp your legs from behind with your palms. Stretch your back as hard as you can, feeling the stretch in your muscles. While you are inexperienced, the asana can be done with your legs bent so as not to stretch the ligaments, but do not indulge yourself for too long.
4. Ashwa Sanchalasana(rider). Enter the next asana. Take a step back with your right foot; the left one is bent at the knee. Leaning only on the toe of your back leg, lower your pelvis; Straighten your back, and at the same time reach up with the top of your head.
5. Adho mukha svanasana(mountain). Take away left leg back, placing it towards the right. Resting on your toes and palms, lift your buttocks, pull them up, arching your lower back, and lower your head until it is between your elbows (“ears between your shoulders”). If you have enough stretching, touch your forehead to the floor.
6. Ashtanga Namaskara. Holding your breath after performing the mountain, bend your knees and lower yourself to the floor, touching the floor with your chest and chin, but sticking your buttocks up. At correct execution the body touches the floor with the chin, palms, chest, knees, toes.
7. Bhujangasana (snake pose). From the previous asana, move into snake pose: leaning on your hands, inhale and push out chest forward/up. The buttocks are released, the back is arched.

Now, having skipped Ashtanga Namaskar, we perform the asanas in the reverse order: snake - mountain - horseman (only now it works right leg, taking a step forward) - padhastasana - hasta uttanasana - pranamasana: the circle is completed. Over time, you can perform not one, but two or three rounds of Surya Namaskar.

Anti-stress asanas: learn to relax!

A set of four exercises will help restore mental balance and clear your mind of disturbing thoughts and worries. Exercise for 15-20 minutes in the morning and before bed.

Related posts:

Yoga for the spine and back: tips, exercises

Effective fitness weight loss training program for girls
Simple but effective complex exercises with elastic bands for the whole body
Choosing the right yoga mat

Some firmly believe in the miracles of static asanas, others can’t wait to recharge themselves with divine energy, while others learn Sanskrit after classes in order to find revelation in ancient texts. And although there are still much fewer yoga centers in Moscow than in New York or London, the problem of choice is already becoming relevant. So, it’s up to you to decide where to go – to Ashtanga Vinyasa or to the Shadow School.

Hatha Yoga Sri B.K.S. Iyengar

Translated from Sanskrit, “hatha” means power, fury, necessity or effort. In this case, the syllable “ha” symbolizes the sun, and the syllable “tha” symbolizes the moon, and the main task hatha yoga - establishing a balance in the body between the sun and the moon, activity and relaxation. First of all, hatha yoga is designed to restore physical health human: restore mobility to joints, stop curvature of the spine, normalize blood pressure and digestion, strengthen the immune system and hormonal levels. And health of mind and spirit should be a direct consequence of physical health.

Iyengar himself suffered from numerous diseases at a young age: malaria, typhoid fever, tuberculosis. Doctors doubted that he would live longer than 20 years, and at sixteen the young man began practicing yoga with his sister’s husband, Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, one of the best yoga masters in India, who trained a whole generation of teachers.

Iyengar style is static: each asana is held for several minutes. Unlike dynamic types of yoga - Ashtanga Vinyasa, Kundalini - here the body is literally rebuilt, paying great attention to the smallest nuances: stretching, muscle tension, turns and twists. Moreover, for each person, standard poses may vary slightly depending on what exactly they need. To properly build poses, wooden bricks, ropes, blankets and horizontal bars are used.

Sivananda Yoga

Swami Sivananda (1887-1963) is one of the most famous and beloved Indian yoga teachers. A doctor by training, at the age of 37 he came to Rishikesh. It was there that he decided to become a hermit. Meditating 12 hours a day and practicing yoga with his teacher, Swami Sivananda continued his medical practice. In 1932, he founded an ashram in Rishikesh, which marked the beginning of his school of yoga. For his time, Sivananda was almost a revolutionary: he invited untouchables to his house and ashram, and defended the right of women to learn yoga. After Swami's passing in 1963, many of his students went to teach yoga in Europe and America.

The yoga system created by Sivananda is a static practice. Its main difference from Iyengar yoga is that, first of all, students are taught not asanas and pranayama, but deep relaxation. It is believed that only if you are completely relaxed will the asanas be beneficial and truly serve to transform not only the body, but also the spirit. Depending on individual characteristics, mental makeup and physical fitness The instructor selects a relaxation practice for the student. For example, first you will be taught to completely relax your face, and only then - Cobra or Plow pose.

The five basic principles of Sivananda Yoga are: proper exercise (asanas), breathing (pranayama), relaxation (shavasana), diet (vegetarian) and meditation (study of the sacred scriptures of the Vedas and reflection on them).

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga

Another student of Krishnamacharya, Patabhi Jois, unlike Iyengar, retained the dynamic style of his teacher, laying the foundation for Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga - one of the most powerful and fastest-acting systems of hatha yoga. In Ashtanga Vinyasa, all asanas are assembled using vinyasas - dynamic ligaments. You will have to learn not only vinyasas, but also a special practice of pranayama - it is called Ujjayi, or Victorious Breath. Synchronized with movements, breathing helps to warm up the body from the inside and accumulate a large amount of energy.

By sweating profusely during exercise, you are cleansed of waste and toxins, and thanks to vinyasas, active blood circulation is ensured. In addition, great attention is paid to the implementation of special energy locks, or bandhas, which distribute energy throughout the body, as well as the direction of gaze, or drishti. Each vinyasa corresponds to a specific drishti - on the tip of the nose, on the third eye, on the palm, on thumbs legs, up, right, left, navel. This allows the practitioner to calm the mind and achieve inner concentration. There are six levels in total in the Ashtanga system, ascending in degree of difficulty.

Kundalini Yoga

Kundalini yoga is the yoga of energy channels. According to Hindu beliefs, kundalini is the primordial spiritual energy of creation that created the cosmos. It is present in the human body in an unawakened, dormant form at the base of the spine (in the muladhara chakra). In order to realize the main goal of yoga - to merge with the divine consciousness, the yogi must awaken kundalini and raise it up the central energy channel along the spine into the seventh chakra. The Kundalini yoga system was developed and spread among the Sikh warriors of medieval India from the state of Punjab. In the 1970s, guru Siri Singh Sahib (Yogi Bhajan) became the first teacher to introduce kundalini yoga North America and Europe.

“Some people teach yoga as if it is just a set of exercises - and nothing more, but such people have no right to call themselves yogis. If the flexibility of the body and the ability to assume different poses made a person a yogi, the best yogis there would be circus clowns,” says Yogi Bhajan and assures that the practice of kundalini yoga allows a person to achieve in 2-3 years the same results that it takes 20-25 years to achieve using hatha yoga methods.

Kundalini yoga involves various meditative techniques (or exercises). In most cases, meditation lasts 3 minutes, 11 minutes, 22 minutes, 31 minutes, 62 minutes or 2.5 hours. Usually the eyes are closed and the gaze is focused at the point between the eyebrows (this stimulates the pituitary gland and intuition) or at the tip of the nose, which helps control the mind. In almost all meditative practices mudras are used. Sometimes special types of breathing are used. Many techniques are performed to special music or accompanied by the chanting of mantras. If there are no special instructions, then meditate while sitting, with a straight spine.

Kundalini yoga is based on kriyas - special sets of dynamic exercises combined with breathing and meditation. However, even if you do not set yourself the goal of achieving enlightenment, kundalini yoga helps restore mental balance. The most famous American kundalini yoga teacher is called Gurmukh, she taught half of Hollywood to “unlock potential and relax the mind.” And Cindy Crawford recently admitted that she is now in great debt to Gurmukh - for Kundalini yoga and all the happy changes in her life.

Tri-Yoga

In 1980, the American Kali Ray, while meditating, began to experience a state called kriyavati - under the influence of the awakened kundalini, she began to spontaneously perform asanas, breathing exercises and mudras - ritual gestures that serve to concentrate energy. From this, tri-yoga was born - a very meditative, flowing practice in which static poses are replaced by dynamic kriyas. Ligaments resemble dance moves, and practice is a single soft flow. Followers of tri-yoga believe that this is the original yoga, representing the cosmic power of creation, and the word “trai” in the name means triple basic principle, which lies at the basis of the universe, and three energies that are an integral part of each of us: Sat (Existence), Chit (Knowledge) and Ananda (Bliss). And the task of tri-yoga is unity, harmony and balance of body, mind and spirit.

Yoga School of the Shadow

The name “Shadow Yoga” is taken from the sixth chapter of the ancient tantric treatise “Shiva Svarodaya”. This chapter, called “The Yoga of the Shadow Man,” examines the various manifestations of the shadow and their meaning both inside and outside the human body. According to the anatomy of Hatha Yoga, the human body consists of three separate bodies and five sheaths, or shadows, and the dissolution of these shadows in the process of practice is the main task of the yogi.

The training is based on the ancient texts of Hatha Yoga, which states that all fixed forms should be constructed in such a way as to develop a free style practice - this guarantees long life and is a necessary step in achieving enlightenment. The main poses that must be included in the practice are: standing, sitting, lying (face down, up, to the sides), side, inverted, curved, twisted, squats, balances, forward bends, backbends and spirals.

Fitness Yoga

It is not actually a school and has a very indirect relation to ancient Indian teaching. Actually, this is what remains of yoga if you remove philosophy, ideas about the energy structure of a person, mantras, pranayama and mudras. This direction is closest to Ashtanga Vinyasa, from which fitness yoga inherited only a sequence of dynamic connections. To be fair, it should be noted that not all teachers comply with it. Often, instructors include elements of classical choreography and stretching exercises in their classes. This is yoga for those who want to correct their posture, improve their proportions and lose weight, but definitely prefer meditation treadmill, and pranayama - a glass of freshly squeezed juice. And if mystical associations scare you or you simply don’t have time to go into details and read primary sources, do not rush to give up the idea of ​​yoga. A fitness variation is still better than nothing.

Bikram Yoga

The hottest (in every sense) hobby of Hollywood stars and Manhattan workaholics is yoga in halls with an air temperature of 40-43 degrees Celsius. Its creator, Bikram Chowdhury, was born in 1946 in Calcutta and at the age of four began taking yoga lessons from one of the most famous Indian teachers - Bishnu Ghosh, the younger brother of Paramahansa Yoganada, who wrote “Autobiography of a Yogi.” At 13, he won the All India Yoga Championships and held the title until he was 17, when a knee injury put him in hospital. The doctors were sure that Bikram would never be able to walk on his own, but he returned to his teacher and six months later he was healthy. It was then that Ghosh blessed his disciple to open yoga centers in India, Japan and later around the world.

Having moved to America, Bikram developed and began to implement his revolutionary method“hot yoga”, claiming that Indian rishis lived in a very hot climate and virtually all asanas are designed for a warm body, and practicing at a temperature of 20 degrees is complete nonsense. In 1973, he opened a studio in Beverly Hills, and since then almost all the star residents of Los Angeles have worked there, from Madonna and Michael Jackson to Irvine Welsh and Salma Hayek. The Bikram yoga complex consists of two breathing exercises and 26 simple hatha yoga asanas, which are performed at a very fast pace (from 10 to 60 seconds for each pose).

Fans claim that Bikram yoga cleanses the body of waste and toxins, brings relief from back pain, migraines, asthma, diabetes, problems with the liver and spleen, and also helps to quickly recover from injuries. Doctors are worried that huge pressure in the heat it can be dangerous for the heart, and high temperatures have a bad effect on male fertility. Meanwhile, Choudhury is going to patent his own asana - the first time in history that a spiritual teaching has become a market brand.

Jivamukti Yoga

“Jiva” translated from Sanskrit means individual soul, “mukti” means liberation. “We strive to teach yoga as a spiritual practice and remind students that they are on a difficult mystical journey to enlightenment. And we have created a method that allows you to stay on track,” says the creator of this system, David Life. Among those whom he and his wife Sharon Gannon set on the right path are Sting and Trudy Tyler, Christy Turlington and Russell Simpson. David (an artist and musician) and Sharon (a dancer and singer) discovered yoga in the late 1970s, studied in India with Swami Sivananda and Swami Nirmalananda and were in fact the first to try to bring back the spiritual aspect of yoga teaching in the West - the singing of religious hymns and mantras, meditation and lectures on philosophy. In their study halls, instead of white walls and rugs, students found an altar on which Shiva, St. Teresa of Avila and the fairy Glinda from The Wizard of Oz.

If you go to one of the Jivamukti Yoga centers in New York, London or Toronto, in addition to intensive practice of classical yoga asanas in the Ashtanga Vinyasa style, you will find discussions of ancient Sanskrit texts and chanting prayers, training in pranayama and kriya yoga (purification practice). In addition, you will be shamed for eating meat and strongly recommended to become a vegetarian. And they will put The Beatles and Indian jazz of Billy Laswell on the soundtrack. David and Sharon are cheerful anarchists who insist that there are no rules except one: "You can contact God directly, on your own." And their Jivamukti Yoga is a proven way to do this in the midst of a cosmopolitan metropolis, and not in the silence of a Himalayan cave.

Power Yoga

This style was introduced in 1995 by Beryl Bender Birch. As befits a person with the last name Bender, she actually committed a small forgery, taking as a basis the sequences of the first two levels of Ashtanga Vinyasa and giving them a new name - simple and accessible to every American. In addition to exercises that strengthen muscles and increase flexibility, power yoga places great emphasis on breathing and emphasizes concentration and mobilization of emotional resources. Actually, one of the main goals of this method is to make a person not so much more enlightened as stronger, more resilient and energetic.

Besides Birch, the other three trendy power yoga teachers in the States are Brian Kest, Baron Baptiste and Mark Blanchard. The latter is a favorite of celebrities, particularly Jennifer Lopez and her namesake Aniston.

Vini Yoga

One of the most popular trends, created by the outstanding Indian teacher T.K.V. Desikachar and his American student Gary Kravtsov. The main postulate of Vini yoga is that practice must be strictly personalized, that is, the teacher must create a unique program for each of his students. Actually, this is reminiscent of some kind of “custom yoga”. In addition to asanas in compulsory program Vini yoga includes pranayama, bandhas, chanting of mantras and religious hymns, meditation, study of rituals and yogic texts. At the same time, the main difference between Vini yoga and Ashtanga Vinyasa is that in the second there are rigid sequences of asanas, and in the first sequence they develop spontaneously, depending on the mood and specific needs of the practitioner. An excellent therapeutic technique for getting rid of illnesses, bad thoughts and apathy.