Westside Yoga Studio Offers Anusara Inspired Yoga
Evin Bodell is a Anusara Inspired Yoga Instructor with over 450 hours of study and practice with John Friend and Senior Certified Instructors; Sianna Sherman, Todd Norian, Mitchell Bleier, Sue Elkind, Naieme Jesney and Betsy Downing. Training in Anusara Yoga philosophy, anatomy, teaching skills including Universal Principles of Alignment, body mechanics, progressive sequencing of poses, therapeutic techniques for healing injuries and physical misalignments. Locally in Cleveland Evin was introduced to Anusara Yoga 4 years ago by Marni Task and Rowan Silverberg her mentors. She has been studying with John Friend consistently for the past three and a half years. Her inspiration is to become an Anusara Certified Yoga Instuctor. Evin recently completed her Level 2 teacher training with John Friend in Boston.
Anusara (a-nu-sar-a), means “flowing with Grace,” “going with the flow,” “following your heart.”
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 Yoga 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. Anusara Yoga is attracting media attention worldwide including a 2004 Yoga Journal cover story, CBS national news in the US, as well as newspapers and magazines throughout North America, the UK, and Europe.
Anusara Yoga's remarkable popularity is due in large part to its uplifting philosophy, epitomized by a "celebration of the heart," that looks for the good in all people and all things. Consequently, students of all levels of ability and yoga experience are honored for their unique differences, limitations, and talents. This life-affirming vision sets the basis for a yoga system in which the harmony and joy of a tightly knit community is exulted. Not only is Anusara Yoga an elegant system of alignment principles and non-dual philosophy, but it is also a wonderful community of highly trained teachers and fun-loving students.
As a community, Anusara Yoga is well networked and organized, yet there is a strong emphasis on creative freedom and individuality. Anusara Yoga is held together by everyone's implicit alliance to the spiritual principles of Anusara Yoga philosophy, such as celebrating beauty in all its diversity, truthfulness, and honoring the creative freedom of the Divine in all beings. Everyone is aligned with the truth that Grace plays the key role in the successful flow of their practice, classes, and the community itself. Without a rigid dogma, the system is open to continual change and restructuring. Self-examination, discovery, and receptivity to new ideas are foundational to this dynamic system. Individual creativity and investigation are always encouraged within the bounds of basic alignment principles and philosophic precepts of Anusara Yoga. Anusara Yoga grows with harmony and integrity through the combined vision of our Anusara Yoga teachers to unveil the innate goodness, worthiness, and supreme nature of each student and every being.
About John Friend
John Friend is one of the most charismatic and highly respected hatha yoga teachers in the world. Blending an uplifting Tantric yoga philosophy with an entertaining sense of humor and a profound knowledge of biomechanics, John's teaching style guides each student to live every moment fully from the heart. Students often comment in amazement that they can perform their yoga poses under John's guidance with a level of creative freedom and inner power that they have never experienced before. Above all, John respects and honors his students with a great deal of loving-kindness and inspires them to see their own unique beauty and divine goodness. In 1997 John founded Anusara Yoga® to promote his innovative vision. Today, Anusara Yoga is one of the most popular and fastest growing schools of hatha yoga in North America with an expanding presence in the UK, Europe, Japan, and Australia.
Philosophy
Anusara Yoga is flowing with Grace by saying "yes" to the whole magical spectrum of life. It is a willingness to be aware of all parts of ourselves-the light and the dark, the full rainbow of sensation, perception, emotion, and thought. Saying yes to life means to openly sense and know each moment fully without prejudging it. We simply open our hearts with love to the present moment without clinging or pushing. Then from this spacious place of perception we discern whether something is life-enhancing or not. Whatever we encounter, whether it is auspicious or malicious, good or bad, uplifting or disheartening, we respond in ways that are more life-affirming. To be in the flow is to feel the moment fully and then to choose to act in ways that celebrate the essence of life, Spirit, and our hearts.
Methodology
The Anusara Yoga method is distinguished by the integration of several elements which are common in every class:
The Tantric philosophy of intrinsic goodness underlies the methodology of teaching Anusara Yoga. Consequently, Anusara Yoga teachers, first and foremost, look for the good in all things, especially within themselves and their students. Anusara Yoga teachers help enhance and reveal the beauty and Divine qualities that are already present in the students' poses. They do not try to "fix" or "correct" students' alignment. Instead, they are dedicated to serving each student and helping them unveil their innate goodness, worthiness, and Supreme nature. Furthermore, Anusara Yoga teachers are committed to helping build and empower each student's self-esteem, while inspiring light-heartedness, playfulness, and joyful creativity within the yoga practice.
Each class begins with an invocation or centering as a devotional recognition of the grace-bestowing power of universal Spirit within and around us.
Each class has a heart-oriented theme, which has a meaningful connection to the grand spiritual purposes of the asana practice. The theme usually centers on cultivating a virtue-a quality of mind or heart, which is a microcosmic reflection of our Divine nature. Each theme gives a direction for the attitudinal energy that infuses every action and breath in the poses. Effectively, all the poses in Anusara Yoga are expressed
from the "inside out."
An elegant, concise set of alignment principles called the "Universal Principles of Alignment™" is applied to each asana in the Anusara Yoga method. A central idea within the Universal Principles of Alignment is the 3 A's: Attitude, Alignment, and Action. This refers to a foundational concept within the Anusara method in which every pose is infused with a meaningful intention connected to the grand purposes of yoga, awareness of specific postural alignment, and balanced action between stability and freedom. The specific principles include Muscular Energy and Organic Energy, which are the two complementary forces that provide each pose with a balanced action. Other alignment principles include Spirals and Loops, which help to bring refinement and precision to each pose.
Movements and actions within every pose are coordinated with the breath.
Postural alignments in each pose are checked in reference to the Universal Principles of Alignment. The teacher then gives adjustments verbally and physically to the students in order to enhance their poses.
Poses are modified or supported with props if necessary to help each student achieve the general form of pose.
Postural demonstrations may be used when necessary to clarify alignment instructions.
The Anusara Yoga method is designed to serve students of any level of experience or ability, from children to seniors, and students with special therapeutic needs to advanced practitioners.
There are over 250 poses that compile the syllabii of Anusara Yoga asanas. This syllabus encompasses all the poses that are commonly practiced in the foremost hatha yoga styles throughout the world. The syllabus covers all of the key asanas within the major classifications of poses: standing poses, backbends, forward bends, twists, hand-balancings, inversions, and restoratives.
Practicing variations of the basic poses is encouraged as a full expression of the human spirit.
Although there are no set postural routines in Anusara Yoga, classes are designed using principles of sequencing. One of the principles includes progressively sequencing poses to help students of all levels advance in their practice.
Classes are concluded with Savasana or meditation or a quiet centering in order to help better assimilate the teachings and honor the spiritual experience of the class. Students are left with a blessing or a reminder on how to continue to embody the heart theme "off the mat" in their daily life.
Ultimately, we want each student to leave an Anusara Yoga class feeling better about him or herself, empowered by the revelation of his or her Divine nature.
