Buddha Mommy

Ananda Yoga: The Basics

Wear loose fitting clothes that are a comfortable weight for the season. A friend and yoga instructor tells students to wear their “p.j.’s”.

Eat a light snack within 2 hours prior to practice. You will need energy available to your muscles. Try not to eat a large meal prior to practice (within that 2 hour time frame). If you have Type 1 or 2 Diabetes, be sure your instructor knows. You may want to bring a box of raisins with you in the event your blood sugar drops during practice.

Stay well hydrated. Take bathroom breaks as you need during practice. Sip small amounts of water during practice, as you need.

The practice room should be at a comfortable temperature for you. Sometimes a small fan that circulates the room air can provide extra comfort.

Before you begin your practice, tune into your body’s unique needs for this day. If there are areas of soreness or fatigue, honor them by adjusting your practice to accommodate your ability that day.

A yoga mat, blanket, strap and yoga block are helpful, however, not necessary. A beach towel can work for a mat, an old tie can substitute for a strap. Not everyone needs a block. I suggest you explore first if yoga is for you before you invest in these things. I supply these for you.

If you are attending a class with other students, arrive early enough to settle yourself in (5-10 minutes). Please try not to leave before the end of the class. It is distracting to other students and does not allow you the time to integrate your practice in deep relaxation.

What is Ananda yoga? (Jenny’s version)

The word ananda in Sanskrit means “bliss”. Ananda Yoga is a form of Hatha (pronounce hot-ta) that combines physical movement (asana or postures/poses) with breath and energy control. The ancient yogi’s use Hatha yoga to prepare their bodies for long periods of seated meditation (Raja Yoga).
Ananda Yoga is a unique form of yoga for several reasons. First, the focus for each practitioner to direct the energy they generate from the practice to their spine. After the energy is brought to the spine, it is directed toward the spiritual center (the area between the eye brows, know as the 6th chakra or spiritual eye). In Ananda Yoga, we strive to relax our body/mind in the midst of our effort in the pose. Second, in order to help the practitioner focus on this relaxation/energy, each Ananda pose has a positive affirmation attached to it. This is recited aloud by the teacher and each student can internally take it in or leave it.
Ananda Yoga practice is preceded by a warm up called Energization Exercises. This series of exercises (39 total) are done to: 1) prepare the body for movement, 2) help the practitioner learn to isolate muscle groups and begin to feel energy in the body, 3) wake you up! We usually do 5-6 exercises from this set prior to our practice. You can find more information on these exercises at http://www.ananda.org/meditation/support/techniques/energization/
Because meditation is such an important part of body/mind/spirit care, we begin our practice with 3-5 minutes of meditation. Techniques will be offered to you at this time for beginning or enhancing your practice.
Breathing or pranayama makes yoga practice more than just exercises. Control of our breath gives us control of our life force. It can calm, energize and redirect our focus inward. At the beginning of each practice we will explore a breathing technique, as there are many to learn.
Many people are concerned that yoga may be too vigorous for them, especially when they are just starting. Ananda Yoga focuses on slow movement thru the poses, with pauses in between poses for full integration. As you progress with your practice and gain strength and flexibility, we will hold the poses longer. This method makes Ananda Yoga accessible to the novice and challenging to the expert practitioner(s).

For more information on Ananda Yoga, go to http://www.anandayoga.org/

Jenny Rohan, certified Ananda Yoga Teacher (200hr)
Sarayu Yoga – Yoga for Energy Flow
www.buddhamommy.com
559-281-7972