Hatha

What Type of Yoga Is For Me?

Tanya Lee Markul / Styles, Thoughts, Tips / , , , , , , , / 2 Comments

Yoga is a tool to bring us closer to who we really are.

At first, the type of yoga we start with usually depends on our preference for being physically challenged versus a more gentle and relaxing meditative practice. I have found that the more you do yoga, the better understanding you will gain of the type (or types) of yoga that work for you.

There are many different styles and types of yoga taught today and although all of them practice the same asanas (postures), each have its own focus or emphasis.

Here are some of the types of yoga that I think are pretty popular today – perhaps an inspiration for you to keep going or to try something new!

Anusara: Founded in 1997 by John Friend, Anusara yoga focuses on the physical alignment along with the positive philosophy derived from Tantra. These classes are typically focused on opening the heart. There is a lot of Vinyasa flow. These classes can typically be done at different physical levels hence props are sometimes used.

Ashtanga: Popularized by Sri Pattabhi Jois, Ashtanga yoga is a strong and dynamic flowing sequence of sun salutations and postures. The Ashtanga method stresses daily practice using uijayi breathing, mula bandha, iddiyana bandha and drishti. There are six series to this practice. The first series focuses on realigning the body, building strength, detoxification, flexibility and stamina. Classes can be led or self-led. Ashtanga is a vigorous and disciplined practice where the student progresses at his or her own pace.

Hatha: Dating back to the 15th century, Hatha yoga is typically slow paced with an emphasis on Pranayama (breath work), deep stretching, relaxation and instruction.

Iyengar: Developed by living yoga master BKS Iyengar, this physical form of yoga focuses on the precise alignment within postures using blocks, belts, chairs and other props to help the practitioner open more into the posture based on their own physical strength and weaknesses.

Kundalini: Kundalini is an ancient form of practice that involves combing strong breathing practices with asana and can range in difficulty. This type of yoga goes beyond the physical practice and emphasizes breathing, meditation and sometimes chanting.

Vinyasa: This type of yoga covers a broad range of yoga asanas. The word ‘Vinyasa’ literally means ‘linking movement with breath’ where each movement is linked to an inhalation or exhalation. Classes typically involve Ashtanga asanas and can range in difficulty and style depending on the teacher.

Always remember to listen to your own inner teacher. No matter what type of yoga you choose, it help you to establish optimal mental and physical health.

Namaste.

Image credit-yoga girl: http://free-online-yoga.us/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Power-Yoga.jpg
Join The Kula At Kushala Yoga In Coquitlam!

Join The Kula At Kushala Yoga In Coquitlam!

Jessica Hamilton / Reviews, Studio Reviews, Studios, Styles, Teachers, Thoughts / , , , , , , , , / 3 Comments

I move around a lot as my partner is in the military, but I have found a family in every city I have lived in. I find my family in yoga studios as they are filled with like minded individuals who are ready to welcome in any new student that enters their door.

I recently spent the last 4 months in Coquitlam, my hometown, to complete yoga teacher training. The first thing I did when I arrived was find a nearby studio to practice in. Thankfully Kushala Yoga studio is very close to my parents house, where I stayed,  and I was able to convince all my family members to join with me!

From the first class I went to at Kushala I felt like I belonged there, as opposed to just being a temporary guest. The yoga teachers are so friendly and approachable that I couldn’t help but want to engage in an after class chat with them. Even the students are beginning to catch on that Kushala Yoga is much more than just a place to practice yoga. During a Power Flow class I was greeted by another student who was introducing himself to the people on the mats around him and arranging an after class coffee. The yoga teacher/ owner half jokingly said that this student was the social coordinator for Kushala. The studio also hosts such activities as movie nights and Hike n’ Yoga to further foster their growing community of yogis.

Kushala Yoga has 2 locations, one in Coquitlam and one in Port Moody, with 2 more on the way. They offer classes for all levels from more relaxed classes such as Slow Flow and Restorative Yoga to more vigorous and advanced classes such as Power Flow, Hatha Core and my favourite Wild Thing Wednesdays with Andrew Colyn.

Weather you visit the warm, soothing studio in Port Moody or the bright and open studio in Coquitlam you are sure to find a class that suits your needs and make several new friends!

Tour of Kushala

Images from http://www.kushalayoga.ca/

Keep Yourself Open To Something New

Leeann / Deals, Reflections, Studios, Teachers, Tips / , , , , , / 2 Comments

If you are a long practicing yogi or new to the practice, you might have noticed that there are a lot of choices out there.

When I first started practicing yoga, there was one evening class at UBC called yoga. They didn’t even distinguish it by saying Hatha. Now, there are so many studios in the lower mainland, teaching different styles, I am sure you could go to a different class every day and not run out of options.

So with all those choices where do you start?

Price might be your starting point:

Yoga can definitely be pricey. This can be quite daunting when you are not exactly sure which type of yoga would be best for you.

There is the option of getting a two week unlimited pass. This is great for when you want to try out a specific studio. But what if you aren’t sure which studio to try out?

I feel the best option out there is the Passport to Prana card. With this card you have the option of trying out quite a few different studios. Depending on when you buy your Passport to Prana card, you might have a year to try out all the different studios registered with this program. The most current Passport to Prana card expires in July, but that gives you at least three months to figure it out.

Try the smaller studios; they can be a lot cheaper than the bigger chains. Even your local community center can offer a pass card at a reasonable rate.

Ask around:

You’d be surprised at what the universal will provide if you only just ask. Why not ask the girl walking down the street with a yoga mat on her back. I know that asking a stranger in your own town might seem a little intrusive, but hey, give it a go! I am sure she won’t mind too terribly, if you ask politely. Failing that, try the internet. You have already found us here; there are reviews throughout our site & hopefully many more to come. Be brave, search around.

Sometimes you just have to plunge in:

Be courageous! Try something new. I feel the best thing to do is keep your mind open, give yourself permission to be a little awkward. Remember to be kind to yourself and not worry so much about perfection. If you don’t like the specific style you chose, try again. Yoga can sometimes be like trying on a new pair of jeans; they don’t always fit like your old comforts, but you might surprise yourself into converting to something new.

Remember to keep it fun:

One of my favorite yoga teachers at Semperviva, Bernie Clark, reminds me all the time: laugh, have fun, you’re paying for this.

Featured Teacher: Elana Epstein

Guest Author / Reflections, Teachers / , , , , , / 0 Comment

The following excerpt is courtesy of Elana Epstein’s Breathing Spaces blog:

To Inspire And Be Inspired Is A Blessed Gift

Inspiration.

What does it conjure up for you? What meaning do you attach to it? What reaction does it bring? Where do you get it from?

Perhaps we need to define what inspiration means to us before we can know where to find it.
In order to know what it means I think we need to know what it feels like.
I have been watching where I derive inspiration from lately and have been noticing how it feels to be inspired.

For me, inspiration feels uplifting, exhilarating, awake and creative.
When I am inspired I am at my best, most literally.
When I am inspired I am connected.
I am truly alive.
I am so much more than my ego remembers me to be.
When I am inspired it feels like there is nothing I cannot do.
When I am inspired I feel like I am a part of the universe as I was meant to be.
When I am inspired I am grateful.

So, I try to find inspiration where I can.

I feel blessed. There are so many place that I feel inspired these days.

…to continue reading, click here to visit Elana’s website.

Author Bio: Elana Epstein is a certified Hatha Yoga instructor and Reiki practitioner who came to yoga from a Social Work background. Her greatest passion is to help individuals find their own inner strength and harmony so that they can contribute to making this a more peaceful life for all.  Elana sees yoga as a way to live each day with awareness and to nurture a peaceful and healing journey into the self. As a teacher, she creates an environment that is safe, intuitive, and calming. Her classes are suitable for the beginner and seasoned practitioner alike. Elana enjoys a personal daily practice at home and shares this journey with her husband and three children. Along with her daily dose of yoga she loves to read, write and listen to music. When she can,  she adds a little dark chocolate and a Chai to help make each day as decadent as it is blessed.

Elana teaches 9:30am Hatha yoga classes on Wednesdays at Semperviva‘s Sun studio. For more teaching times and locations, visit her blog and connect with her on Twitter.

Danielle Hoogenboom

James / Reviews, Styles, Teachers / , , , / 1 Comment

I’ve only started taking Danielle’s classes in the last month or so. Since the departure of one my favourite instructors (Violetta Pioro) I’ve been searching for another mellow soul to fill the void. Danielle’s hatha classes function more like yin than anything, and I personally couldn’t have been more thrilled. The postures and the transitions she fields are slow and soft, and such methods are important to balance out those hardcore classes. Taking power everyday isn’t a bad thing as long as one knows to find slower and gentler classes for balance.

Danielle is soft-spoken, with a hint of lisp, and packs her dreads around like they’re clouds that float her around. Before each class she sifts around the room, asking every yogi if they have any injuries or any postures that they’d personally like to go into. I like the fact that almost all instructors ask their classes for requests, but Danielle’s one by one inquiries seem rare to me. For those that may wonder, I normally ask for twists.

I do have to say that her slow hatha classes are exceptionally effective. It’s only in her classes that I’ve caught myself at the beginning of a snore, twice, during heart-openers and such. It got to that point after she came by and lifted my chest even higher as I was lying on a bolster for Savasana; with everything supported and opened I guess my insides just melted outright. I distinctly remember one night that I relaxed so much I actually didn’t remember who I was, where I was, and how to drive home for about 10mins after the end of class.

www.lovelightyoga.com

Many of the postures in her classes are seated or in low lunges and I haven’t done any crazy inversions or arm balances with her yet. It’s a welcome change of pace after hitting up Anila and Liv’s power classes (of whom I will talk about in a few weeks) as my muscles could really use some laziness. I always get thrown off by powerful/aggressive instructors in slow classes since their strong voices seem to push me faster and further, but Danielle’s demeanor matches her class style perfectly to turn everything down.

She likes to explain every step, though always with a lull that really gets you to move the same way: slowly. Sometimes we all get caught up in the flow of a class and we really do forget to be aware. Her speed makes it so that there’s really no way to not realize the exclamations of the body. Since her movements aren’t sharp, and in our tendencies to match the instructors, the whole class claws around. I was still enough at the end of one class to end it in a sitting meditation. She later came up and said that she could see from my eyes that I had disconnected and rebooted. I didn’t deny it since it did indeed feel like that.

She has a way of making one feel like that they’re in the clouds with her, just swaying around shifting along with the vapours themselves. Like most instructors she offers food for thought, though she normally talks about the interplay between what we see to what we feel. It’s a bit different than taking a snippet from a yoga text and transposing it, rather drawing very clear lines to connect different aspects of our life.

From what I know she lives on Commercial Drive, has a roommate that digs astrological spiritualism, and sports her staple dreadlocks all the time. She even joked at how she seemed stereotypical to herself, which she then said wasn’t too far off the mark if her roommates didn’t rub off on her so much. She has her own sites, Danielle Hoogenboom and Lovelight, and teaches at Unity Yoga Tea House and YYoga.

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