Sivananda Yoga - What is Class Like?

Sivananda is based on the teachings of Swami Sivananda and is a form of Hatha where the primary focus is on preserving health and well being of the yogi. In order to teach it, one needs to graduate from the Sivananda happinesslifetime.com Yoga Teacher Training Course. It consists of four weeks of intensive training that prepares the students to train others. This training program was developed by Swami Vishnu Devananda in 1969, when he moved to America to teach his Swami's yoga techniques. This training is only available at the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Ashrams, with headquarters in Quebec, Canada and its affiliates worldwide.

A Sivananda class is very different from the Ashtanga routine. This training is primarily focused on frequent relaxation and full yogi breathing techniques and is very encouraging for the beginners. It incorporates the student's daily life into the training session, creating an individualized session for each trainee. It is based on five basic rules:

-Proper exercises (asana)

-Proper breathing (pranyama)

-Proper relaxation (savasana)

-Proper diet (Vegeterian)

-Positive thinking and meditation (Vedanta and Dhyana)

A Sivananda session is very slow paced and allows detailed examination of each pose. Each session starts with surya namaskara or sun salutation and then proceeds to achieving expertise of the twelve basic asana or postures.

Proper Exercise:

-Headstand

-Shoulder stand

-Plow

-Fish

-Seated forward bend

-Cobra

-Locust

-Bow

-Seated spinal twist

-Crow

-Standing forward bend

-Triangle

Proper Breathing:

Breathing is a very important aspect of yoga, and to attain the highest benefit from a session, it is imperative to accomplish full yogic breathing and utilize the lungs to their full capacity. Sivananda uses a combination of three basic types of breathing techniques to attain full yogic breathing:

-Clavicular breathing, which is the shallowest and requires maximum effort to obtain minimum amount of air.

-Thoracic breathing, which uses the expanding of the muscles in the rib cage.

-Deep abdominal breathing, which brings air to the lowest and largest part of the lungs. This makes proper use of the diaphragm and is slow and deep.

When all these are combined, a yogi is able to achieve a deep breath with continuing the inhalation through the clavicle.

Proper Relaxation:

Proper Relaxation is achieved when the following three forms of relaxation are all achieved. Relaxation is not complete until the yogi conquers spiritual relaxation.

-Physical

-Mental

-Spiritual

Proper Diet:

Proper diet for a yogic means a purely vegetarian diet. It comprises of pure, natural and simple foods that can be easily absorbed and which supports good health. Yogis prefer organic foods as they provide better nutritional value.

Positive Thinking and Meditation:

Sivananda encourages positive thinking and promotes its students to attain levels of meditation where they can concentrate wholly on the inner self. The instructors usually lead the students through a 14 point mediation routine.

With Sivananda, the yogi gains physical, mental and spiritual wellness. It teaches in a slow and gentle way to achieve perfection in each of the above five fundamentals points.

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