Forms of Yoga

• Hatha Yoga mdash; Hatha focuses on "shatkarma", or the purification of the physical body as leading to the purification of the mind ("ha").

• Vinyasa — means breathe-synchonized movement. This yoga will includes Sun Salutations for warm up and then go onto to more challenging positions and stretching.

• Ashtanga — what most consider the foundation of all modern yoga. A breath-synchonized flowing style of yoga that goes beyond just asana. Ashatangi means eight limbs in Sanskrit. There are numerous asana series, each more difficult than the next.

• Power Yoga — based on the flowing style of Ashtanga.

• Iyengar — from the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar and concentrates on body alignment. You will hold poses for extended periods and use various props (straps, blankets, blocks, etc.).

• Kundalini — concentrates on breath and physical movement.

• Bikram/Hot Yoga — practiced in a 95 to 100 degree heated room. Bikram uses a "patented" series of 26 yoga poses.

• Anusara — founded by John Friend in 1997 and derived from Tantra. Classes are usually light-hearted and open to students of varying abilities. Poses openning the heart, physically & mentally are taught and the includes the use of props.

• Kripalu — founded by Amrit Desai and emphasis is on meditation, physical healing and spiritual transformation.

• Sivananda — founded in 1959 by Swami Vishnu-devananda, a disciple of Swami Sivananda. Based upon the following five principles: 1) Proper Exercise (asana), 2) Proper Breathing (pranayama), 3) Proper Relaxation (savasana), 4 Proper Diet (vegetarian), & 5) Proper Thinking (vedanata) and Mediation (dhyana).

• Yin Yoga — incorporates poses held for several minutes designed to stretch connective tissue around the joints.