Anusara Yoga is a modern school of yoga started by John Friend in 1997; it is a popular hatha yoga style with a Tantric philosophy . Friend continues to take an active role leading the expansion of the school and training (and certifying) teachers.
The emphasis of the school is on a set of "Universal Principles of Alignment" which underlie all postures, "heart opening" postures and the spiritual/meditative benefits of hatha yoga .
Attainable bliss and joy in practice and everyday life are an important aspect of the underlying philosophy of this school. Many western students with a modernist bent find this school attractive.
According to American yoga magazine, Yoga Journal , Anusara Yoga is "the ultimate American (western) yoga: It's upbeat, optimistic, entrepreneurial, systematic, and do-it-yourself-friendly, and...It's spiritual but not dogmatic. It creates a sense of community. And it appeals to Westerners' pioneering spirit by suggesting that there is yet another frontier to conquer-the one inside us."
The underlying philosophy of this school of hatha yoga is Tantric in nature. As such, the manifest universe (perceived through our senses and mind) is seen as a manifestation of the Divine. The nature of the Divine - God, the undifferentiated Absolute, the Essence of everything and everyone, the Transcendental - is pure bliss. The nature of God, by its very definition, is absolute and free of any limitations.
In a grand game of hide and seek , the Absolute seeks to experience its own blissful nature by creating a vast, infinite diversity of form.
Traditionally an Anusara yoga class might open with the singing of the following mantra:
| Om Namah Shivaya Gurave | I offer myself to Lord Shiva , the Auspicious One, who is the True Teacher within and without, | |
| Saccidananda Murtaye | Who assumes the forms of Reality, Consciousness, and Bliss, | |
| Nishprapanchaya Shantaya | Who is never absent and is full of peace, | |
| Niralambaya Tejase | Independent in existence, the vital essence of Illumination. | |
| Om | Aum |
The practice of Anusara Yoga can be broadly categorized into three parts: Attitude , Alignment , and Action .
Attitude
The concept of Attitude is related to the Tantric concept of Iccha Shakti , which is defined as the energy or power of fullness, or will. The concept of Attitude is related to the heart . Attitude , according to John Friend, is the "power of the heart as the force behind every action or expression in an asana." It is "the aspiration to reawaken to our divine nature, and the celebration of life."
Alignment
The concept of Alignment is related to the Tantric concept of Jnana Shakti , which is defined as the energy or power of awareness. The concept of Alignment is related to the mind . Alignment , according to John Friend, is the "mindful awareness of how various parts of ourselves are integrated and interconnected."
The Universal Principles of Alignment
The concept of Action is related to the Tantric concept of Kriya Shakti , which is defined as the energy or power of action. The concept of Action is related to the body . Action , according to John Friend, is the "natural flow of energy in the body, which provides both stability and joyful freedom."
John Friend draws the following analogy on the use and interplay of Attitude , Alignment , and Action in one's yoga practice:
A musician (yogi) makes music (performs an asana) by expressing his heart ( Attitude ) through the playing ( Action ) of a properly tuned instrument ( Alignment of the body). The highest expression of an asana (the most beautiful music that a musician can potentially play with a particular instrument) occurs when the instrument of the body is optimally Aligned , the Action is strong and balanced, and the Attitude is spiritually pure and powerful.
