Anusara Yoga
Anusara (a-nu-sar-a), means “flowing with Grace,” “going with the flow,” “following your heart.”
Founded by John Friend in 1997, Anusara Yoga is a powerful hatha yoga system that unifies a Tantric philosophy of intrinsic Goodness with Universal Principles of Alignment™.
Currently, Anusara Yoga is one of the most popular and fastest growing yoga styles in the world with over 1200 affiliated teachers and 100,000 students world-wide.
Anusara Yoga classes are now found throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Europe (including Ireland), Australia, and Japan with a growing presence in many other areas of the world.
An Anusara retreat is both uplifting for the soul and one’e connection with the Divine, as well as an uplifting experience for body and mind.
Anusara Yoga is attracting media attention worldwide including a 2004 Yoga Journal cover story, CBS national news in the US, as well as newspapers and magazines throughout North America, the UK, and Europe.
Anusara Yoga’s remarkable popularity is due in large part to its uplifting philosophy, epitomized by a “celebration of the heart,” that looks for the good in all people and all things. Consequently, students of all levels of ability and yoga experience are honored for their unique differences, limitations, and talents. This life-affirming vision sets the basis for a yoga system in which the harmony and joy of a tightly knit community is exulted.
Anusara Yoga 2009 March with Tahnee Fournier
We had an inspiring weekend of Anusara yoga with Tahnee Fournier in March 2009.
Our group of 9 course participants came from all over the country and we had one girl from the UK, and i girl who travelled all the way from the US and who was planning to spend a week in Ireland. Wow…
The group ranged from complete beginners to those who were quite experienced.
And Dave also attended the classes and enjoyed the experience immensely 😉
The course participants kindly gave Dave permission to take some photos during the class. Thank you for that! – Dave
Tahnee taught various different types of Anusara classes ranging from opening and relaxing, to energetic and energising, to partner assists and fun.
One of Tahnee’s classes began using belts to help keep the legs in position while we lay back on foam blocks and blankets to help open the chest and to energise the heart centre.
Tahnee took the time to make sure everyone was correctly aligned in the posture and gave gentle guidance to make sure we were all setup right.
Later we did some asanasa to help loosen the hamstrings, and to energise the body.
Some of the postures included ‘partner assisted’ postures where we helped each other to go deeper into postures by adding a little assistance in various ways.
Many postures also had preparation stages where particular care was paid to the alignment of the body, feet and legs, before going into the final extended pose.
The classes were taught in a light fun manner, although a lot of time was given to correct alignment and also some time given to the principles of Anusara yoga, and realisation of the bigger picture of yoga in opening the heart, becoming aware of the veils that hold us back from getting in touch with the inner light.
Tahnee had lovely indian chanting and other soothing and sometimes quite upbeat music playing over the surround sound speakers. Cool sounds 😉
At times she moved around the class, making finer adjustments, and suggesting variations on the postures to some of us.
Very often the ‘adjustments’ were as light as a finger touch to remind us where to ‘let go’.
And as we stretched upwards, and downwards, forward and back, it was life as if the weather in the Burren was doing it’s own ‘Dance of Being’, showing us hail, rain, high winds, complete calm and sunshine constantly changing throughout the weekend.
Some more sunshine 😉
I wonder what the weather will be like for our walk in the Burren ?
As Tahnee got to know each one of us over the weekend, she worked aleviating difficulties some of us had in some postures.
And Tahee shined as did the sun, and our own hearts 😉
It’s great to see when yoga brings out the best within us.
Hey, have those skies turned grey again?
Time to help lift each other’s spirits and our bodies ….
Tahnee demonstarates how to protect one’s own back, while assisting the person next to you with a preparation back bend.
And as we helped each other Tahnee went around to offer advice, and also to assist in the partner work.
It was possible to ‘let go’ and go deeper into postures as we were assisted to bend the back while also lengthening at the same time.
Subtle adjustments were made sometimes to deepen the assist,
And sometimes to remind us to let go in particular areas.
Hey, as we start to stretch… here comes the sun again…
And there were plenty of postures to help let go, and rest between the more energetic and energising postures.
Hip openers also meant letting go, but there was effort of another kind as some of the postures were quite challenging.
Backbends brough another enegry into the class, as some of us did preparions such as setu bandha while others did full wheel backbends.
Another great thing about the classes was that there was no pressure on anyone to compete, and each person could work on the variation which was best for them at that moment in time.
Assists for backbends were also demonstrated.
And would could again feel the energies start to heighten and energise.
When Tahnee wanted to emphasise an aspect of coming into a posture, she often demonstrated so that we could be clear about alignment principles and thios helped when it was out turn to be assisted.
And as usual Tahnee was there to help each one of us.
Holding the ankles can really provide steadiness, as our partner assists in supporting us as we lift up.
Yoga brings smiles of joy 😉
And these photos are just a small sample of the yoga classes, a few glimpses of the weather outside, and i hope that it brings back good memories of the weekend and inspires us to do our practice each day.
This weekend we went for an energising walk beside the sea at New Quay, where we started off by walking into the wind and the light fine rain.
Within 20 minutes as we turned a corner the wind came on our backs, the fine rain died off, and we were swept along on our walk enjoying the scenery and chatting to our new friends.
And then back to Linnanes lobster bar for lunch.
Then coffee in BurrenBeo cafe in Kinvara, back to the Burren Yoga Centre and another yoga class in the afternoon.
Dinner was very well received and we had another class with Tahnee on Saturday evening.
Hey…. we did all this and it is still only Saturday…..
I hope to see you all here again on one of our other courses, and Tahnee witll be back in October for some more Anusara yoga!
Love and Best Wishes,
Dave
Principles of Anusara Yoga Philosophy
The vision of Anusara Yoga is grounded in a Tantric philosophy of intrinsic goodness. In this philosophy we take the premise that everything in this world is an embodiment of Supreme Consciousness, which at its essence pulsates with goodness and the highest bliss. All of creation is divinely danced into existence for the simple delight and the play of embodying the Supreme’s own blissful nature.
The art of Anusara Yoga is a co-participation with the Supreme-not a practice of domination, subjugation, or control of Nature.
The poses in Anusara Yoga are considered to be “heart-oriented,” meaning that they are expressed from the “inside out.” Instead of trying to control the body and mind from the outside, the poses originate from a deep creative and devotional feeling inside. On our mat, we endeavor to always remember the spiritual purpose or highest intention of practicing hatha yoga, including reconnecting with our innate goodness and expressing ourselves from that Divine place.
Anusara Yoga is flowing with Grace by saying “yes” to the whole magical spectrum of life. It is a willingness to be aware of all parts of ourselves-the light and the dark, the full rainbow of sensation, perception, emotion, and thought. Saying yes to life means to openly sense and know each moment fully without prejudging it.
We simply open our hearts with love to the present moment without clinging or pushing. Then from this spacious place of perception we discern whether something is life-enhancing or not. Whatever we encounter, whether it is auspicious or malicious, good or bad, uplifting or disheartening, we respond in ways that are more life-affirming.
To be in the flow is to feel the moment fully and then to choose to act in ways that celebrate the essence of life, Spirit, and our hearts.
For more information please visit www.anusara.com
Anurasa weekend retreat in Ireland
If you would like to learn more about Anusara yoga, we have an excellent Anusara yoga teachers who teach here at the Burren Yoga and Meditation Centre.
Try a weekend ?
Reviewed 22nd April 2017
