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by Marianne Woods Cirone,
M.S., R.Y.T., Certified Yoga Teacher
Classical yoga focuses on a traditional
approach to Hatha yoga, that is, it has not been adapted in any particular
way. Hatha yoga is the part of yoga typically associated with
the physical postures, and is one limb out of the eight limbs of Raja, or
classical yoga. Raja yoga (meaning the royal path) eight limbs,
including postures, breathing and meditation techniques, as well as
philosophical guidelines. The practices of yoga are up to 6,000 years old,
but the traditions were handed down orally until they were
"codified" by Patanjali in a book called the Yoga Sutras. Many popular forms of yoga are adaptations
of the traditional style of yoga which have been developed by teachers
with a particular area of focus. Classical yoga may start with
gentle yoga as a warm-up, and may include restorative postures. Examples
of styles of classical yoga would be Kriya yoga, Himalayan yoga (as taught
at the Himalayan Institute), Sivananda yoga and Integral yoga.
The Himalayan Institute, where I received a
portion of my teachers training, teaches a classical style, with an
emphasis on meditation. The Himalayan International Institute
is an organization with classes and centers throughout the world; their
headquarters is in Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1971 by the late
Swami Rami as a bridge between the ancient Eastern teachings and modern
scientific approaches.
The Himalayan Institute has an excellent book called
Yoga: Mastering the Basics by Sandra
Anderson and Rolf Solvik, Psy.D. This is an oversized book with glossy
black and white pages and clear photographs and explanations.
It would be an outstanding starter book, and also makes a great addition
to any yoga library. The majority of the poses would be accessible
to a beginner, and few props are required. The postures are
presented in a sequence that one might follow as they began a yoga
practice. This book also provides a brief explanation of other
systems of yoga besides hatha yoga, which are not associated with the
physical postures. There are companion video tapes called Yoga:
Mastering the Basics: Flexibility, Strength and Balance, and Deepen and
Strengthen. The book is widely available, I have only seen the tapes
sold through the Himalayan Institute. They can be contacted at
1-800-822-4547.
Two schools of yoga which have been considered by some to be classical
include Sivananda, and Integral Yoga. These two schools originated
through the Himalayan Master Swami Sivananda. The teachings are
grouped into five major categories: yogic postures, breathing
exercises, relaxation, healthy diet and meditation. The Sivananda
Yoga Vedanta Center has published a full-color with DK Publishing called
Yoga, Mind & Body which gives a very good
overview of the five categories of teachings. The postures, which tend to
be more advanced are explained in some depth with a description of
benefits. However, the presentation of the postures would not be in
the order which one would begin a practice, as some of the first pages
demonstrates the head stand, the scorpion and the shoulder stand,
generally considered to be more advanced poses.
Also teaching a classical form of yoga, is
Lilia Folan of PBS fame. Teaching for over 30 years, Lilias has a
wide range of video tapes available, including her Lilias! New Yoga - Total Body Workout for Beginners
and Lilias! Silver Yoga Series Morning Workout for Beginners
(see right). These tapes are usually about a
half hour each, and are easy to schedule into your day. Lilias is
also a popular teacher at yoga seminars and conventions, so look for her
in your area. Lilias appeals to more mature audiences who are
looking for a calm, slow practice of yoga.
An excellent video which is in a relatively
classical tradition is
Yoga
Conditioning for Weight Loss by Living Arts and Suzanne Deason (see above,
left). I often recommend this video which is shot
with four models doing modifications of each pose, against
a beautiful desert setting. While I don't think this particular
video has any specific weight loss potential than other yoga programs, I
do believe that yoga can be a useful tool for weight loss as it helps
balance the body and the emotions, and provides a vehicle for a smooth
transition into life changes. For more information, go to Yoga
and Weight Loss. For those who are interested in the roots
of yoga, and other paths of yoga, see Yoga Philosophy for more
information.
For more information on yoga poses and
postures and how to do them, see Yoga Journal's site at
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/index.cfm.
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