Yoga is the practice of opening ourselves to the present moment
and thus opening ourselves to who we really are.
My yoga is a blend of my Israeli and North American sides; my dynamic, action-seeking and
structure-oriented nature combined with my calm, serene, free, and spiritual nature.
In both of these styles of yoga the principle of “Vinyasa Krama” (taken from Patanjali’s Yoga
Sutras) is applied in that there is an organized sequence of postures (asanas) progressing
towards a desired goal.
The unique energy of each class determines the type of practice, since yoga is the union between
body, mind and soul; thus every practice and every class is different. This is the beauty of yoga!
Our body, mind and spirit is dynamic and different every day and every hour, therefore, just as
each one of us is unique and special in his/her own way, each practice is unique and special.
The more I learn and practice yoga, the more I learn about myself, about others and about how
much more there is to learn and grow.
Yoga Styles
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is a system of yoga that has its origins in an ancient manuscript
known as the Yoga Korunta, compiled by the Vamana Rishi. Its current form was developed at
the Mysore Palace in Mysore India. and is commonly attributed to Sri K. Pattabhi Jois by way
of Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya.
This style of yoga is characterized by a focus on vinyasa which is a dynamic connecting posture
that creates a flow between the more static traditional yoga postures.
The Vinyasa is the connecting sequence that links between the postures and is also the linking
of the movement to the breath. Essentially the breath dictates the movement and the length of
time held in the postures. Attention is also placed on the journey between the postures and not
just the postures themselves.
The whole practice is defined by a specific series of postures, always done in the same order,
combined with specific breathing patterns.
The purpose of vinyasa is to create heat in the body, which leads to purification of the body through increased circulation and sweating. It also improves flexibility, as well as tendon and tissue strength, allowing us to practice advanced postures (āsanas) with reduced risk of injury.
More detailed information about Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga can be found here on
wikipedia.
This style of yoga has been inspired by the Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga and is similar to it in terms
of having “breath-synchronized movement.” The movement from one pose to the next will be
synchronized with an inhale or an exhale. Thus, the poses run together and “flow” like a dance.
Unlike Ashtanga Vinyasa, however, the postures are not always done in the same specific order
and there is more versatility and diversity in the structure of the sequence and the practice.
