Benefits of Kripalu Yoga

The word "Yoga" is derived from the Sanskrit word "yuj" which means "to yoke". This roughly translated means "the union of the Individual Soul with the Universal Soul". Yoga is an ancient spiritual practice originating in India more than 5000 years ago. Its practice can be viewed either as physiological mastery (exercise), spiritual mastery, or both. There are four major branches of yoga.

*Bhakti Yoga ~ The yoga of devotion to a deity.

*Jnana Yoga ~ The yoga of intellectual endeavor and knowledge.

*Karma Yoga ~ The yoga of action in the world.

*Raja Yoga ~ The yoga of meditation.

There are many sub-branches including Anahata, Hatha, Kriya, Anusara, Kundalini, Anuyoga, Iyengar, Mahayoga, Ashtanga, Natya, Sivananda, Ati, Krishnamacharya, Pranava, Swara, Bikram, Kripalu and many more. The goals of yoga are expressed differently in different traditions. Kripalu Yoga is one of the many styles of teaching Hatha Yoga and is the style we'll be discussing here.

Kripalu Yoga can be described as the reciprocity of mind, energy and physical body. The prana or life force is the subtle current of rhythmic energy pulsations within the physical body. Every single act of the physical body is strongly affected and accompanied by emotional and mental conditions. Imbalance or even disease can be created by the most infinitesimal thought which disrupts or obstructs this crucial flow of energy.

The practice of Kripalu Yoga includes deep relaxation, breathing techniques, physical postures and meditation. Through the practice of this form of Yoga, you can release pain by eliminating layers of stress and resistance lodged in your physical body. This experience can dissolve blockages, free energy and actual healings can occur on all levels. Energy levels can be improved, anxiety reduced, blood pressure levels normalized, greater flexibility, more strength, increased levels of endurance and general well-being.

There are natural healing processes awakened to improve your mental clarity, emotional stability and your overall physical well-being. When emotional and mental disturbances are dissolved, huge amounts of prana are released to affect healing. The regular practice of Kripalu Yoga can have profound effects on the emotions, mind and physical body.

Kripalu Yoga teaches you to tap into your own inner-knowing instead of being dependent upon any guidance of external authorities. It's okay to be open to what others suggest, but you don't need to give away your powers to make your own decisions, your powers to reason and to be discriminatory. At all times during the practice of Kripalu Yoga you are establishing a nurturing and intimate relationship with your physical body.

Physical discipline alone will not provide the benefits of this practice in which your body becomes a temple, which you invoke with the presence of the divine. Each sensation you experience becomes sacred. Sensations are responded to with much tenderness and compassion. Every session is approached with an attitude of prayer.

The practice of Kripalu Yoga can take you to new spiritual and physical levels in your life. This form of Yoga practice may be an extension of your search for meaning in self and integration of the different aspects of being. For the average person still far from enlightenment, this particular practice of Yoga can be a way of increasing one's spiritual awareness, or cultivating insight and compassion. Yoga in itself is not a religion, but contains practical steps, which can be found in the spiritual practices of all religions, as well as those who do not consider themselves religious. No matter what your goals, Kripalu Yoga can be a method of improving your life on all levels.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Yoga

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

Basics of Kripalu Yoga

Kripalu Yoga is a challenging approach to asana practice that emphasizes meditation and breathwork, and encourages inward focus and spiritual attunement.

BASIC PRINCIPLE: Practicing Kripalu Yoga can initiate a gradual process of physical healing, psychological growth, and spiritual awakening.

WHO FOUNDED IT: Amrit Desai

INSPIRATION: Sri Kripalvananda, also known as Bapuji (1913–1981)

WHERE TO DO IT: Tens of thousands of people have flocked to the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Lenox, Massachusetts. While there, visitors can take part in workshops on everything from yoga and hiking to African drumming. They can also spend a long weekend resting and relaxing, enroll in a teacher training, or go for the popular three-month intensive Spiritual Lifestyle Program. To find a Kripalu-trained teacher in your area, visit www.kripalu.org.

WHO DOES IT: Kripalu attracts people who want to transform their lives. Yogis looking for something more playful can try Kripalu’s DansKinetics, a dynamic blend of dance and yoga.

TEACHERS TO KNOW: Stephen Cope, Ann Greene, Sudhir Jonathan Faust, Shobhan Richard Faulds

RESOURCES: You can learn the basic approach to this style from videos such as Kripalu Yoga: Gentle, Kripalu Yoga: Dynamic, Kripalu Yoga: Partner, and Pranayama: The Kripalu Approach to Yogic Breathing. And Stephen Cope has written an autobiographical book called Yoga and the Quest for the True Self (Bantam, 2000) that delivers a compelling history of Kripalu Yoga.

Kripalu Yoga Helping Anger Management

The concept of practicing Kripalu Yoga, as an accessory to fury management care, has promise, but it also has doubters. People that would like to stay as they are have abbreviated their possibilities at achieving success through any form of treatment. If we do not believe in a sort of treatment, there's not much chance of success.

In standard healing forms of hate management treatment, a patient sees a pro psychological well-being counselor. If someone voluntarily seeks professional help, he or she sees the fact of the problem.

When anger is beyond control, it can turn violent in a second. Relations and jobs take a back seat, while hate plays itself out. Thru violence, hate leads to crimes of passion.

Yet, the objective of all forms of Yoga is tranquility of mind through coaching. Some people claim that Yoga should have any goals. This is a ridiculous idea, because generations of people would not continue to practice Yoga, over thousands of years, without goals.

Make no mistake about it, Kripalu Yoga will train the mind. The desire to have fits of hate starts to vanish as a Yoga expert continues to stay with the practice.

The benefits from a complete yoga form, which practices pranayama ( yogic respiring ), asana, mantra, meditation, and relaxation methodologies, can't be understated. The cause of a state of tranquility is quite simple: Kripalu Yoga permits the specialist to manipulate their mind.

There are plenty of reasons to go off into a fit of anger. We may not have reached a state of maturity, where we are able to control our actions. For instance : Kids don't consider the results of their actions. Anger is, in truth, a total waste of time. If someone hurts us, it's far better to get a logical solution to end or reduce the pain. When the mind is in the middle of a temper fit, no logical solutions will be found.

The mind / body connection is extremely important with the amount of stress we have to deal with on a daily basis.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gale_S_Wilder

Why Kripalu Yoga?

Intertwining the mind, body, and energy is the primary goal of Kripalu yoga. Those who practice it believe that the body contains energy pulsations in a flow that are called prana, which is sometimes referred to as life force. The idea is that the smallest thought or worry can cause problems with the prana in your physical body. That is why Kripalu is important; it is a way of being aware of the prana and using breathing with thought to prevent blockage or disturbance of the life force in your body. In turn, you will feel an increased level of mental clarity and emotional control.

Boiled down to its essence, Kripalu yoga is about looking at yourself in order to free you. Kripalu yoga followers believe that by simply examining and experiencing physical, emotional, and mental processes, you begin to erase blockages in the prana. In turn, this creates a better flow of life force inside you and invokes a feeling of physical and mental well-being.

Why Kripalu?

Yoga, in all its forms, has been shown to be highly effective in honing the physical human body. This is much of the reason for yoga’s immense popularity. What Kripalu does, though, is use the physical body and yoga’s benefits to it as a vehicle for pursuing the greater good of mental and emotional stability and clarity. Hence, many believe it to be the most complete and beneficial form of yoga. The idea is that as you release your emotional and mental impurity, you increase the amount of prana in your system which in turn also helps with physical healing and performance. Of course, when all yoga practices and meditation are prefaced with techniques, such as the Maharic Seal (Azurite Press), that seal the body's energy fields from external influences, the experience of self knowledge is both clearer and authentic. Kripalu yoga does not teach this, however.

Many use this popular form of yoga to combine physical fitness with self growth and the empowerment of the self. In Kripalu, you will learn to lead yourself through self-examination rather than through a leader or instructor. In this form of yoga, leadership is there only to help you turn yourself into your own leader. Your sensitivity to self, others, and your own body will increase from the focus you will receive when you look inside. To take it deeper, many believe that you are using your body to as a temple to attract the presence of those powers greater than yourself. Though some may be skeptical, many more feel such presences when led there through their own self-examination.

When you learn Kripalu from an instructor, you will find that it usually does not matter what your level is in yoga. The classes are generally conducted in the same way for new yoga practitioners and veterans alike. The emphasis, remember, is on looking inside yourself and seeing what is there. Though there are postures and a “right” way to do them, you will likely be encouraged to concentrate on your mental state and on increasing the flow of your prana.

Moreover, Kripalu is truly about life change. You will learn to focus on your spiritual well being outside of the classroom as well as while you're on the yoga mat, contributing to your overall well being and helping you on your way to being the best person you can be.

Kripalu is a unique form of yoga. With emphasis on looking at the self and ridding it of all that has gone awry, this form of yoga is about more than just fitness of the body. It is about fitness of emotions, spirit, and even a little bit of the soul.

References:
discoveryyoga.com/KripaluY.htm

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rebecca_Prescott