Yoga for the Dancer the Various Yoga Disciplines V
Kripula Yoga, inspired by Kripalvananda and developed by his disciple Yogi Amrit Desai, is a three-stage Yoga tailored for the needs of the Western World students. Kripalu is called the Yoga of consciousness; Kripal means "compassion" or "mercy". Kripalu Yoga is an internal-directed approach developed by Desai and influenced by his Indian master teacher who practiced Kundalini (the freeing of energy) and pranayama (breathing techniques). Desai came from India in the 1960's to study at a design school in Pennsylvania, and to make extra money he taught Yoga. Desai offers a gentle, introspective practice and urges practitioners to hold poses to explore and release emotional and spiritual blockages. Goal-oriented striving is discouraged and precise alignment is not as important as in some other traditions.
Kripalu Yoga's first stage is the actual, steady practice of the postures and their basic mechanics. Good body alignment is coordinated with breathing and movement. It is in this stage the student works with their own strength and weakness in the postures. Also the postures are held for a short duration only. This stage focuses on learning the postures and exploring your body's abilities. During the second stage, the postures are held longer and the teacher addresses the student's mental and emotional states while doing the postures. This is where the teacher encourages the student to feel what is going on in the body, both emotionally and physically. For example, the mind might be concentrated on a feeling of not really wanting to do the posture or on a thought such as "I might hurt myself if I try this". This is the stage where you develop concentration and inner awareness. Meditation is included into the practice. Also in this stage the student becomes attuned to the presence and flow of prana (the breath). And finally, the third stage of Kripalu surrenders to the body's own wisdom. As in Desai's own experience, this means actually doing postures in spontaneous movements from one position to another. It's a "meditation in motion", in which the movement from one posture to another arises unconsciously.
The atmosphere in Kripula is noncompetitive, and is also taught one-on-one. Kripalu offers a strong teaching certification program at their head quarters in Lenox, Massachusetts. Kripalu is the largest center for Yoga and holistic healing in the United States. It's a 300-room building on 300 acres in a beautiful rural environment with a staff of around 150 that caters to more than 12,000 guests annually. Kripalu was founded on the Yogic ideal that physical health is the best foundation for mental well-being and spiritual growth. Offering a wide variety of Yoga programs for more than 20 years. The center presents a curriculum that includes daily workshops, weekend, and week long programs, as well as month long training. For now there are no other Kripalu center in the country, but, there are teachers of Kripalu elsewhere. If you are interested in the center, you may call (413) 448-3152 or 800-741-7353. Here's To Your Dancing Health!
Warrior Pose 1
This pose strengthens our connection with the grounding energy of the earth. It has an emphasis on establishing a firm and grounded foundation in the LEGS while lifting and expanding the CHEST. It's an excellent way to integrate the upper and lower halves of the BODY. Not only does this pose strengthen, but, it's exceptional for teaching the MIND focusing. The SPINE, LEGS, HIPS, ARMS, SHOULDERS, and THROAT are stretched and toned. The ABDOMEN and lunging LEG receive extra strengthening upon returning to your starting pose. Start with a small lunge and eventually you can work into a deeper lunge. Perform only what you can comfortably. Dancer and I disclaim any liabilities or loss in connection with the exercise and advice herein.
a. Begin in Mountain pose, feet under your knees, under your hips, under your shoulders.
b. Step out in front of you on your right foot and bending your leg at your knee, supporting your weight. The left leg remains straight. Simultaneously your arms come up and your palms meet overhead. You release the neck as you look up at your hands and hold for 10-20 counts. As you return to your mountain pose by pushing into the floor with your right foot, bring your arms back to your sides and then repeat identical movements with your left leg lunging. Rest and repeat on both sides.