Anusara Yoga

Anusara® is a yoga style born in the 90s as a union between dynamic Hatha Yoga, a more recent practice, and the tradition of the non-dual Kashmir Shaivism tantric philosophy. This approach conceives all reality as an emanation of the Universal Consciousness, which, initially undifferentiated and contracted (Shiva), expands and differs itselft dynamically (Shakti). It is not necessary to follow specific practices, rituals or moral precepts in order to rediscover one's deeper nature. Tantra says that is rather through experience, logic, and intuition that we get to unrevel our intimite identity. It is therefore not necessary to transcend reality, while the opposite thing is fundamental: we need to dive into the physical reality for then rising at deeper levels of awareness.

Anusara® yoga teacher licensing is provided by the Anusara School of Hatha Yoga, and the process includes three levels of certification:

• Anusara Elements ™, obtainable after 100 hours of immersion and 100 hours of teacher training
• Anusara-Inspired ™, obtainable by those who previously got licensed as Anusara Elements teachers with at least 2 years of teaching experience
• Anusara Certified®, obtainable by Anusara-Inspired teachers, with at least 2 years of experience who followed 300 hours of advanced teacher training

I always loved Anusara because of the balance and harmonization between the physical, philosophical and spiritual aspects. It is a very complete style, which allows us to fully explore our identities and also to balance our minds and bodies. Each lesson includes a theme related to philosophy , which is taken up in relation to the sequence of asanas (positions) developed during the lesson, in order to recreate philosophical concepts through physical practice and breath. The connection between the philosophical and physical component is possible thanks to the recall of heart qualities associated with the concepts to be experienced, and thanks to the Universal Principles of Alignment™ , principles based on biomechanics, functional to align mind and body in every posture. Mantras, meditation, pranayama (breathing exercises) and relaxation can also be present. After the theme has been introduced, the lessons starts with a a sanskrit invocation to Shiva; analogously, at the end of each lesson, it's common to sing a mantra for peace. For more information on the invocation and other aspects of Anusara, I refer you to the official page of the Anusara School of Hatha Yoga, at the following link.

Regarding my lessons, each lesson lasts 1 hour and a 30 mins, and it has the following structure:

• 30 minutes including theme, invocation and warm-up
• 30 minutes with more intense poses
• 30 minutes including cooling-down and conclusion
• Pranayama exercises and meditation are often included in the lesson