| Most adults in the world have heard of Yoga today, | | | | and it is appropriate for beginners and advanced |
| but most don't realize that there are many different | | | | students. The practice does move into more |
| styles of yoga that are practiced. Some are quite | | | | advanced movements and ideals as the student |
| popular, while some styles of yoga aren't very well | | | | progresses. Unlike other forms of yoga, Ananda is |
| known at all. Ananda Yoga is one of those styles of | | | | not aerobic at all, nor is it considered aggressive. |
| yoga that is rarely heard about outside of yoga | | | | When practicing Ananda Yoga, it is important that |
| circles. | | | | you maintain a state of relaxation throughout the |
| Ananda Yoga was developed by Swami Kriyananda, | | | | exercise, even when you have to put forth effort to |
| who developed the Ananada Yoga system from | | | | do a particular poses or exercise. It is vital that you |
| what he learned directly from Paramhansa | | | | pay special attention to your state of mind and how |
| Yogananda - who was considered to be the first | | | | it changes during the practice of Ananda as well. Safe |
| great master of Yoga. | | | | and correct alignment are stressed, but at the same |
| Ananda Yoga encompasses many different aspects | | | | time, it is believed that the exercise should fit the |
| of yoga, and all include the mental, the spiritual, and | | | | person, and not that the person should fit the |
| the physical. These are the three levels of your | | | | exercise. |
| being, and through Ananda Yoga, the goal is to | | | | The two key components of Ananda Yoga are the |
| integrate all three levels and to harmonize those | | | | Energization Exercises and the accompanying Asana |
| levels. Ananda Yoga is meant to raise your state of | | | | Affirmations. There are thirty nine special energy |
| consciousness. | | | | positions or exercises that are practiced, and each of |
| Ananda Yoga does this by using all of the Asana - or | | | | these 39 positions has an Asana affirmation that |
| yoga postures, special breahing and energy control | | | | complements it, which is practiced silently by the |
| techniques, which are referred to as Pranayama, and | | | | person doing the exercises. Combined, these two |
| applying yoga philosophy as well as other classical | | | | aspects are supposed to help you increase your life |
| yoga meditation techniques. Ananda Yoga is | | | | force, focus on your life force, and control your life |
| considered to be one of the gentlest forms of yoga, | | | | force. |