Do not look at yoga in the form of a practice, but as a life process. ~ Swami Niranjanananda |
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Yoga at Shiva Rooms, Kingston-upon-Thames
At Shiva Health we believe that yoga is for everyone regardless of your age, gender, nationality, colour or creed.
Yoga does not postulate any political or religious beliefs. It provides everybody, regardless of social background, with tools for health, peace of mind and an inspired vision for their lives. People who practise yoga are of all ages, levels of fitness and come from many walks of life. Both men and women are welcome!
Currently, we offer the following styles/traditions of yoga: Satyananda, Sivananda, Integral Vinyasa (Hatha Flow) , Yin Yoga, Kundalini Yoga & Meditation & Qi Yoga classes. We also offer Pregnancy & Post-natal Yoga and Yoga for Teens/Kids.
What is Satyananda Yoga?
It is an internationally renowned system of yoga developed by Swami Satyananda Saraswati and his lineage, which incorporates practices derived from ancient and traditional sources. Satyananda Yoga uses practices in a classical way, asana (postures) to balance the body and mind through the physical body, pranayama (breathing practices) to work on the energy of the body and meditation to calm and focus the mind. It also takes a broader outlook by teaching and encouraging yogic lifestyles. Through the practice of hatha (physical) yoga the body is purified, preparing it for the more advanced stages of yoga.
How does Satyananda Yoga work?
Satyananda Yoga incorporates the whole person, not just the physical body – it promotes the balance between body, mind, emotions and spirit. There is an emphasis on awareness and students are encouraged to learn about all aspects of their personality through yoga. Through awakening individuals’ awareness and inherent self-healing powers, physical diseases and mental stress can be managed and relieved. By steadying the emotions and calming the mind, a sense of perspective can be gained, bringing a feeling of peace, freedom and inner strength.
About Abhijeeta...
What is Integral Vinyasa (Hatha Flow) Yoga?
This is a style of Hatha yoga born out of the inspiration of great yoga gurus such as Swami Sivananda, Professor Krishnamacharya, and Paramahansa Yogananda. Yogananda was a great emissary in bringing yoga to the West. He taught that “self-realisation” is possible for everyone including the ordinary householder.
“Integral” yoga involves an integrated approach to all peoples and religions of the world. It involves practising all the limbs of Yoga at the same time from ethical code of conduct to the asanas (physical postures) and pranayama (breathing exercises). “Vinyasa” is a synchronization of breath, movement and mind. It is teaching and learning yoga through a carefully constructed series of postures flowing together with the use of breath.
The goals of practising asanas are to detoxify and rejuvenate all systems of the body, to purify thoughts and emotions and to promote deep stress release. Almost all of the yoga postures are woven around the spine to ensure its flexibility and strength. If the spine is healthy, the central nervous system is strong and steady, and energy can flow freely in the body preventing disease and well-being. Asana practice is a means to deepen our self-awareness in order to bring about self-transformation.
Thus Integral Vinyasa incorporates the mind, body and spirit in yoga and is a beautiful blend of teachings from all these great gurus.
What is Sivananda Yoga?
By closely observing the lifestyles and needs of people in the west Swami Vishnu-devananda synthesised the ancient wisdom of yoga into five basic principles that could easily be incorporated into one’s own lifestyle to provide the foundation for healthy living. It is around these five principles that the activities at the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre are based.
The Five Points
Proper Exercise (Asanas)
acts as a lubricating routine for the joints and muscles and other parts
of the body by increasing circulation and flexibility. The asanas not only
produce physical benefits, but are also mental exercises in concentration
and meditation, promoting optimum good health.
Proper Breathing (Pranayama)
connects the body to the solar plexus, where tremendous potential energy
is stored. Through specific breathing techniques this energy is released
for physical and mental rejuvenation.
Proper Relaxation (Savasan)
is a vital part of keeping the body and mind healthy. Yoga teaches three
levels of relaxation – physical, mental and spiritual.
Proper Diet (Vegetarian)
is eating with awareness. A yogi takes food which has the most positive
effect on the body and mind and the least negative effect on the environment.
Positive Thinking and Meditation (Vedanta and Dhyana)
relieves stress and replenishes energy. Meditation is well-known to improve
concentration and to bring peace of mind and spiritual strength. Meditation
is beneficial for everyone, especially those with a hectic, stressful life.
What is Qi Yoga?
Qiyoga is a unique union of two ancient sciences that has a powerful healing affect on the body. Qiyoga rejuvenates the body and gets the energy flowing. The fusion of qigong and hatha yoga makes Qiyoga is a dynamic form of healing accessible to everyone.
Dynamic classes catered for all levels, each week we will focus on a different chakra and asana, understanding the physical emotional and subtle energy bodies.
Each class finishes with a deep relaxation, you will leave feeling refreshed relaxed and re-energised. Come and try a class for yourself.
About Mahala...
What is Kundalini Yoga?
Kundalini yoga was brought to the west in the late 1960’s by Yogi Bhajan. He was born in India 26th of August 1929. At the age of 7, his grandfather sent him to a spiritual teacher. At the age of 16 and ½, he mastered Kundalini yoga, his teacher was the great Master Sant Hazara Singh. Yogi Bhajan is the author of more than 30 books. He is the founder of 3HO and Yogi tea etc.
“Kundalini Yoga is the master science of experience and awareness; It is the fastest way to establish an aligned relationship between the body, mind and the soul”. Yogi Bhajan
Kundalini yoga is a safe technology that can be practiced by everyone. It is an ancient art and science dealing with the expansion of consciousness, it is called the yoga of awareness. It aims to expand the awareness in the human experience and is done by practice.
A whole yoga set is called a Kriya and is a serie of positions, Asanas, normally 5-20 in a regular yoga class. One yoga position, asana is the sum of a position, movement, breathing, focus and a mantra and it includes Pranayama.
The following parts are included in Kundalini yoga:
Breathing techniques, different styles for different results
Points of focus, with the eyes open or closed
Mudra - hand position, fingers that press together to stimulate
and increase the effect of energy flow in your awareness
Sitting or standing position, still or moving
Mantra, spoken, sung or mentally repeated
Chanting, repeating a mantra, spoken or singing
Relaxation, in between the positions and between the yoga
and meditation to allow the effects of the movement to reach out to every
part of the specific areas in the energy bodies.
Meditation, from 3 - 62 minutes and more that works on
different parts of the energy system in the physical body, mind and the
soul. This is were you start to take control over your thoughts and mind.
Kundalini yoga strengthens your mental state, supports stress relief and self healing and the elevation of awareness.
Who can do Kundalini Yoga? Anyone that that seeks. By the simple reason that you start from where you are, what your condition allows you to do, regardless if you are fit or not, young or old.
What is Yin Yoga?
Yoga as practiced in the West is almost exclusively Yang or muscular in nature. The Yin aspect of Yoga (using postures that stretch the connective tissue) is virtually unknown but vital for a balanced approach to physical and mental health.
A practice based on the Modern Meridian Theory, which states that the meridians of acupuncture theory are currents flowing through the connective tissues of the body. Yin Yoga practice is specifically designed to address these tissues.
Yin postures should be done with the muscles relaxed and be held for a long time, with each posture held for five minutes on average. This is because connective tissue does not stretch like muscle and will not respond well to brief stresses. In addition Yin Yoga better pre-pares people for meditation.
For Yoga practitioners looking for something beyond physical postures, Yin Yoga offers a practice which incorporates Flows with different Themes, Prana, Bioelectricity, Chakras, Meridiens, Bones and Cartilage…there’s something for just about everyone.