Styles of Yoga and Hatha-Chakra

Take a look at this video on yoga styles and where they come from. What yoga styles have you tried, what are the similarities and differences in each one? How would you explain the differences of these styles to a potential student?


Hatha-Chakra

Hatha Yoga is characterized by holding poses for 1-2 minutes or at least 5 long breaths. Poses are partnered with counter-poses held half as long as the pose being worked on and performed right after. For example, a seated forward bend held for 6 long breaths is then followed by half-bridge (setu bhandasana) for 3 breaths. In Hatha yoga, we try to choose poses that collectively will cover all or most of these bodily positions - standing, balancing, seated, crouching, lying on the back, lying on the stomach and inversions. The traditional hatha style does not make use of themes as in vinyasa.

We will be using a style of yoga that we will call hatha-chakra. We will derive this from hatha, taking the simplicity of this style. We will hold poses for at least 5 breaths. In the sequencing of poses we will use the order of the chakras instead of the bodily positions. We will also extend the class to include visualizations and themes, if you are so inclined.

More about this course requirement at the end of the course.


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