Anahata Yoga
Anahata Yoga is a form of Yoga designed by teacher Ana Costa. Its aim is to “deeply connect, expand and awaken” the students’ hearts through the practice of breathing exercises (Pranayama), Yoga Postures (Asanas), and Meditation.
History
The school of Anahata Yoga began with the statement given by Ana’s Guru, Paramahansa Yogananda. According to her Guru, it was suicide to walk, sit, rest, talk or lie down with a caved-in chest. Doing so starves the lungs of oxygen which later causes problems on the spine. The statement struck Costa and she decided to focus her classes on opening the Anahata or the heart center. She believes that doing so would correct bad posture, open the breathing cavities which allow the life force to enter the body, and to give students the attitude of preparedness to whatever may come to their lives.
Ana Costa hails from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, but she has been based in Encinitas, California since 1999. She has studied Raja Yoga for over 17 years and has been a teacher for the past 10 years. She started teaching Anahata Yoga in 2001.
Anahata
The Anahata is the fourth primary Chakra which is positioned in the area of the heart. This Chakra is associated with compassion, love, charity, and forms of psychic healing. It is also associated with the ability to make decisions outside the realm of karma or what is commonly referred to as following one’s heart.
Practicing Anahata Yoga
The practice of Anahata Yoga emphasizes the flow of exercises, postures, and short Meditation sessions. The series of activities is light and is meant to encourage full and proper breathing, awakening of the heart, and calmness.
The usual order of the exercises is as follows: seated Meditation and breathing, which is then followed by doing Asanas that are meant to awaken the spine. After this, the students meditate for a short time. After the short Meditation, students do Standing Poses and standing Meditation. They are then followed by floor-based exercises, time for Meditation, Seated Poses, and then another period of Meditation. After those exercises, students then do reclining postures followed by a period of relaxation and Meditation. The exercises are then concluded by returning to the seated position and by recalling their intentions.
At the end of the practice of Anahata Yoga, it is always wished that the students would have opened their hearts and spread love, peace, and joy to everything in the world.
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Basics & Backgrounds
in Dutch
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