Kripalu Yoga

(June 30, 2010)

What is Kripalu Yoga?

Kripalu yoga is a form of yoga that is based on the movements of hatha yoga. Kripalu yoga was founded in 1960 by Guru Amrit Desai, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Guru Desai named his yoga discipline after Sri Kripalvananda, who was himself a master of Kundalini yoga.
The Kripalu center for yoga became operational in 1983 in Massachusetts. The leadership of the wellness center was soon shifted to the more experienced disciples of the discipline, after Guru Desai was alleged with charges of sexual relationship with his disciples. After he had left the center, the center expanded its physical exercises and activities to encompass more ranges of movements and styles. Apart from yoga, the wellness center also offers insight into wellness topics.
So we know how kripalu yoga came to be, but just what is kripalu yoga? Kripalu yoga offers a wide array of physical activities to choose from. The course schedule of yoga is extremely flexible and diverse, unlike some of the more recent yoga styles like Bikram yoga. There are week long workshops which are held for the benefit of disciples. The wellness center also dwells on other wellness techniques like massage and ayruveda.
Kripalu yoga offers a gentler kind of hatha yoga. The approach of Kripalu yoga is extremely gentle and compassionate. There is emphasis on physical healing, meditation, and spiritual transformation. These healing teachings can flow into the everyday lives of the disciples because they are easy and flexible in practice. A typical kripalu yoga session is based on the rhythm and speed of the disciple. Since the discipline is so flexible to perform, there is no rush to increase the pace. There are gentle stretching exercises and traditional hatha yoga poses followed in a kripalu yoga session. Along with that, there are breathing exercises and relaxation poses to bring peace and tranquility to both body and mind.
Kripalu yoga is one of the gentlest forms of yoga. It appeals to people who have been away from physical exercise and are looking forward to incorporate more physical routines in their everyday life, however, at a relatively slow pace than that offered by fitness and yoga studios. There is a large spiritual element to kripalu yoga and therefore, the discipline also appeals to those who want to work on both their physical and spiritual side. The individualized and gentle approach is especially good for senior citizens and those who have physical ailments which do not allow them to participate in conventional yoga workouts.

Submitted by A on June 30, 2010 at 09:21

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