Anusara
(a-nu-sar-a), means “flowing with Grace,” “going with the
flow,” “following your heart.” Founded by John Friend in 1997, Anusara Yoga is a hatha
yoga system that unifies Universal Principles of Alignment with a
non-dual Tantric philosophy that is epitomized by a “celebration of
the heart.” In this philosophy we take the premise that everything
is Supreme Consciousness – nothing exists that is
not supreme Consciousness.

It encompasses a vision of totality in which each person is seen as
equally divine in every part – body, mind, and spirit. The body and
mind are honored as sacred vessels through which the divine
radiance of supreme Consciousness can shine. Each of us is regarded
as essentially good, so there is a lot of acceptance and allowance
in this system for difference and deviation.

Anusara is flowing with Grace by saying yes to the whole magical spectrum of life. It is a willingness to be aware of all parts of ourselves – the light
and the dark, the full rainbow of sensation, perception, emotion,
and thought. To be in the flow is to look at whatever arises with
freshness and freedom. It is simply to open our hearts with love to
the present moment without clinging or pushing.

Anusara is accepting the world and ourselves as we are, and then responding
with love. The highest intention of practicing Anusara Yoga is to
align with the flow of Grace, to awaken to the truth that our
essential nature is part of this divine flow, and to lovingly and
joyfully serve this flow. We delightfully dance with the flow of
supreme Consciousness through each breath and every posture in our
yoga practice. In each pose, we artistically offer our individual
light and our unique music to the flow of life.

The art of yoga is viewed as a co-participation with the Supreme –
not a practice of domination, subjugation, or control of nature.
The yoga reflects a healthy, balanced relationship with the
Supreme. Anusara Yoga is an all-inclusive yoga in which each
student’s various unique abilities and limitations are deeply
honored. It is through the limitations of the body/mind that we
discover that our true nature is boundless goodness and vast
luminous Consciousness. The body/mind is a gift from God to help us
discover our glory, our greatness, and our worthiness to experience
the highest sense of freedom.

The poses in Anusara Yoga are considered to be “heart-oriented,” and are expressed from
“inside out.” Instead of only trying to control the body and mind
from the outside, the poses originate from a deep artistic feeling
inside. There is an emphasis on remembering the spiritual purpose
of hatha yoga, which includes reconnecting with our innate
goodness, power, and beauty, and expressing ourselves from that
divine place. To find out more about Anusara yoga, visit: http://www.anusara.com/ reposted from
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