Practices

Astanga Mysore is a silent practice where students learn each pose of the Astanga yoga practice at their own pace with individual guidance from the teacher. Students may arrive anytime during the class period and begin their practice. The primary method of instruction is through hands-on adjustments and the commitment of showing up on a regular basis. Mysore classes are recommended for all students, both beginner and advanced. The practice of Astanga Mysore is named for Mysore, South India, the place where Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, the founder and proponent, lived and taught.

No Mysore class offered on Moon Days.

By resting on moon days, one connects with the cycles and rhythms of nature. Gravitational pull on the earth and the body, composed mostly of water, is subtle yet a powerful force in going deeper in practice. Enjoy the day off, especially if you have a daily practice.

Moon Days

The Basics/Intro class serves as a solid introduction to the practice of yoga for new students or for those returning to the practice. While focused on exploring the poses (the asanas) and providing a familiarization with the basics of how a yoga class proceeds, other aspects of yoga, such as breath work, philosophy, and meditative techniques will be introduced as well.

The Foundations class reminds students of all levels of the opportunities to pay attention to the foundations of yoga in a fun, safe, and non-competitive environment. This class offers an exploration of the breath and breathing techniques, emphasizes proper and safe alignment, and is designed to give a firm foundation on which your practice can continue to flourish. As defined, a foundation is something (such as an idea or principle) that provides support for something else, or a structure that provides support for something built above. This class will provide guidance to help students continue to build a yoga practice or an intention that will be supportive as they move through their lives. It is appropriate for all students (beginners through advanced) as each pose will be covered from the ground up.

At Moksha Yoga Center, we believe that the liberating practice of yoga should be accessible to everyone, regardless of financial means. With this in mind we offer eight classes at our three studios which are either affordably priced (Karma Classes) or completely free (Community Classes).

Karma and community classes are taught by current Moksha teacher trainees.

A style of practice brought forth from the life experiences of creator, Ana Forrest. Known as a deeply healing and personally transformative practice that challenges the practitioner to remain in a state of feeling throughout the class as a way of clearing physical, mental, and emotional patterns. Based around the pillars of Breath, Strength, Integrity, and Spirit, this practice emphasizes deep breathing, longer pose holds, intelligently constructed sequences, personalized attention and alignment, and strong connections to internal wisdom. You will leave this practice feeling clearer, steadier, and better able to move through your life authentically from the beauty and intelligence of your Spirit. Accessible to all levels of practitioners.

Gentle yoga is suited for those who need to unwind and take a less vigorous approach to their yoga practice. It is appropriate for all levels of capability and experience, especially for those that are just starting out or are overcoming an injury.

You’ll find passive stretches, supported postures and slow, controlled movement, as well as relaxing and centering breath technique (pranayama) and meditation.

A Jivamukti class presents classical yoga teachings as relevant to one’s life on and off the mat, drawn from the Focus of the Month essay, supported by chanting, breath awareness, flowing vinyasa sequences, alignment exploration, hands-on assistance, relaxation and meditation. All classes include 14 points—asanas, meditation and spiritual teachings—in a sequence creatively designed by the teacher. Exuberant, eclectic music plays an integral role: you might practice to a shifting soundtrack of ragas, global trance, hip-hop, spoken word, George Harrison, Sting, Krishna Das, Donna de Lory, Michael Franti, Bill Laswell, Alice Coltrane and Mozart. Expect vigorous asana and an uplifting message from the core tenants of yoga philosophy.

Kundalini Yoga is the Yoga of Awareness. In this class we harness the mental, physical, and nervous energies of the body and put them under the domain of the will, which is the instrument of the soul. This technology precisely and consciously combines breath, mudra, eye-focus, mantra, body locks, and postures to balance the glandular system, strengthen the nervous system, expand lung capacity, and purifiy the blood. It brings balance to the body, mind, and soul. It cuts through the sub-conscious mind to ‘re-pattern’ our daily lives from the inside out.

Level 1:
Level 1 classes focus on the basics of alignment, vinyasa (breath synchronized movement), and breathing techniques (pranayama), to help students build a strong foundation both physically and mentally. These classes are ideal for the beginner or for anyone who enjoys working on the fundamental aspects of yoga practice.

Level 2:
Level 2 classes will assume some working knowledge of the basic poses. There will be more of an emphasis on linking the poses in the sequence, and practicing holds, variations, and breathing techniques that challenge the student to go deeper. Students are expected to work at his or her own pace to get the most out of her practice and know the limits and needs of her body.

Level 3:
Level 3 classes are geared towards teachers and experienced practitioners. Poses can be held longer or moved into and out of more quickly. Inverted poses, arm balances and more advanced backbends will likely be explored. Students are expected to know when to back off and when to push forward in these classes. Level 3 students should have at least one year of consistent practice and be in good health.

All Levels:
All Level classes are open to students with skill levels ranging from having a solid basic practice to advanced students. In All Level classes, poses will start with a basic variation, and students can choose the variation and pace that works best for them.

This class is for those looking to delve into the more subtle (esoteric) yet powerful aspects of Yoga. This is not your ordinary class and has a minimal physical practice. The first part of class we will explore different modalities of introspection including breath work, chanting, mantra, tapping (acupressure), chakra balancing, crystal healing, yoga nidra, aromatherapy and more. You will then sit or lie comfortably drifting off to a relaxing guided meditation to deepen the connection to your true essential nature. This process is deeply soothing and the results will leave you in a blissful state of peaceful awareness. A perfect way to transition from your workday to home.

This class is designed to create community for expectant moms in all stages of pregnancy. We will explore yoga postures that will prepare and strengthen the body for labor as well as relieve common aches and pains of pregnancy. We will also spend time cultivating positive thinking and relaxation through tools such as breath work and visualization. No prior yoga experience necessary.

Restorative Yoga is a practice that helps to promote deep relaxation of the body and mind. Postures provide similar benefits to classic hatha yoga postures and are done in a supported manner to minimize strain and maximize opening. The class is also oriented toward focused breathing and meditation.

Somatics unites slow, focused, comfortable movements (often performed lying on the floor on a soft blanket) with slow, smooth breathing. This effective approach to body-brain-mind integration, developed by Thomas Hanna in the 1970's, voluntarily contracts and relaxes muscles by engaging the sensory-motor cortex. During the practice, tension in the body and in the mind is released, the nervous system is calmed, and healing and well-being are promoted from within. Ultimately, when the body-brain-mind connection is awakened, one is better able to move through life with ease and flexibility and to navigate toward a path of heart-felt purpose.

No prior experience required. All levels welcome.

The word Tantra can be translated as “to weave.” Similar to “Mindful” classes, Tantric yoga is an eclectic style that weaves together asana (physical postures), pranayama (breath work), meditation and visualization. However, the Tantric style tends to place more of an emphasis on the energetic effects of the practice through the control of prana (life force energy). Physically, Tantric yoga classes integrate dynamic asana, static classical postures, and flowing vinyasa sequences together. Energetically, classes will explore bandhas, mudras, kriyas and extended breathwork for a truly integrative experience that will leave you feeling vibrant from the inside out.

Vinyasa Flow classes link up yoga postures (asanas) in a creative, fun, and ‘flowing’ way to keep you moving. Flow focuses specifically in vinyasa (breath synchronized movement), alignment as you enter and exit poses, and staying present with each moment of your practice.

by David Nathan

Viniyoga is less a style of yoga, but rather a methodology that comes from a tradition of the Nath order of Yogis dating back thousands of years. The term Viniyoga comes from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and means "using, or applying". The essence of Viniyoga lies in the adaptation of the practice to the individual and not the application of the individual to the practice.

This key insight asserts that the tools of Yoga including postures (Asana), breathing exercises (Pranayama); meditation (Dhyana); chanting, sound, personal ritual, and study are there only for the individual to apply and adapt to help one transform or change in a particular direction. This requires an individual to identify an intention for practice and discern how to intelligently apply the principles and practices of Yoga based on their needs, goals, aspirations, and interests. The vehicle by which one measures their internal condition in order to identify an intention for practice is the breath. The breath is the barometer by which one begins to understand the body mind and is the barometer by which one measures change. When applying and adapting Yoga, one must take into account one?s age, gender, time, place, constitution and abilities.

This tradition of Yoga was developed by the late yoga master Sri Krishnamacharya and further developed by his son T.K.V. Desikachar. Viniyoga tradition thrives and grows today and is taught by leading proponents including, but not limited to, S. Ramaswami, Gary Kraftsow, Sonia Nelson, and Martin Peirce.

by Mia Park

Yoga nidra is referred to as "yogic sleep", "dynamic sleep" or "psychic sleep" where you learn to relax consciously. In yoga nidra, the body, mind and intellect are completely relaxed and one appears to be sleeping. In the state of yoga nidra, however, the consciousness functions at a deeper level and the subconscious and unconscious realms of the mind are more open. Yoga nidra is a very deep form of relaxation and has been found to reduce tension, anxiety and headaches and is used to help soldiers with PTSD.

The process of yoga nidra is truly accesible for anyone who can lie comfortably on the floor. To practice yoga nidra, you will lie on the floor and are welcome to use supportive props to make the body as relaxed and comfortable as possible. A cushion under the head, a bolster under the knees to release the lower back, or a blanket over the body can greatly enhance the yoga nidra experience by facilitating effortlessly relaxation.

In yoga nidra, practitioners are safely guided through relaxing breath work and visualization by spoken word. Then, they are safely brought back to the conscious state. In this yoga nidra class, we will also work on setting a sankalpa, or focused resolution.

The deeply relaxed state yoga nidra cultivates is an excellent place to seed an intention, a sankalpa. The sankalpa is a short mental statement which is impressed on the subconscious mind when it is receptive and sensitive to autosuggestion during yoga nidra. Your sankalpa is a goal you want to fulfill in the next six to eighteen months and should be a goal to help you fulfill your dharma, your purpose in life. The most effective sankalpa is made when you are not intellectually active, but when your mind is calm and quiet.

In this one hour yoga nidra class, there will be 15-30 minutes of discussion and easy yoga postures to loosen the spine and increase breath capacity. The practice of yoga nidra will take place during the last half of class, so if you need to arrive late, you are still able to practice a full yoga nidra session.

“Kriya” literally means “internal action.” When doing inner action, it does not involve the body and the mind because both the body and the mind are still external to oneself. To do action with one’s energy, then it is a kriya. Through certain postures, mudras, breathing techniques, and focused awareness, the practice of kriya yoga brings depth and vibrancy to the life energies.

“Nidra” literally means “sleep”. Yoga nidra is a meditation practice that induces a state of deep, but conscious relaxation. It is said that the state of consciousness entered during yoga nidra is somewhere between sleep and wakefulness, promoting deep rest and relaxation that isn’t found in an average meditation practice. Meanwhile, yoga nidra offers the opportunity to learn about oneself intimately. Yoga nidra offers a space to explore what is needed in the moment, as well as an opportunity to loosen one’s grip on long-held emotions.

In an KriyaNidra class, students will work with the subtle aspects of their energy body and mental body, bringing unity to their system from the inside out.