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A SATYANANDA YOGA® CLASS
A typical class consists of asana (postures) pranayama (breathing), meditation and relaxation or Satyananda Yoga Nidra™. The classes are student-oriented and therefore tailored to meet the needs of the particular group. Alternatives are given so that a practice may be simplified or deepened depending on the student’s particular personal needs. In this way a Satyananda Yoga class is for EVERYONE. For CDs of Satyananda Yoga classes, please click here.

Asanas
Asanas (Yoga Postures) invigorate the body, improve health and flexibility and remove energy blockages and tension. Classical yoga postures are included in classes and are built up to very gently. Asanas are explored in a non-competitive atmosphere with an emphasis on awareness. As the student’s experience deepens, more complex and challenging practices and themes are gradually introduced.

Pranayama
Breath work is the second major component of a class. The aim of pranayama is to awaken, balance and expand the prana, or life energy, in the system. The breath is the bridge between the body and the mind, so Pranayama practice is useful for inducing relaxation and lessening mental and emotional disturbances. Pranayama training begins with natural breath awareness and progresses through deep, relaxed breathing to a variety of classical tranquillising and vitalising practices.

Satyananda Yoga Nidra™
Satyananda Yoga Nidra is a simple yet incredibly powerful guided meditation done lying down. It is often the favourite practice of yoga students. Satyananda Yoga Nidra involves a systematic relaxation of all layers of being from the physical through to the psychic and provides a blissful experience in which the body and mind sleep, but the awareness remains active. Yoga Nidra often includes the opportunity to state a personal positive resolution, or “sankalpa”, giving the practitioners the opportunity to create positive changes in their lives. Deeper stages and consistent practice of Yoga Nidra encourage the release of deep seated patterns held in the unconscious mind. This practice has also been proven to be a useful therapeutic aide in the healing of many imbalances such as insomnia, high blood pressure, digestive problems, chronic fatigue and much more. For an article on Yoga Nidra by Swami Muktidharma, please click here. For CDs of Yoga Nidra, please click here.

Meditation
Meditation expands awareness and develops calmness, serenity and focus, ultimately leading to a deeper understanding of our inner nature. Meditation also has much to offer as a tool for enhancing concentration, willpower and resistance to stress. It allows us to ride the waves of life without being disturbed by them. In Satyananda Yoga, meditation techniques are taught very systematically, and over a course of sessions, may cover body awareness, breath awareness, inner observation, mantra (sound) as well as active meditations that can be integrated into daily living.

Satyananda Meditation techniques include:

Ajapajapa
Japa means continuous repetition of mantra. Ajapajapa is when the repetition of mantra becomes spontaneous during the process of meditation.

“Japa is said to come from the mouth” and to take some effort, whereas “Ajapajapa comes from the breath and from the heart” and takes no effort at all (Swami Niranjananda Saraswati - Dharana Darshan, p.73).

Ajapajapa meditation utilises the repetition of the mantra SOHAM and HAMSO within the spinal and frontal passages of the psychic body. There are many stages involved to perfect the practise.

Antar Mouna
The Sanskrit word “mouna” means “silence” and “antar” means “inner”. Therefore, the English name for this practice is “inner silence”

“By maintaining awareness of one’s internal environment, thoughts, emotional reactions, etc., one can speed up one’s personal evolution to the utmost degree” (Swami Satyananda - Meditations from the Tantras p.210).

In our daily life, we are almost always externalized, relating to life with the five senses. With regular practice of antar mouna, the witness self emerges. The essence of the technique is acceptance and respect for the mind, and the ability to remain an impartial witness to all its manifestations.

For the complete stages of Antar Mouna refer to:
Meditations from the Tantras – Swami Satyananda Saraswati

Chakra Shuddhi
Chakra shuddhi is a powerful tantric meditation, which leads to a gradual cleansing of the chakras and the associated physical, pranic, mental, intuitive, and higher bliss bodies.

During the practise the psychic centres must be first located, then the passageway established between the kshetram (chakra trigger point) and chakra in the spine (see chart below). Then the breath is coordinated with mantra, so the chakras are purified, opened, and ultimately awakened.

For full details of this practise see the reference text: Dharana Darshan – by Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati

For CDs of meditation practices, please click here.