Sivananda yoga focuses on well-being, relaxation, and breathing techniques. It consists of five principles: pranayama, asanas, savasana, yogic diet, and positive thinking. It originated in Hinduism but does not require adherence to the religion. A typical session lasts 90 minutes and emphasizes a vegetarian diet.
Sivananda yoga, a form of hatha yoga, is based on the teachings of Swami Sivananda and focuses on general well-being and health, as well as relaxation and breathing techniques, rather than taking the more athletic approach of some yoga schools. . Sivananda yoga works to optimize the overall health and function of the body through five main principles: breathing techniques, or pranayama; exercise through the performance of asanas, the different yoga postures; relaxation through the use of a particular asana called savasana, also known as the corpse pose; proper health through a yogic diet; and positive thinking, or vedanta, achieved through meditation, or dhyana. All these principles practiced together form the basis of sivananda yoga and are said to help increase the effectiveness of the immune system and prevent premature aging and excessive disease.
Like all forms of yoga, sivananda yoga has its origins in various beliefs of Hinduism, although adherence to the Hindu religion is not required to participate in yoga classes or benefit from practicing yoga. Introduced to the United States in 1957 by Swami Vishnu-devananda, a student of Swami Sivananda, sivananda yoga was one of the first forms of yoga practiced in the West, and it has remained popular. A typical sivananda yoga session lasts about 90 minutes and begins in savansana, then progresses to sun salutations and continues with a set of 12 main asanas or postures. Mastery of sivananda yoga involves mastery of these poses, some of which, like the shoulder stand pose, are quite advanced.
Although many who practice various styles of yoga also follow a yogic diet, Sivananda yoga places more emphasis on this aspect of yoga than other schools. A yogic diet is essentially vegetarian, focusing on the balance between different types of foods based on how quickly those foods are digested and the type of energy they are believed to produce in the body. Foods are divided into the categories of sattvic foods, rajasic foods, and tamasic foods. Sattvic foods (vegetables, nuts, grains, fruits, beans, and certain herbs and spices) are the easiest to digest and provide the most readily available energy. Rajasic and Tamasic foods are “slower” foods and should generally be avoided as they are believed to interfere with general body function. Although it may seem extreme to some, this vegetarian approach to eating is quite healthy for most people and can help maintain heart health, lower cholesterol, and aid weight loss.
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