Happy Happy Joy Joy?

SYA Teacher Meg

Anusara yoga has a reputation for being "Happy Yoga" because of its foundation in a Tantric philosophy of intrinsic goodness.  Maybe this idea will go down more easily if we think of it as beingness rather than goodness; intrinsic beingness that is neither good nor bad, it just is.  But we have to call it something in order to talk about it, and goodness is a good ole word that you wouldn't think would offend anyone.  And it is the closest everyday word to describing what the Tantrics were trying to express.  You could also use more technical Sanskrit words like ananda (bliss), anuttara (beyond which there is nothing), amrita (mystical bliss), jyoti (light) and so forth. 

SYA Teacher Rebecca

Most of us don't go around in states of perpetual bliss, and I always assume that at least half of the students in any class I teach are dealing with something in their lives that is really challenging.  Sometimes I am one of those people who is in a place of struggle.  So I know I can't hit them over the head with goodness and bliss, or they will tune me completely out.   Students have such strong radar for when you are not authentic as a teacher!  Yet I don't want to leave them behind; I want to welcome them into the yoga fold and offer them some small space in the difficulty, a little lifting of the veil, a remembrance of what is possible.  

SYA Teacher Beth

Here's how people often describe an Anusara class: welcoming, warm, inspiring, joyful.  They also say we Anusara teachers talk wa-a-a-y too much, and yeah, we can get going.  Like: "Draw the powerful energy of the earth up through your legs, so that your belly becomes radiantly alive, your tailbone roots back down into the great mother, causing your heart to lift to the endless sky of consciousness, and the cathedral of the roof of your mouth opens like the vast blue sky, lifting your spirits into the great Goddess source and creating a feeling of supreme bliss."  That IS a bit much, I admit.  But we're attempting to midwife the expansion of the human soul, not just be a hamstring lengthening technician or an ab building coach, although, since we're in human form, that's in the mix too.

SYA Teacher Grace

You can't imagine how much dedication, training, and skill it takes to teach Anusara yoga (read Anusara teacher Emma Magenta's blog on teaching with a theme to get an idea of this).  In our Teacher Trainings we tell our students that Anusara yoga is the hardest yoga to teach - you're not just giving placement instructions, you're inviting the student's heart into radical expansion, while articulating very refined and elegant physical instructions, offering personal manual and verbal adjustments, uplifting the vibe of the whole class, and trying not to talk TOO much!  That's a lot of balls to be juggling all at once.

I'd rather take the risk of being a bit too sappy than live in a safe little bubble of cynicism.  At least we're TRYING to articulate something that is uplifting, as opposed to the great tide of negativity, violence and despair that suffuses the world media.  We Anusarians are kinda innocent and hopeful that way.  That's one reason why I adore this community SO much.