I was in Israel leading an Anusara teaching training when I got news that three of my friends and highly recognized Anusara teachers resigned their certification. My first thought was, “whoa, bummer, what’s up?” Ultimately, all three teachers have developed their own expression of the teachings and the way they transmit the yoga to their students.
One of the main teachings of Anusara is to ‘Follow Your Heart’—even the word Anusara means to ‘Follow your Heart.’ Two of the three teachers articulately and publicly claimed that in their heart they don’t align with Anusara’s philosophical vision (dharshan) anymore and want to offer their service in ways that are not fully aligned to the method’s philosophical view.
As the great Tantric philosopher Abhinavagupta said, “one’s svadharma (heart’s duty, life path) can never be abandoned.”
Just as our great teacher John Friend, came to the point in his studentship and teaching that his heart did not align to his teacher’s method, he had to resign from his yoga method to honor the inner voice of his heart. However painful and challenging it was, it was the right thing to do for everyone. In the same way, since in their heart they are not aligned to the method, the highest thing to do is to give thanks and love to their teacher and go on to shine their brightest, follow their heart.
John honors and appreciates that they are following their truth and has given them blessings of love on their new adventure. One of the tenets of relationship Anusara ascribes to is mudhita (feeling joy for someone else’s success) from the brahmaviharas (ways to be with God). Speaking for myself, and anyone else in the Anusara community who truly aligns with the teachings of Anusara, we all bless them with love and appreciation and truly wish them the highest and to see them be brilliantly successful as they courageously cross this threshold of their life journey.
After all, if you do what is right for your heart, it is right for everyone’s heart.
~
Go with the Flow: Alignment in Anusara
In Anusara yoga, poses adhere to the Universal Principles of Alignment. Discover the five main alignment principles, which apply sequentially in each pose: Opening to Grace, Muscular Energy, Inner Spiral, Outer Spiral, and Organic Energy.
By John Friend
An important intention in Anusara Yoga is to recognize our true nature as supreme auspiciousness. This auspiciousness is called Sri, the shining essence of life manifested as divine love and beauty. In Anusara Yoga, asanas are not only a means to connect with our inner Self of unbounded joy, but a way in which we choose to artistically express the delightful play of the universe. This intention can be more fully realized when the yoga poses are performed using the Universal Principles of Alignment, which help to optimally align the poses to their fullest potential in the moment.
There are five main alignment principles, which are applied sequentially in each pose: Opening to Grace, Muscular Energy, Inner Spiral, Outer Spiral, and Organic Energy. Along with these, there are secondary alignment principles, which can be used to refine alignment. In each of the following six poses, one or two of the Universal Principles of Alignment are emphasized—but remember that all the principles are applied in every pose. As you move in sequence through the principles, you must maintain the action of the preceding principle for a cumulative effect. —J.F.
I was in Israel leading an Anusara teaching training when I got news that three of my friends and highly recognized Anusara teachers resigned their certification. My first thought was, “whoa, bummer, what’s up?” Ultimately, all three teachers have developed their own expression of the teachings and the way they transmit the yoga to their students.
One of the main teachings of Anusara is to ‘Follow Your Heart’—even the word Anusara means to ‘Follow your Heart.’ Two of the three teachers articulately and publicly claimed that in their heart they don’t align with Anusara’s philosophical vision (dharshan) anymore and want to offer their service in ways that are not fully aligned to the method’s philosophical view.
As the great Tantric philosopher Abhinavagupta said, “one’s svadharma (heart’s duty, life path) can never be abandoned.”
Just as our great teacher John Friend, came to the point in his studentship and teaching that his heart did not align to his teacher’s method, he had to resign from his yoga method to honor the inner voice of his heart. However painful and challenging it was, it was the right thing to do for everyone. In the same way, since in their heart they are not aligned to the method, the highest thing to do is to give thanks and love to their teacher and go on to shine their brightest, follow their heart.
John honors and appreciates that they are following their truth and has given them blessings of love on their new adventure. One of the tenets of relationship Anusara ascribes to is mudhita (feeling joy for someone else’s success) from the brahmaviharas (ways to be with God). Speaking for myself, and anyone else in the Anusara community who truly aligns with the teachings of Anusara, we all bless them with love and appreciation and truly wish them the highest and to see them be brilliantly successful as they courageously cross this threshold of their life journey.
After all, if you do what is right for your heart, it is right for everyone’s heart.
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