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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2776
   
Location: Seattle, Washington | How interesting. For me they are not at all alike.
I've taken only a couple of classes of each, so I really don't have much information to go on. But I do have some level of awareness.
In my Iyengar sessions one woman was lovely. She taught only what she knew and it was a very beautiful class - not in its bright colors of poetic language. Just that it was so directly from her. The other Iyengar teacher stomped around, was a bit loud, and yanked on several students under the guise of "adjusting".
To me the Anusara class was a rail drink. Some cheap vodka but mostly orange juice. Most of the principles are clearly Iyengar but not enough of them for me to call it an alignment-based asana practice. Added to it was quite a bit of flowery dialogue delivered with a lilt. So to me it felt like someone else's asana (in part) and some nice things to say - but there didn't seem to be anything at all behind the words. Just words.
Even if I set that aside...I walked out of class and could not remember where my car was. I am very kapha and that's a significant reaction for me to have. I do realize many people think yoga IS about being blissed out. So my very statement here will serve to reinforce their position. But I simply did not find the residue of that practice very effective for my living.
Edited by purnayoga 2009-02-03 2:13 PM
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| I have taken many classes with Anusara trained teachers. My impression is that they are, as a rule, very well trained in alignment and in modifying poses for each individual. As a former dancer, I found this to be incredibly helpful and positive. There are so many instructors who merely teach to their idea of what students "should" be doing. It takes far greater skill to look at each individual and assess his or her needs based on limitations and abilities. My assessment of Anusara instrctors is that they are almost universally gifted in this domain.
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| Iyengar teachers don't hit students.
BKS did it in a particulat time and place...and students felt it was helpful not hurtful that it brought attention and intelligence.
J Friend was an Iyengar teacher for long time, but was always crediting his yoga to guru maya of SYDA yoga. anusara grew out of friend's iyengar foundation and its strengths come from that.
it can be very flowery and sugary-sweet. as someone else had mentioned all the "heart talk" can be ambiguous and taken many ways. and the spiral teachings often seem unclear to the person using the language.
to me (and i do have a bias toward iyengar--which is just where i come from and my preference) iyengar strives for clarity, anusara goes for feel-good. |
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Anusara & Iyengar
