Naked Yoga

Los Angeles

YOGA and MASSAGE STYLES

—Ashtanga
—Bikram
—Ishta
—Iyengar
—Partner
—Practice/Share
—Restorative
—Sivananda
—Steel
—Viniyoga
—Vinyasa

Kundalini Yoga
Massage

—Aromatherapy
—Chair Massage
—Deep Tissue
—Lymphatic Drainage
—Myofascial Release
—Neuro-Lymphatic Release Points
—PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation)
—Swedish

Pilates
Tantra Yoga

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HATHA YOGA

is a collection of hundreds of challenging physical postures (asanas) and breathing exercises (pranayama). Asanas stretch and contort the body resulting in increased flexibility and muscle tone. Pranayamas increase lung capacity and help the practitioner tame the drives of the body. The purpose of Hatha Yoga is to condition the body to enable meditation without obstacles. Most Naked Yoga sessions do not involve extended discussions about meditation or spirituality. However, for many of us, our practice of Hatha Yoga facilitates spiritual development by changing our relationship to our own bodies.

Following are various methods of learning and practicing HATHA YOGA:

ASHTANGA

is a method of practicing Hatha Yoga which synchronizes the breath with specific sequences of postures. This process produces intense internal heat and a profuse, purifying sweat that detoxifies muscles and organs. The result is improved circulation, a light and strong body, and a calm mind. Ashtanga skyrocketed in popularity when Madonna stated that Ashtanga Yoga is a central feature of her workout routine.
For further information:

Ashtanga.com
Ashtanga Yoga Research Center

BIKRAM

is a system of Hatha Yoga in which 26 postures are performed in a standard sequence in a room heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat of the room protects the muscles, allowing for deeper stretching and increases the heart rate for a better cardiovascular workout.
For further information:

Bikram's Yoga College of India

ISHTA

is a style of Yoga created by Yoga Zone founder Alan Finger. Ishta, the Sanskrit word for "individual" or "personalized", embraces a variety of Yoga styles to help students discover the exact blend of postures, breathing and meditation techniques necessary to realize their fullest potential. While Hatha and Tantra are core components, Ishta draws on more than a dozen styles of Yoga including Ashtanga, Iyengar and Viniyoga.
For further information:

IYENGAR

is the most widely recognized approach to Hatha Yoga. The Iyengar method is characterized by precision performance and the holding of individual postures for extended periods of time. Various props, such as cushions, benches, blocks, and straps aid students in their practice.
For further information:

PARTNER YOGA

is Hatha and Tantra Yoga positions that have been adapted for two (or more) people to practice together. Some partner positions are playful, such as double balancing poses. Others afford you the opportunity to attempt more complex positions with the aid of a spotter that you wouldn't ordinarily try. Still others use leverage and body weight to coax you more deeply into a posture than you could go if you were working solo.
For further information:

Art of Sensual Yoga book
Double Yoga book
Partner Yoga book
Partner Yoga website
Yoga For Partners book

PRACTICE/SHARE

events are not classes, but rather forums to share our practice with one another in a friendly, intimate atmosphere. Since the focus is on sharing, rather than teaching, these events are recommended for intermediate and advanced students.

RESTORATIVE YOGA

is the most gentle style of Hatha Yoga, focusing on poses which are restful and rejuvenating even for those who cannot perform many physical movements. Props and careful set ups are often used to facilitate comfortable, restful sojourns in each posture. Restorative Yoga is an excellent stress reducer.

SIVANANDA YOGA

derives from the teachings of Swami Sivananda. Sivananda aims to quiet the mind by dividing the practice of Yoga into five points: physical exercise (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), relaxation, diet and meditation. For further information:

Sivananda Om Page

STEEL YOGA

is an intense, full body workout which combines Yoga with weight training exercises such as overhead press, tricep kickback, chest flye and many more. It is not about lifting heavy weight. Rather, the emphasis is the mind/muscle connection. Weights are used to deepen stretches and open the body even more than in a traditional Yoga class. As with all Yoga styles, Steel Yoga improves lean muscle mass, increases flexibility and enhances muscular endurance in the legs and core areas.

is one of the gentlest approaches to Hatha Yoga, emphasizing the circumstances and abilities of each individual rather than a stringent program of poses that may not be ideal or productive for everyone. Viniyoga teachers often provide modifications to Yoga poses in order to create a comfortable, compassionate learning environment.

is a method of Hatha Yoga which weaves together the postures (asanas) and breathing practices (pranayama) into a gracefully flowing and dynamic form. Flowing from one posture to the next, practitioners generally hold each position for a much shorter time than would a student of the Iyengar method.

KUNDALINI YOGA

consists of exercises (kriyas), postures (asanas), special breathing (pranayama), hand gestures (mudras), chanting (Mantras) and Meditation. These are done together, or in sequence to create specific effects. Practitioners believe that Kundalini Yoga unleashes enormous amounts of psychic and sexual energy stored in the base of the spine.
For further information:

Kundalini FAQ
Kundalini FAQ II
KundaliniYoga.org

MASSAGE

AROMATHERAPY

is the art of healing with pure essential oils—the highly concentrated extracts from plants, herbs, and flowers. Inhalation and external application of essential oils act on the olfactory nerves which lead from the nose to the brain. Aromatherapy can be used in conjunction with massage to heighten the body's sense of well–being and to assist in the treatment of mental and physical imbalances.

CHAIR MASSAGE

takes place in a special chair in which the client sits facing toward the cushions, exposing the scalp, shoulders, neck, arms, back and hips. Sessions usually last between five and thirty minutes.

DEEP TISSUE

is a massage technique that focuses on the deeper layers of muscle tissue. It aims to release chronic muscle tension through slower strokes and direct deep pressure applied across the grain of the muscles. Deep tissue massage helps to break up and eliminate scar tissue and may cause some soreness during or right after the massage.

LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE

helps with the immune system and can reduce swelling in a limb or joint. The practitioner moves all strokes in the direction of the lymph nodes. If the client is beginning to feel ill or is in the middle of a cold it will make the cold worse or the symptoms will be intensified. However, if a client receives lymphatic work on the tail end of a cold it can speed recovery by a couple of days. Very useful for HIV or cancer survivors.

MYOFASCIAL RELEASE

is a technique that provides sustained pressure into connective tissue in order to eliminate pain and restore the body's pliability.
For further information:

Myofascial Release

NEURO-LYMPHATIC RELEASE POINTS

enhances lymphatic flow to organs and muscles. These points are the same as in acupuncture but are rubbed vigorously to relieve pain and increase energy.

PNF (PROPRIOCEPTIVE NEUROMUSCULAR FACILITATION)

Proprioception is receiving stimulation within the tissues of the body. Neuromuscular is the nerves within the muscles. Facilitation is the promotion or hastening of any natural process. PNF promotes the response of the nerves in the muscle tissues in the body. During the session, the client actively contracts a muscle and the massage therapist provides resistance to the action. As PNF helps to increase flexibility, it is an excellent form of massage for yogis.

SWEDISH

is the world's most widely recognized approach to massage therapy. Swedish Massage applies pressure to muscles using long strokes, kneading, friction, tapping and vibration. Benefits of Swedish massage include stress reduction, improved circulation, increased oxygen flow in the blood, stimulation of the skin and nervous system, and the flushing of lactic acid, uric acid, and other metabolic wastes from the body's tissues.

THAI YOGA MASSAGE

releases stress, increases flexibility, decreases soreness and balances the body's systems. The masseur manipulates the receiver into positions based on Hatha Yoga asanas, unlocking the receiver's energy channels (called 'chi' in traditional Yoga and the 'see' in Thai Yoga Massage. Thai Yoga Massage is challenging to give, providing an excellent workout for the masseur and a deepening of body-mind-spirit connection for both masseur and receiver.

PILATES

is a series exercises coupled with focused breathing patterns designed to strengthen, align, and lengthen the muscles of the body with a focus on the core. Based on the work of Joseph Pilates, this is not a form of Yoga, though many of the positions are inspired by Yoga asanas.

TANTRA YOGA

suggests that sexuality is a very powerful force that can be harnessed for increased self-awareness. Unlike many other forms of Yoga, Tantra encourages sexual feelings and contact as a means to enlightenment. Many practitioners report an increase in sexual energy along with a greater power to control and channel their sexuality. Books, organizations and "experts" disagree on what Tantra actually is. Many people feel that Western practitioners have perverted or oversexualized Tantra's true meaning. At Naked Yoga Los Angeles, we define Tantra Yoga as the synthesis of sexuality, movement and meditation. Our Tantra classes and workshops may or may not include direct contact or stimulation of the genitals. See class description on website for details on any particular event. See also Partner Yoga above.

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