When I first walked into the yoga studio, I knew little about Svaroopa yoga except the one thing that had caught my attention in the pamphlet: if you have trouble with your spine or back, this could be the yoga form for you. Svaroopa yoga is not about standing on your head or getting into twisted pretzel poses; that is, unless that pretzel is a stick.
That’s because Svaroopa yoga focuses on opening and releasing the tension and congestion that can take up residence in your spine. In Sanskrit, “svaroopa” means “the bliss of your own being,” and when you engage in this practice, you will begin to get in touch with yourself in a compassionate, blissful way.Read more about yoga and meditation
While Svaroopa yoga involves the basic elements of yoga practice-breathing, meditation, and poses or asanas-it is also nurturing and deeply therapeutic. If you have lower back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, neck pain, sciatica, headaches, or piriformis syndrome (my translation on the latter is “pain in the butt”), or if you have undergone knee or back surgery, then forget the cobra pose and take a peek at Svaroopa.
A Nurturing Yoga
One of the first things you may notice when you stroll into a yoga studio where Svaroopa is practiced is the blankets-lots of them. Every yoga participant uses several of these soft props to safely and gently support and position parts of the body as they settle into and hold a pose. In fact, “settle” is an accurate way to describe the relaxing release of muscle tension you experience when you are in a pose on the floor, nestled with your blankets and breathing slow easy breaths.
Certified Svaroopa yoga teachers, who must finish at least 500 hours of training in human anatomy and physiology, meditation, and all the asanas, help you ease into each position. Blankets are folded and unfolded, rolled and unrolled, and strategically placed to make your experience as physically, emotionally, and spiritually beneficial as possible.
Svaroopa yoga is a personal adventure, and certified teachers offer bodily adjustments that are individualized for each participant. One beauty of using blankets is that they can be modified easily to fit your needs. If, for example, you need to prop your knees apart for a pose, a blanket can be folded or rolled exactly to meet your comfort level. Do you need a bit more support under one shoulder than the other? Simply adjust the blanket.
Read more about Your “Perfect Fit” Guide for Yoga
Svaroopa yoga is for people of all ages and physical abilities. In the sessions I attended, there were several young mothers, a male long-distance runner who said the yoga kept his spine in balance, an older woman who had had hip surgery, and a few people learning to live better with arthritis.
While most other yoga forms involve balance, stretching, and various levels of physical exertion, Svaroopa yoga is physical on a different level and is about releasing the stress in your spine. When you do, you will experience new energy, better posture, more mobility, and a clearer sense of self. To find a certified teacher of Svaroopa yoga near you, visit the Master Yoga Foundation or contact yoga studios in your area. Namaste!
Photo Credit: a4gpa
