Years ago I spent a weekend with Todd Norian at the Yoga Conference - back then he was teaching Anasura. Norian has now branched off on his own to develop Ashaya yoga, which ties together the study of yoga, chakras, and the five elements.
Having studied under the Iyengar method I am more used to thinking of the bandhas; and with yin yoga, the idea of chi and meridians.
I found the classes to be an intoxicating blend of chanting, asana, meditation and pranayama; blended with sound and flow and philosophy.
Five sessions curated for each of the five chakras.
- Muladhara, base of spine, earth
- Svadhisthana, sacral region, water
- Manipura, navel, fire
- Anahata, heart, air
- Vishuddha, throat, sky
- Ajna, brow (third eye), light 'om'
- Sahasrara, crown, consciousness
Some of what Todd was saying sounded like poetry.
"We come from the stars and heavens...We are spiritual beings having a human experience."
"Breath is the medium between our humanity and divinity."
The middle chakra, located in the heart region, lies between the two triangles of humanity and divinity."
I really appreciated the thought that had gone into sequencing.
I wasn't particularly smitten with the asana portion and found some of the postural alignment could be outright dangerous to people without an existing yoga practice. Still, the poses were chosen to suit the chakra and bring focus and awareness to the energy within.
Overall happy with my experience and impressed with the level of thought and design in each session.
Todd has written a memoir in which he describes his spiritual journey, including betrayals by two gurus (John Friend of Anasura and Amrit Desai of Kripalu); as well as a spiritual break that landed him in a psych ward. Ashaya yoga is a blend of teachings he has learned and applied along the way.
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