December 2008 | Healthy Living :: Yogapedia

Defining yoga, one style at a time

Jivamukti Yoga

By Julia Steinberger

Origins: Reading the news, chatting at the water cooler or even taking a walk downtown can leave many of us feeling angry, shocked and sad about the suffering in the world. If you’re ready to channel that energy into positive action, the most powerful transformation must begin from within. That’s the philosophy that inspired Jivamukti Yoga founders Sharon Gannon and David Life, who developed the style in their Manhattan studio in 1984. Since those early days, Jivamukti has gained international recognition and a sizeable celebrity following. The life-transforming practice encourages students to embody its central theme of ahimsa (non-harming) even off the mat with lifestyle choices like vegetarianism and social action. The goal is to cultivate inner peace and freedom that will naturally lead you to bring more good into the world. “Jivamukti classes are addictive because they transform you from the inside out,” says Jill Abelson, who teaches Jivamukti at the Flow Yoga Center in Washington, D.C.

What to expect: The fiery Ashtanga-based asana practice includes a combination of sun salutations, forward-bending, backbending, inversions and twists. According to Julie Kirkpatrick, faculty member at the Jivamukti Yoga School in New York, teachers are trained to enhance their classes with spiritual insights, music and meditation. Abelson adds that most classes incorporate the Sanskrit chant, Lokah Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu, which is roughly translated as, “May all beings everywhere be happy and free.”

Signature Poses: Classic Jivamukti sequences, like the hip-opening Blossoming Lotus, are deeply symbolic. As Kirkpatrick describes, “This sequence represents the lotus ascending from darkness into light and blossoming fully, as a metaphor for our own journeys from mis-knowing (avidya) to clear perception of our true potential. The final element of the sequence is a balancing position on the sit bones, with legs extended and gaze joyfully lifted upwards.”