According to the Livestrong website, there are five things that we need to know about Jivamukti yoga. First, as we already mentioned, you’ll probably break out in a sweat during class, as it’s an intense form of yoga. Teachers should help you focus on doing the poses and breathing properly. When you first start it can seem pretty overwhelming but as time goes on, most people become more and more comfortable with this style of yoga.
Secondly, Jivamukti yoga is hot right now (figuratively, that is, not literally like Bikram yoga). There may not be a ton of yoga studios that offer Jivamukti right now, but if you sign up for a class you might look over and see Gwyneth Paltrow doing her best to get her poses just so.
Third, Jivamukti yoga encourages that we love all living species the same. Truly devoted Jivamukti students will actually give up eating meat and even become vegans, which means not eating or using any animal products at all (no eggs, milk, or leather purses). This all goes along with the notion that Jivamukti yoga and its philosophies can be part of your day-to-day life.
Another part of this type of yoga is the concept of community. Jivamukti yoga is meant to help bring together like-minded people with similar ideas. People who practice it tend to care about the world and everyone in it, and when participating in a class will often feel a sense of unity or belonging.
Finally, Jivamukti yoga and its philosophies encourages world peace and love among all living things, including animals, plants, and insects.
As you can see, Jivamukti yoga is not your typical or common form of yoga, although it is becoming increasingly popular. When you finish class you don’t leave your yoga behind, but rather pack it up and take it with you. The way I’m thinking about it after reading many articles on this topic, you don’t just practice Jivamukti yoga, you live it 24/7. It becomes a part of who you are and how you live.
I have to confess, this is an interesting premise to me but not one that I would probably embrace. I like yoga and have enjoyed researching the different forms of it for my series of yoga-related articles. But the idea of changing parts of your life to accommodate a style of yoga just strikes me as a bit more than I would want from a yoga class.
I am very eager to hear from anyone who either has practiced Jivamukti yoga, or who is currently doing it. What do you think? Do you go for mainly the in-class exercises and philosophies or have you taken these ideas and extended them into your daily life? Has it helped you with any health conditions like stress or anxiety? I look forward to hearing from you!
References:
http://yoga.about.com/od/typesofyoga/a/jivamukti.htm
http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/what-is-jivamukti-yoga-8015.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/5992-need-jivamukti-yoga/