What is zen yoga?

There are a myriad different styles of yoga out there these days, from the traditional to the more unusual (like aquayoga which is done in a swimming pool or aerial yoga done in a hammock). I often get asked "what is Zen yoga?" and where does it fit in the yoga family tree? So here's a summary of the main yoga styles out there right now, including a little on what Zen yoga is.

Hatha yoga
The word "hatha" means willful or forceful in sanskrit. Hatha yoga is the practice of exercises, postures and movements designed to strengthen the body and mind, and open the energy channels. Hatha can also be translated as meaning "sun" and "moon", as it is also a practice of balancing of masculine (strong, outward, giving) and feminine (soft, inward, receptive) aspects within us. Hatha practices are described primarily in three texts of Hinduism, including the "Hatha Yoga Pradipika" by Yogi Swatmarama (written in 15th century). All types of physical yoga taught in the west are Hatha yoga.
With regards to how teachers name their classes, hatha yoga has come to mean any 'unbranded' style. Most often it's used to describe a gentle, basic class with no flow between poses.

Iyengar
The style that originated from the Indian yoga guru B.K.S. Iyengar (1918-) who trained alongside Pattabhi Jois with the great populariser of yoga practice Krishnamacharya in the early 20th century. This style is characterised by a slow, precise practice, with an emphasis on alignment. It also focuses on the aspect of "sequencing," intentionally grouping and linking specific asanas together for a specific effect. Props (like blocks, straps, or chairs) are used extensively to aid students to find correct alignment. Igengar wrote the 'bible' of all yoga postures "Light on Yoga".

Ashtanga Vinyasa
Ashtanga translates as "8 limbs" (referring to the 8 limbs of yoga set out by the sage Patanjali in the yoga sutra - yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi) but Ashtanga yoga has come to mean the yoga style that originates from an Indian yoga guru Pattabhi Jois (1915-2009) who trained with Krishnamacharya in the early 20th C in Mysore, Southern India. It is one of the most popular styles worldwide, and is usually quite vigorous and athletic. The practice follows a set of sequences called the primary, second (intermediate), third and fourth (advanced) series, increasing in difficulty, flexibility and emphasis on pranayama and meditation. Classes usually begin with a number of rounds of the sun salutation sequence.

Vinyasa flow (flow yoga)
Vinyasa means movement, often meaning breath-synchronised movement. In contrast to the fairly rigidly set sequence of postures and routines prescribed in the Astanga style, it allows freedom in the class sequence and postures/practices to be combined as the teacher chooses. In this style movement is generally synchronised to the breath, and movements are smoothly flowing, sometimes dance-like. Styles such as Anusara, Bikram/Hot Yoga, Forrest, Jivamukti, and Power Yoga can all be classified under the Vinyasa flow umbrella.

Bikram
Originates from Indian yoga teacher Bikram Chowdhary (1946-) who brought his style to the US in the 70s. The practice comprises a dynamic set sequence of 26 poses, including breathing and pranayama exercises, and is done in a room heated to 40C and a humidity of 40%. The heat is designed to help flexibility in the body, and aid detoxification through sweating. Teachers are required to train in the US with Bikram himself (at considerable cost), and teach using a set script of instructions. In recent years Bikram Chowdhary has become mired in allegations of sexual misconduct and many Bikram studios have begun to distance themselves from his brand.

Power yoga
Similar to vinyasa flow, power yoga (or hot power yoga) has developed as a freer extension of the Ashtanga and Bikram styles. Like Bikram, it's often practised at 40C but teachers create their own classes consisting of both standing and sitting sequences of movements linking the usage of physical movement, breath-work or pranayama.
Rocket Yoga is gaining popularity in the UK and is also a type of power yoga. It was developed by American Larry Schultz in the 1980s, and is rooted in the Ashtanga practice, consisting of a dynamic and fast-paced flow of postures from the Primary and Intermediate Series of Ashtanga as well as key postures from the 3rd and 4th advanced series.

Sivananda
Originates from Indian yoga master Swami Sivananda (1887-1963) who trained with teachers and ascetics in the Himalayas in the very north of India. The style now known as Sivananda yoga is the form propagated by his disciple Swami Vishnudevananda (1927-1993). After the initial relaxation, the practice typically starts with pranayama breathing exercises, then rounds of the sun salutation, before the standard program of the 12 basic postures/asanas. Some variation is allowed from class-to-class, but the headstand is emphasised and often done early on in the class.

Kundalini yoga
Kundalini literally means "coiled" and refers to a metaphorical coiled snake (representing dormant energy) at the base of your spine. The purpose of Kundalini practice is to awaken and "uncoil" your snake to release that energy up the spine. This practice is one of the oldest forms of yoga and is present in many traditions (yoga or not, under different names and guises).
Kundalini yoga, as it is taught today, is based on the treatise Kundalini Yoga by the guru Sivananda (see above), published in 1935. It was popularised by the Sikh yoga master Bhajan (Harbhajan Singh) who brought the style to the US in 1969 and started teaching it publicly. Kundalini is quite different to other forms of yoga, and includes dance, jumping, long-held poses, deep breathing, and chanting to encourage the awakening of the coiled snake. Practising Kundalini yoga does not require belief in Sikhism, however many followers of Harbhajan Singh Yogi choose to follow a Sikh way of life.

Yin yoga
This is a slow-paced style of yoga with postures/asanas that are held for longer periods of time - five minutes or longer per pose is typical. It originates in China and was first taught in the US in the 70s by martial arts expert and Taoist yoga teacher Paulie Zink. The practice involves passive stretches to the connective tissues (rather than muscles) with the aim of increasing circulation in the joints and improving flexibility. This also helps improve the flow of qi, the subtle energy said in Chinese medicine to run through the meridian pathways of the body.

Taoist yoga
Tao Yin (sometimes referred to as Taoist Yoga, or in Japanese do-in) is a series of exercises practised to cultivate chi (qi, or in Japanese ki). The practice of Tao Yin was a precursor of Qigong (which I've written about before), and aims to create balance between internal and external energies and to revitalize the body, mind and spirit, developing strength and flexibility in muscles, tendons, and fascia.

Zen Yoga
Zen is the Japanese transliteration of the sanskrit word "dhyana" (one of the 8 limbs mentioned above), meaning meditation. The Zen yoga style draws on elements of Japanese do-in, and traditional hatha yoga, and emphasises three intertwined areas – physical alignment, the flow of energy in the body and awareness (or mindfulness). Mindfulness of the body is one of the four practices taught by the Buddha that lead directly to enlightenment. Each pose is designed to bring new parts of the body into focus so that any tightnesses or restrictions can be seen, and this simple awareness leads very naturally a softening and release. Zen yoga is based in the philosophies of Zen Buddhist practice, directing us towards a non-dual experience of the reality of life.

I teach zen yoga and zen mindfulness classes at a few different studios around south London. See my website for more details.

The sanskrit symbol for the sound of "om" - the adopted symbol of yoga.

I teach Zen yoga classes at the ZenYoga studio in Camberwell, London. See my website for my class schedule and more details.

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My neck shows me fear

When do you feel most fearful in your life?

When you think about what might be lurking under the bed?

Maybe not any more... As adults, we often build up fears around issues to do with our livelihood (job satisfaction, security, pay), relationships (does she love me? will he want to stay my friend?), our or others' health (will I always have good physical health? I wish he would stop smoking), or our finances (do I have enough money? what if I can't pay the rent/mortgage?).

And these feelings of fear can fall anywhere on the spectrum: from subtle feelings of anxiety that can be hard to even notice, to full-blown panic attacks where we become paralysed by the intensity of emotion.

Almost universally, we're in denial about the amount of fear we carry around. Some fears can be very deep seated, like our in-built human fear of death, or separation from our loved-ones. Sometimes we can get afraid of fear itself!

In our yoga sadhana practice with Jonathan Monks, we've been working on a movement where we roll our head all the way forwards, to the side, all the way back, and to the other side (motivating the movement from the spine). For quite some months we've been concentrating on just the forward movement, allowing the head to fall forwards and the muscles along the back of the neck to lengthen and relax. In this month's workshop we re-visited the rolling movement, and particularly that falling back part.

It's surprising – the simple movement of letting your head fall backwards has an incredible way of bringing you up against fear. Why are my muscles tensing? I know it's safe but I'm scared. What of?

The structure of the neck is incredibly complicated, with muscles, veins, arteries, your throat, larynx, spine, nerves, glands and lymph nodes all neatly arranged in that very small tube. Then there's the weight of your head sitting on top of it. So it's no wonder that you get protective over that area!

For me, that act of letting the head fall back brought up feelings of lack of control, lack of trust, and a protectiveness over my physical body.

So how do we deal with fears like this? We use our skills of mindfulness. We remain present with it, not suppressing it nor acting on it. As Jonathan says, we "listen, feel, and allow". By noticing it and allowing it to be, it's power over us diminishes. By becoming aware of the fear, we have, in effect, stepped back, and with this perspective we can see the fear for what it is – just another emotion. We face it with a friendly, gentle, curious attitude and allow it to soften in its own time. The most important thing is to acknowledge it, and allow it to be there – our unwillingness to see these difficult things causes half the problems!

And this is why this head rolling exercise is so enlightening. We can feel the effects of our fear very physically. The head rolls back and there's the tension in the neck and shoulders, holding, over-protecting. We can be as present as we can with these sensations, noticing and exploring how they feel, and we can literally let the tensions soften when they're ready.


So we don't have to be particularly bendy or strong to experience what yoga practice truly is. It's simply a way of finding out more about ourselves – a practice of learning how to listen, feel, and allow, then learning how to put what we find into action in our daily lives (what Jonathan would call embody and actualise).

I teach Zen yoga and mindfulness at the ZenYoga studio in Camberwell, London. See my website for my class schedule and more details.

I'd love to hear from you

Leave a comment below, join the discussion. 

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