What's the Best Style of Yoga?

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The idea of a "style" of yoga is a misnomer in any case regarding this debate. Yet, it is easy to see how the idea of 'styles' can come up if one begins to claim ownership over what is a complete, universal, ancient system based on scriptures taught by spiritual teachers in a selfless manner whose goal is Self-realization. In the current climate of Westernized yoga, we get all manner of subdivisions- like schools of kung fu after leaving Shaolin monasteries.

Sivananda Yoga Centers and Ashrams maintain the highest ethical standards and are staffed completely by volunteers. Swami Vishnu-devananda, the founder of the Sivananda organization originated Yoga Teacher Training Courses and Yoga Vacations with our TTC certificates still coming from Swami Sivananda’s Divine Life Society. Therefore, Swami Sivananda’s influence over modern yoga in the West is considerable through his many disciples like Swami Satchitananda (Integral Yoga) and Swami Radha in Canada, it’s now sadly waning with the onslaught of “Bob’s Cool Yoga”-like Studios everywhere, teaching yoga in a fragmented manner. Happily, one has several consistent organizations founded by disciples of Swami Sivananda to choose from, of which Sivananda Yoga is a part and is quite focused on raja yoga, of which yoga postures are a part.

In some way, all schools that do not structure themselves in a classical manner, with monastic living at it's foundation, then can claim very little to use anything other than the movements and in some cases, breathing exercises. More complete are schools based in India, and so my point here is more toward Western schools.

Sivananda Yoga has held out for 40+ years in contrast to what I term the “Bob’s Cool Yoga” syndrome where 10,000 year old postures and breathing exercises are marketed and sold with a gimmick and an owner- as in the case of Bikram, who cannot proclaim himself a yogi in any way one could describe the term- who is merely in it for money, women and status (one only needs attend a lecture by him to see this clearly). Franchises are bought and sold with McDonald’s-like controls placed on the studios, outrageous prices for teacher training, etc. Of course, not all 'styles' of yoga are this way.

The same unifying Yoga is taught to everyone in the Sivananda system- young or old, rich or poor. Since it’s complete, there is no need to add or remove anything, except in communication styles depending on culture and so on. Classical Yoga is a unique and unifying force. All Yoga taught in the Sivananda tradition has a depth to it that surpasses mere fitness and aerobi-cized yoga taught in the majority of places these days to include mental and spiritual aspects fully, including growth possibilities into monastic life.