Kripalu Yoga
by
Mary Yoke, M.A., M.M.
Indiana University Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health
[email protected]I. What is Kripalu yoga?
Named after Swami Kripalu
Kripalu means being compassionate in Sanskrit
Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, MA
Meditation in Motion
Practice begins gently with an emphasis on being present in your
body. Kripalu yoga allows you to choose the level of intensity that is
right for your body, recognizing that every body is different. It activates
the life force of the body that yoga calls prana.
II. Yoga Practice
Centering and Pranayama
Warm-up: feel-good moves, micro-moves for:
o Shoulders/shoulder blades
o Hips
o Spine
o Ankles
All-fours:
o Cat tilt/dog tilt
o Puppy dog
o Thread the needle
o Child’s pose (garbhasana)
Prone:
o Sphinx pose with scapular depression
o Half Locust
o Relaxation
All-fours:
o Child’s pose (garbhasana)
o Calf stretch
o Low lunge
Standing:
o Forward bend (uttanasana)
o Mountain pose (tadasana)
o Tree pose (vriksanana)
o Yoga squat (utkatasana)
o Moon salutation (chandra namaskar)
o Sun salutation with variation (surya namaskar)
Seated:
o Forward bend (paschimottanasana)