March 2009 | Healthy Living :: Yogapedia

ParaYoga

By Julia Levitt

Origins: Opening a window from the 21st century onto the ancient principles of Tantra, the classic yet contemporary practice of ParaYoga was founded by Colorado-based master teacher Yogarupa Rod Stryker. ParaYoga harnesses subtle energies in the body and mind to empower students in a joyful but disciplined way. The practice is designed to help them unblock the flow of prana (life force) within themselves, and take control of their unique human experience.

“The first time a student comes to a ParaYoga class, they often note that their eyes have been opened to a whole new world of yoga experience,” says Massachusetts-based ParaYoga teacher Lauren Toolin, a senior student and teaching assistant of Stryker since 2004. “The innovation in ParaYoga is in bringing these ancient teachings forward in a way that is really accessible for students of any level. I think that’s the most amazing beauty of this whole system.”

Translating these complex philosophies requires patient and thorough teachers. Seasoned yogis will spend three to four years completing Stryker’s carefully mentored 1,000-hour training to become certified ParaYoga instructors. “Needless to say, there aren’t many of us out there yet,” says Toolin, “but the interest in this lineage is growing incredibly quickly.”

What to Expect: Come prepared to go beyond the physical practice. Teachers will often begin by chanting a meaningful mantra, or leading a grounding pranayama (breathing) exercise, to help set the intention for the practice. The asana sequence that follows is crafted carefully to achieve specific energetic effects and to physically unblock the flow of prana. After a deep and delicious savasana, you might delve into a guided meditation, or spend time working on more advanced pranayama.

“When people come to these classes, they feel right away that there’s this sense of completion or intelligence that they haven’t been able to access before,” Toolin says. “What they are experiencing is that they have accessed parts of themselves that go beyond their physical capacity, which is where many contemporary yoga classes leave off.”

Signature Poses: As Toolin explains, one of the definitions of the word Tantra is “to combine.” So the signature style of ParaYoga lies not in individual pinnacle poses, but rather in postures that allow students to combine physical toning with more subtle work like breath, visualization, bandha (energy locks) and kriya (inner cleansing). In dynamic poses like Maha Mudra, a deep, seated forward bend, or the fiery Agnisara sequence, Para yogis are able to work on multiple energetic levels at the same time, bringing thorough understanding and balance to the practice.