Lisa Sanfilippo is an Anusara-Inspired yoga teacher as well as a researcher at a think-tank focussed on sustainability and well being. She teaches yoga at both Triyoga and the Life Centre in London, where her students enjoy her intelligent, student-focussed and light-hearted teaching style. www.lisayogalondon.com

Click here for the original article in PDF form.

Yoga Magazine catches up with John Friend on a recent trip to the US, where he shared a few thoughts and insights in advance of his July visit to London.

 John Friend comes across as a man with a mind driven by wonder the way others are driven by caffeine. It’s little wonder, then, that he has created a new style of yoga that iterates upon the deepest traditions of Tantric Philosohpy and hatha yoga to create something new and uniquely modern. 

He’s studied with the world’s great yoga masters over the last 30 years- including BKS Iyengar and Patthabi Jois as well as the top teachers in various yoga lineages. Yet what he has to offer is a distinctly original structure; a modern home to house his unique yoga style. In creating Anusara Yoga, Friend has built a radical prototype, with floor-to-ceiling windows to let the light of Grace shine through, portraits of historical masters lending sense of reverence for the past, renewable technology to maintain responsibility and hope for the future, exquisite details for a refined and artistic presentation, and the bold colours of a Tantric puja to provide an uplifting and joyful experience around every corner. And in 1997 he started inviting guests to an extended house party hosted in every continent -except Antarctica- each year. (Friend assures us he offsets his carbon emissions…)

What is Anusara Yoga?

Understanding how Friend came up with Anusara Yoga (a-nu-sar-a) is a little like dipping your toe into the very deep well of Tantric philosophy. The name comes from the Sanskrit anu- the process of being in and  sara -the flow, which is taken from a verse in the 1000-year-old Kularnava Tantra: "Shakti-nipata-anusarena sishyo'anugraham-arhati". UUUS-based Tantric scholar, Dr. Douglas Brooks, translates this as "Flowing with Grace (anusarena) we experience our inner worth, we align our bodies, our minds and hearts in the current of the Divine flowing through us, we celebrate life itself as we touch the Divinity who pulsates within us as our every thought, feeling, and experience."

Friend explains how this ancient teaching takes shape as a method of hatha yoga. As a former financial analyst, his logical mind moves this deep teaching away from wooliness right away. He starts with what he calls ‘the three As’- attitude, alignment and action. The first, Attitude is the intention of the Heart as the force behind every action or expression in an asana. (Friend uses heart with a capital H to represent the universal ‘Heart’ or the ‘One’ current of Divinity within all of us.) Friend sees this as ‘the aspiration to awaken to our Divine nature, and the celebration of life.’ The second, Alignment, is where Friend’s analytical mind, as well as his years of training a dedicated yoga student, yoga teacher, and therapist of various forms of body and energy work take shape. He describes this as “the awareness and technique of how various parts of ourselves are integrated and interconnected in order to allow our Hearts’ intentions to skilfully come to fruition.” And then follows Action, which he says “relates to the natural flow of energy in the body, which provides the balance of both powerful stability and joyful freedom.”

For Friend, these three aspects lead to a high degree of devotional intentionality, precise alignment and balanced energy. Together they distinguish Anusara Yoga as being distinct and more than mere ‘stretching in Sanskrit.’

The first A- Attitude- was crystallised for Friend in the early 1990s while teaching hatha yoga to up to 300 international ashram visitors at a time in a large ashram in Upstate New York. One particular day, midway through class he noticed that the students had suddenly perked up, becoming well aligned from the inside out and expressing their poses with new luminosity and joy. They were somehow transformed, regardless of their technical proficiency with the poses. Friend turned to find the guru of the ashram standing in the doorway and understood then that the students were now performing their poses “with a devotional quality within the larger context of serving their Hearts’ intentions”. This sparked the realisation that “when the purpose is explicitly to serve the ‘highest,’ this fundamentally transforms the practice from something dry and technical into both a celebration and a transformation. As he says, this connection has led him to “put the big picture first and the detail second. This enables us to express beauty from inside, aligning with our Hearts in a way that an expansion of inner light occurs.”

Friend aims to re-create that expansive feeling all over the world- encouraging his students and the thousands of teachers who travel from all over the world for trainings, yearly teachers’ gatherings, and workshops to ‘align with the Divine.’ According to Friend, each person has the potential to open themselves to the Grace around and within. He explains, “the fundamental thing is to always look for the goodness and delight- to never forget a bit of child-like wonder, even as we return to our long-established practices and familiar poses.”

Above all, Friend’s intention is serve the Shakti- the Divine energy manifest in all things. It can be thought of as the creative power of Divine consciousness that animates our minds and bodies, and is the fundamental essence of our Hearts. When John was a young boy his mother introduced him to the stories about the great yogis of Indian Mythology, who were beings that devotedly served the Shakti. These yogis gained revelatory insight and knowledge about the nature of the universe by aligning themselves to flow of Divine Shakti. This early lesson- of reverence and alignment- created in him what he refers to as “an understanding of the fundamental auspiciousness and sanctity of all life.” John teaches that through devotional intentionality, specific alignment and balanced actions, we are all able to attune to Divine Shaki and actively co-participate with its creatively expansive power.

Friend’s emphasis on seeing the ‘One’ or the Divine Shakti in everyone shows up in his relationship to his students and how he teaches his hundreds of teacher trainees each year. They are taught to ‘look for the good’ first when moving to assist or adjust; never to ‘correct’ a student, but rather to enhance the light of consciousness that is already present. He empowers, supports and encourages his students with kindness and dedication, which inspires their trust and respect. In order to serve the Shakti with the greatest respect, Friend is passionate about Anusara Yoga’s Universal Principles of Alignment Ô and underscores that they should be applied to every pose so as to increase the therapeutic potential and magnify the radiance of Divine consciousness within the body.

This brings us back to Alignment. Friend is well-known for the five Universal Principles of Alignment Ô (see box a) including the refinement of the seven ‘loops’ that create the optimal orientation of the body (see box b). He extols the virtues of aligning according to these principles, mentioning that his first experience of their power was during the 1980s when he’d developed a persistent shoulder injury and was frustrated by the conventional wisdom- to either stop practicing completely, or to just push though the pain. Friend recalls starting to work with the injury therapeutically in his practice. He applied the alignment principles he was then developing to a pose that would normally worsen the pain- Urdvha Dhanurasana- and found that by doing the poses very intentionally, with balanced action according to these principles, he had actually started to ‘clear’ the pain and heal the injury. (Of course, Friend doesn’t recommend trying this at home without a firm grounding in these biomechanical principles).  This precision about bio-mechanical alignment and therapeutic adjustment means that it’s not uncommon, at a John Friend workshop in any city, to see a receiving-line of students waiting after the session to seek tips on how to release pain in a shoulder, knee or hip.

All of this specificity and categorisation gives the impression of a staunchly-organised and very serious individual. However, upon meeting him, one’s first impression is likely to be paradoxical- he’s part sage, part jester. His students remember him as much for his warm and accessible style and goofy jokes as much as they do for his Universal Principles of AlignmentÔ and profound Tantric philosophy. This takes newcomers to Friend’s workshops by surprise- the laughter and downright, well, friendliness of it all. Especially in Europe and in the UK, some newcomers seem to be put off at first, thinking that yoga + laughter = not very serious stuff.

One comes to see however, that this very organised mind doesn’t simply offer up (occasionally eye-roll-inducing) jokes just for his own amusement.   When students leave the room, feeling stretched, strengthened, uplifted- the effect of all that smiling-and all this business about the Divine in all things- is palpable. A hundred happier people are unleashed upon an unsuspecting city, bringing the real Shakti of yoga off the mat and into the conversation with the man at the till at the grocery shop.

In his view, the balance of precision on the one hand, and creative expression of feeling on the other are not mutually exclusive. He calls to mind the painter JWM Turner, or perhaps Pablo Picasso, whose works start from a foundation of uncompromising technical ability and then dive, each in different ways, into expressive, evocative, and resonant art.

One thing that makes his students so loyal is the integrated intelligence of the system. This enables him to put every pose he teaches in its bigger context, whether it’s explaining the unique effects it has on the body, bringing it back to the central philosophical teaching or relating it to a common experience in daily life. It’s clear from his exposition that he has thought about this in depth. It’s also clear, as teachers in the Anusara Yoga style note, it’s quite hard work to get that good at layering so much meaning and inspiration into a measly triangle pose.

But he seems to love the challenge, relishing each new metaphor and new connection. In explaining why he teaches around the world, Friend reveals that he is fortunate enough not to need to teach in order to earn a living. “I do this for the joy of it. I always have done. That’s why I am not fussed about whether a student identifies with Anusara Yoga or not- it’s all there to serve the greater energy- the Shakti. What I’ve found in my years of practice, of learning from the great masters all over the world, I have put together as an offering to serve anyone in their current practice- whatever style or expression they choose. I am really motivated by helping people to find greater depth and freedom.”

When asked whether Anusara Yoga could be considered ‘American’ style yoga, Friend is careful to explain that the accessible, humorous and community-spirited method of teaching is not simply about the feel-good factor or disregarding the past traditions of yoga. Nor is ‘looking for the good’ or ‘opening to grace’ about accepting things blithely, unquestioningly or irresponsibly, which he notes, can lead to all sorts of imbalances. Rather than this enthusiasm stoking ego and maverick individualism, the context of always serving something bigger, the Grace of Divine Shakti, helps to ‘ground’ the fun, enthusiastic and perhaps just a bit ‘American’ quality, affording a recognition of our connectivity and interdependence to each other and the world. Anusara Yogis learn that joyfulness and goodness of life is the fundamental essence of everything that is. That’s why everyone at these workshops is so darn *nice.*

Friend has taught workshops in the UK since 2005 about which he says “I was pleasantly surprised at the parallels between my own approach and the best of Britishness. I love the sense of history and tradition, of doing things ‘properly,’ the joy in the refined aspects of life.” He rightfully gives the example of tea and biscuits here. “ I also really also enjoy the British ability to laugh out loud with a sometimes-raunchy sense of humour” he continues, “and to relish a sense of rambling-through-the-muddy-woods adventure that is part of the beauty and fun of life in the British countryside.”

And in the play of complementary contrasts that make up this teacher and his style, Friend and his merry band (as he refers to it) both reflect deeply on the mysteries of life and seem to have a tremendous amount of fun. Among the effort and attention, alignment and philosophy, there is laughter; there are even a few strange cartoon-character voices. It’s as though, the master gardener is asking that among the tidy hedgerows, each of his protégés tends, lovingly and carefully, a garden that is full of wacky wildflowers and perhaps an oddly-enchanting garden gnome.

Anusara Yoga- Key Facts

 Philosophy… Tantric philosophy holding that embodiment is a manifestation of Divine consciousness, focusing on the intrinsic goodness of all beings, and the play of complementary opposites. Honouring tradition and universality while celebrating diversity and individual expression.

 Approach to asana… Universal Principles of AlignmentÔ show the way to move the body for optimal energy flow in all poses. Five major principles, seven energetic and refining ‘loops’ organizing the body into an ‘Optimal Blueprint’. Focus on the three A’s of Attitude, Alignment, and Action.

 Number of students: approximately 250,000 worldwide.

 Number of Teachers: Approximately 225 Certified Anusara Yoga teachers, and more then 1,000 Anusara-Inspired Teachers worldwide

 Anusara Yoga in the UK- Two dozen Anusara-Inspired teachers in London, Two Certified Anusara teachers.

 Online: www.anusara.com

 The Universal Principles of AlignmentÔ

Adapted from the Anusara Yoga Teacher Training Manual , 7^th Edition, copyright John Friend, 2005.

 Open to Grace

This sets the tone for the pose, or for any undertaking along the journey. It is investing our actions with our intention.

-breathe, soften, connect to the bigger energy

-relax, smile

-remember the highest intention of your heart as you move through your practice

 Muscular Energy

This ensures active engagement and evenness, and creates support and steadfastness in your pose.

-Hugging in to the core of the body in evenly on all sides, with firming action, distributing effort and energy evenly.

-Draw in from the extremities- arms and legs- toward the midline of the body

-Draw in from the extremities to what friend calls the ‘focal point’ of the pose.

 Inner Spiral

Move energy towards the midline expanding the back of the body, e.g. in the legs, taking the inner thighs back and apart broadening the back of the sacrum. This creates an ‘expanding’ spiral of energy.

 Outer Spiral

Drawing energy from the core to the periphery (e.g. in the legs) so that the back of the body lengthens and creates a boundary to balance out the expanding action. This creates a ‘contracting’ spiral of energy.

 Organic Energy

Expanding radiantly from the focal point outward to the extremities as an expression of the attitude of the pose. Keeping the integration of the previous principles, this involves

-lengthening from the focal point out through the extremities

-expanding the extremities out from the midline “getting longer through the bones”

-flowing out from the core lines of the extremities to the outer circumference of the body.

 The pose becomes a celebration and undergoes an expansion past its original boundaries.

 Building a Triangle pose with the Universal Principles of AlignmentÔ

 We can see an example of how this all works for a student practicing trikonasana. In the first principle of ‘Opening to Grace’ the student breathes, remembers the intention they bring to their practice and softens as she steps into the form of the pose- legs apart and straight. Into that intention the student draws Muscular Energy- hugging inward to the core of the pelvis, stabilising the foundation of the pose. This firms the muscles of the legs, hugging in evenly on all sides. From there, the student initiates the ‘Inner Spiral’ action in the legs, drawing up from the feet to take the inner thighs back and apart behind them, broadening the back of the sacrum and creating space. Keeping that action, the student then balances the expansiveness by rooting the bottom of the tailbone down towards the back heel, ‘Outer Spiralling’ energy back down from the back of the hips to the feet, grounding down into the earth. The expansive Organic Energy comes next- encouraging her to breathe fully, expanding out through the bones of the legs and chest, expanding past the original boundaries of the pose with integration and safety.

 In terms of the Loops, if he sees it would serve the student, Friend might come over and adjust a student’s ‘Kidney Loop’ in the area behind the back of the waistline, encouraging the student to fill the back body with breath to create lift and space there. Or he might instruct a student to take the upper palate back and keep the shoulders in line with the base of the neck while drawing the shoulder blades down the back, to more fully activate what he calls ‘Shoulder Loop’.