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I think it is fair to say there are three major players in the Power Yoga stakes!

The names are probably familiar to you

Bryan Kest, Beryl Bender Birch and Baron Baptiste

Each one has a great concept but each one's concept differs slightly from the other.

So I'll pardon any confusion you may have about what the differences are. I was certainly confused when I started looking at what the differences were.

Some of the differences are extremely subtle ... being more in the way of their philosophy rather than their practice, ... but others are very obvious.

I've tried to give  an insight into each one's philosophy but it would be 100% better to actually be in their environment. Then you'll experience the power they talk about.

But the next best thing if you can't get to any one of their classes in person is to get their power yoga dvd's or their power yoga videos! I found them exhilarating!

Not only that the power yoga videos and the power yoga dvd's have an immense amount of detailed instruction. ... As I said, if you can't get to one of their classes in person then getting  a power yoga dvd or video and being able to play it at your convenience when your mindset is right is the next best thing!

The Kest form of 'Power' Yoga!

"The only way to do this is to work with yourself, not against yourself. By working hard sensitively, we create an environment that's healing and that honors each individual, an environment that respects our boundaries and works within him or her."

Bryan Kest on the other hand describes his form of 'Power' Yoga as looking to create "the highest level of energy, vitality and freedom" http://www.poweryoga.com/aboutyoga/aboutpy.php .

I really find Power Yoga an exhilarating experience!

His philosophy is very powerful to read and I found myself agreeing with a great many of his concepts.

To give you a thumbnail sketch of what he believes:

• an exercise routine based on aesthetics only feeds your ego and not your spirit

• by feeding your ego you're actually making yourself more vulnerable

• the differences in each person reflects the differences in their yoga practice. No one has the same body, genetic makeup, life experiences and as such each person's yoga experience can't be the same

• that real health and vitality comes when people stop comparing themselves with each other and accept the voice inside of themselves which tells them what they really need

• to put away ego and not want 'the best body' but 'the best body that you as an individual can have'

• through our own ego's humankind has created and imbalance in the world.

• we've stopped listening to ourselves and to the needs of the world and instead have become enamored with our own greatness and intellect

• By shutting out everything else in favor of intellect, humankind has moved away from the natural balance of the world

• that intellect as ruled by humankind's intellect is pulling the world apart, through it's self-indulgence. The way our 21st century manifests itself is an example of this

• that to heal the world, we as humans need to heal the imbalance which is in ourselves. We need to slow down, stop thinking and start listening

• Because humankind is the source of the imbalance if we heal ourselves and become in harmony with the natural world we will be in the process of healing the imbalance in the world as our actions wont be governed by ego to make the world bend to our will, but wisdom to listen to what the world and in the same vein, we as humans, need

• this way we'll use the intellect as it was meant to be used to shape the wisdom as it comes to us

By understanding this it brings the person back to a yoga practice. Bryan Kest says'

"This brings us full circle back to yoga. Originally, yoga was created to facilitate the stillness in order to emancipate the wisdom. Some still use it for this purpose. Beyond this, yoga is a tool or system created to facilitate balance. In order to facilitate balance, the imbalances need to be exposed and eradicated. This can be a totally possible yet challenging endeavor, and this is where we start losing people."

Bryan believes that people just don't want to work hard enough to achieve that state of harmony within. However, from the first yoga class that first step towards harmony begins. It helps quiet the mind and release tension and this gives us a feeling of lightness and balance and those first minute steps towards restoring harmony in the world have begun.

As long as your approach to yoga is to listen to what the body needs instead of where the ego wants the body to be, your yoga experience can be totally satisfying.

Bryan Kest believes that the hardest part of the practice of yoga is honoring the body and what it needs in this particular moment. he believes that too often the yoga student finds themselves slipping back into their old habits of goal orientation, self-criticism and re-activeness, which are the root of so much imbalance, disharmony, and misery.

The rest of this I have taken as a direct quote as it describes, at least what I have felt, so accurately

"Goal orientation, which sometimes is expressed as "I'll be happy when," leads you away from the here and now. Looking outside yourself for happiness doesn't work. If you're not happy now, you won't be happy for long no matter where you go. Why? Because happiness, or wholeness, has to come from within. And wholeness comes with acceptance of Right Now! There will always be another place to go, so there is no such thing as getting there. As far as your potential for happiness is concerned, "You are there."
Self-criticism leads us to feelings of inadequacy, insecurity, worthlessness, and low self-esteem, as well as the criticism of others, which keeps us at each other's throat.

Re-activeness creates tension. Discomfort is a part of life. Unwanted things happen, and wanted things don't happen. Our comfort zones get trampled. No one, no matter how wealthy or powerful, can escape discomfort. Yet within our discomfort, we actually have a choice: Shall I accept it or not? Accepting discomfort is intentional passivity. Non-acceptance is resistance.

But the truth can't be resisted, so resistance creates disharmony. This resistance manifests itself as re-activeness, and these reactions create internal locks or knots. These locks are held in the body. As we unconsciously react more and more, knots upon knots are built in the body, slowly but surely forming walls or barriers that start disconnecting us from ourselves.

Fortunately, our yoga class helps to create optimal physical health by enlivening and invigorating our whole body, ending dormancy, strengthening the weak links, and releasing the knots. It also energizes the mind and provides a safe, controlled environment for working on all the negative issues that are exposed. This is the real key!

Because the body is a direct manifestation of the mind, as we heal our mind, our bodies naturally follow. Also, our bodies are subject to the laws of nature. Eventually they will dry up and blow away, because all matter is in a state of flux. Yet it seems our minds are subject to no laws. As far as we know, our minds are limitless. So it makes sense that through yoga poses we start to hone and strengthen the unlimited aspect of ourselves, our minds! This leads us into a whole new place of connectedness, balance and satisfaction."

I don't know whether I've fully done him justice. If you're interested, in reading his words then I've provided the link above. You can see though that his concept of 'Power' Yoga is markedly different to Beryl. To me it appears to be a difference in the philosophy of the practice ... in the mindset and the reason for doing yoga. What do you think?

Now Beryl Bender Birch's form of 'Power' Yoga

Beryl claims that she and Bryan Kest (then in California) were the initial ones to come up with this 'title'. As they did not trade mark the concept of 'Power' yoga, there are other studios also offering their version of power yoga.

However, she's adamant that her form of Power yoga is different to Bryan's.

Beryl has based her 'Power' yoga  on the classical path of Patanjali's yoga. To get an idea of her style of 'Power' Yoga it's best to look at the books she's published.

In 1995, "Power Yoga" and "Beyond Power Yoga" were published.

Many people still refer to the book "Power Yoga" as an introduction to the practice of yoga.

The reason, in my opinion, that it's such a great introduction book is because it focuses on just one limb of Patanjali's 8 limbed concept of yoga, ...  namely the "asanas" or poses. It lets you get that correct first.

Her second book "Beyond Power Yoga", takes the student, the next step and introduces them to the philosophy of Patanjali's 8 limbs of yoga. These 8 limbs are:

• Yama (Restraints or Abstinence)

• Niyama (Observances or Disciplines or Devotion)

• Asanas (Yogic postures)

• Pranayama (Breath Control)

• Pratyahara (Retraction of the Senses)

• Dharana (Fixation of Attention)

• Dhyana (Devotion, Fusive Apprehension)

• Samadhi (Fully Integrated Consciousness)

She then examines in 'Beyond Power Yoga' each of the 8 chakras or Wheels of Life and draws parallels to the 8 limbs of yoga. The Wheels of Life are:

• Earth Connection - stillness, located at the perineum at the base of the spine

• Water Connection - movement, located around your genitals

• Fire Connection - combustion, located at your navel

• Air Connection - expanding , located at your chest

• Ether Connection - speak and create, located at the throat

• Mind Connection - intuition and perception, located at the eyebrow

• Consciousness Connection - leading to indescribable wisdom, located at the top of the head

• Aura -  the container, surrounding the body in every direction, the container for all the chakras

In this approach she's unique to others.

I wondered why she called this yoga "Power".

Well, it appears that a reason for naming her concept 'Power' yoga is to give the western mind a way to relate to the esoteric concept of spiritual growth through Ashtanga or raja yoga. In her opinion her form of yoga not only provides a full physical "workout" together with a spiritual transformation, but helps heal sports injuries and rehabilitate as well.

The way she teaches the poses comes from the Krishnamacharya tradition. She also includes study of the method of Pattabhi Jois, Iyengar and Desikachar.

What is good about Beryl is that she doesn't advocate that her form of yoga is the only true form of yoga but she respects that there are others.

Beryl believes in approaching the asana practice in a methodical, slow and patient manner. Not to hurry or become aggressive with the students. In Beryl's opinion, the study of yoga is a lifetime commitment and as such cant be obtained through ambition, pushing or straining yourself. Following Patanjali's way, she believes that the practice of the asanas should be balanced and not lead to injury, so opening yourself better towards meditation.

Just a little background about her yoga institute.

The Hard & The Soft Yoga Institute was founded by Beryl in 1975 in Winter Park, Colorado. There it was known as 'The Hard and The Soft Institute for Humanistic Studies'. The Institute began teaching Yoga For Skiers.

I was fascinated to learn that the name for her institute (which is an unusual name) was taken from a Zen proverb - "Only when you can be extremely pliable and soft can you be extremely hard and strong"

When you think about it, it's so true.

Since 1980 the institute has been known in East Hampton and Vermont as The Hard & The Soft Institute.

Now Beryl Bender Birch teaches the Middle Path of Jina Yoga (incorporating the classical Ashtanga 8-limbed methodology) all over the world.

The philosophy of her yoga institute can be summarized by this direct quote

"Our focus is on presenting a non-dogmatic, non-exclusive, non-injurious (both physical and mental) style of yoga. Our teachers are trained extensively in the moral and ethical tenets of yoga, as well as the anatomy of asana. It is extremely important to us that our teachers understand ethical and moral appropriateness. We also believe it is important for a teacher to be visually and verbally confident, interesting, and energetic. Our training includes work on personal hygiene, public speaking, voice training, leadership qualities."

If this inspires you then I'd encourage you to read more here  http://www.power-yoga.com/

Baron Baptiste's 'Power' Yoga is again described in a different way.

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