Svaroopa Yoga: Finding Deep Release and Ease (This article appeared in the September, 2005, Richmond edition of the Natural Awakenings magazine). Millions of people in the U.S. are practicing yoga in many forms: in heated rooms, sweating to release toxins, in the continuous, easeful flow of vinyasa to work with the breath, in power yoga poses to bring up energy, focus, and will power. They seek these forms of yoga for myriad reasons—relieving stress, overcoming injuries and chronic pain, or increasing clarity of mind. Recently featured in the July issue of Yoga International is Svaroopa® Yoga, which offers a new way to think about asana practice: releasing tensions in the deepest layers of muscle along the spine to experience core openings. The poses begin with muscles connected to the tailbone—the pivot point of the body. The changes extend down the legs, through the hips, knees, ankles, and feet. Simultaneously, a domino effect of release climbs the spine through the sacrum, waist area, rib cage, shoulders, neck, and skull. The whole body changes, from the inside, out. In this approach, release occurs with the propping of blankets to provide support. With adequate support, students are relieved of straining or pushing in a pose. Leaning into the angle of the pose enables them to let go of deep tensions and unconscious holding patterns in their spines and in their bodies. The results of the poses are immediate and reliable, and physical changes begin to occur. The inner spaciousness that results is more than physical, though the physical changes can be significant. In the practice of leaning into themselves and finding support, students also experience shifts on mental and emotional levels, in relationship to themselves, to others, and to their work. Learning to let go and finding deep release and ease within themselves translates to a different means of living, one with less and less efforting and pushing. “The inner opening goes much deeper as energy starts moving through the spine unimpeded….You gradually learn to surrender into a grace that is ever present. The outer practice of these asanas leads you to recognize that the source of grace is deep within your own being,” says Rama Berch, founding president of the Yoga Alliance network, founder of the Master Yoga Foundation, and originator of Svaroopa Yoga. In 90-minute sessions, sequences of poses open the spine from tailbone to neck and head. The poses are suitable for all ages, from beginning to advanced students. Classes are designed to meet students where they are in their bodies at the moment, customized to their needs. For this reason, class sizes are small—up to 10 people. The sessions focus on unfolding physical tensions while developing an awareness of body and mind that allows students to go deeper. The dynamic is not in the movement, but in the process. In home practice, students can open the spine in as little as 20 minutes, using sequences of reliable poses.