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On this page, you can read about my personal journey with Anusara Yoga. You will also find a factual overview of the Anusara method further below.
Currently, I collaborate with YAM - Yoga Ausbildung München in Germany to offer a 200-hour Anusara teacher training in German. Our next training starts in July 2025.
Alignment-focused yoga with a tantric soul for a strong, healthy body and an open heart ready to receive grace.
Barbra Noh, Sabine Willmann, Nora Ndrenika, Steffi Altendorf
200 Hour Anusara Yoga Teacher Training
Teaching Team
July 2025 – March 2026
In Munich and Online
IN GERMAN
7 weekends + 8 day intensive in the Bavarian Alps
LEARN MORE >> YAM: YOGA AUSBILDUNG MÜNCHEN
This method of Hatha Yoga changed my practice, my teaching, and my life. I absolutely love teaching Anusara because it empowers students to develop a healthy relationship with their bodies. It's not about the poses; it's about applying good actions to work intelligently with what you have, deepening your understanding of who you are and how you wish to relate to the world.
The Anusara practice has many therapeutic benefits for the joints, spine, organs, muscles, and fascia. After exploring many styles and schools for many years, I found that Anusara is a method that is perfect for me physically, intellectually stimulating, and offers answers to my philosophical questions.
This is a healthy, sustainable practice that can be adapted to suit people of all ranges of flexibility and strength. A great support to people with injuries and limitations, it is a practice that serves to nourish and strengthen the body and nervous system. Even with low energy, exhaustion, or burnout, you can start an Anusara practice.
With the alignment principles, I was able to resolve issues I was having with pain and injuries. My body felt more balanced, stronger, and more energized. When you learn these alignment principles, you effectively become your own physiotherapist.
The tantric philosophy opened me up to an entirely new perspective on life and the ability to embrace life's beauty and challenges wholeheartedly. This is a heart-opening practice that helps you live in the world more fully.
The community—or Kula—not only introduced me to the most highly skilled teachers I had come across, but also provided me with great company to be in and inspiring friendships all over the world. I see the Kula as the playing field for taking my yoga practice into life and becoming more skillful in my relationships. This is the most advanced yoga.
The teaching methodology is a key reason I decided to train to become an Anusara teacher. The certification process took my classroom skills and competency as a teacher to a higher level. Specifically, I gained the ability to instruct yoga more effectively, deliver classes with meaningful philosophical themes, and integrate anatomical and biomechanical knowledge within a well-planned asana sequence.
The standards for certification are high; I was proud to become fully certified in 2011. Since then, I have been leading Anusara Yoga teacher trainings in Europe and Korea. In 2020, I became a registered Experienced Certified Anusara Teacher qualified to lead advanced teacher trainings.
As of 2024, I am bringing my work with this wonderful method to Bali.
Let me tell you about why I teach Anusara Yoga...
Anusara Yoga is a rich and multifaceted practice that harmonizes the body, mind, and spirit. Its emphasis on biomechanical alignment ensures physical safety and therapeutic benefits, while its non-dual tantric philosophy fosters an uplifting and positive worldview. The sense of kula, or community, nurtures relationships and supports personal growth, making Anusara a truly transformative practice. Whether you are a practitioner or a teacher, Anusara Yoga offers a pathway to greater health, joy, and connection.
The certification process for Anusara Yoga maintains high standards, aiming to educate teachers to be skillful in various areas, including delivering clear verbal instructions and effective cues for biomechanical actions, integrating philosophical themes, providing safe and educational manual adjustments, designing intelligent class sequences, and developing exceptional observational skills.
An Overview of Anusara Yoga
Kula, a Sanskrit word meaning community or family, is the third pillar of Anusara Yoga. This sense of community is more than just a group of people practicing together; it is a supportive and nurturing environment where individuals can grow and flourish. Kula emphasizes the importance of relationships and the collective energy that arises from practicing with others.
Practitioners are encouraged to connect with one another, fostering friendships and support networks. This sense of belonging creates a safe space where individuals feel valued and accepted. It is within this community that the deeper aspects of yoga are often realized. As practitioners share their journeys, they learn from one another, offering support and inspiration.
Kula is considered the ultimate expression of yoga because it embodies the principle of union, the very essence of yoga. Through community, individuals experience the interconnectedness of all beings. This collective energy amplifies the benefits of the practice, as practitioners lift each other up and grow together. The friendships and bonds formed within the kula extend beyond the studio, enriching everyday life with a sense of connection and support.
The Heartbeat of Community: Kula
Anusara Yoga, a modern practice rooted in the tradition of Hatha Yoga, was founded in 1997 by the US teacher and innovator John Friend. This unique method intertwines physical alignment, a profound philosophical worldview, and a nurturing sense of community. These three pillars—alignment principles based on biomechanics, a non-dual tantric worldview, and Kula (community)—create a comprehensive and transformative yoga experience that extends beyond the mat.
Embracing the Heart of Anusara Yoga
At the heart of Anusara Yoga are its alignment principles, meticulously developed based on biomechanics. Unlike other yoga practices that focus more on flow or flexibility, Anusara emphasizes precise anatomical alignment, strength and stability. This attention to detail ensures that each posture is performed in a way that maximizes its therapeutic benefits, reducing the risk of injury and promoting overall physical well-being .
The Universal Principles of Alignment are core to this method. These principles guide practitioners to open their hearts and align their bones, joints, muscles and fascia in optimal ways, creating a balance between stability and freedom. For example, the principle of "Open to Grace" encourages practitioners to soften and receive the breath fully, fostering a receptive state of mind and body. "Muscular Energy" and "Inner Spiral" further instruct how to engage muscles effectively and align the legs and pelvis to support the spine.
"Outer Spiral" and "Organic Energy" add further depth to the practice. Outer Spiral involves the outward rotation of the hips to firm and stabilze the pelvis. Organic Energy, on the other hand, is about extending energy outward from the core to the periphery, enhancing the flow of prana (life force) and creating a sense of spaciousness and freedom in the body. Together, these principles foster a holistic sense of balance and harmony within the body's structure.
Further, there is a set of 7 Loops to fine-tune physical alignment. These are particularly helpful in addressing specific, individual issues such as dropped arches, hyperextension of the knees, or a stiff upper back.
This meticulous approach to alignment is not merely about physical precision; it also cultivates mindfulness. Practitioners develop a keen awareness of their bodies, leading to a deeper connection between mind and body. Over time, this alignment practice strengthens the body, improves posture, and alleviates chronic pain, making Anusara not just a workout but a healing practice.
The Power of Alignment
The word Anusara means "flowing with Grace" or "following your heart."
Anusara’s philosophical foundation is rooted in non-dual Tantric philosophy. The worldview describes everything in the universe as interconnected and inherently good. Unlike dualistic philosophies that separate the spiritual from the material, non-dual Tantra embraces life in its entirety. This perspective encourages practitioners to see the divine in all aspects of life, fostering a sense of unity and acceptance.
This philosophy supports an uplifting attitude to life. By recognizing the inherent goodness in themselves and the world around them, Anusara practitioners cultivate gratitude and positivity. The practice becomes a celebration of life, a way to honor and align with the flow of the universe. This outlook is profoundly transformative, encouraging individuals to approach challenges with resilience and grace.
Incorporating this worldview into the physical practice, teachers often use heart-opening themes and language that inspire and elevate. Each class becomes a journey not just of physical postures but of spiritual and emotional growth. This integration of body, mind, and spirit is key to Anusara Yoga, making it a holistic practice that nurtures the whole being.
The Uplifting Philosophy
Anusara’s comprehensive teaching methodology provides excellent training for yoga teachers. The emphasis on alignment principles, coupled with the inspirational Tantric philosophy and the cultivation of community, equips teachers with the tools to offer profound and effective classes. Anusara teachers are trained to see the unique light in each student and to guide them with compassion and precision.
This training ensures that Anusara teachers can create safe, inclusive, and inspiring environments. They learn to integrate the physical, philosophical, and communal aspects of the practice, offering classes that are not only physically challenging but also spiritually enriching. As a result, Anusara-trained teachers are highly respected for their ability to foster holistic growth in their students.
Training for Teachers
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR 2025 ANUSARA TT IN MUNICH
