Yoga has branched out into many categories based on the different philosophies behind them. Some are fast-paced and better suited to people looking for a fast-paced program, while others are slow-paced and suited to the needs of people who practice yoga for meditation purposes only. Most are a combination of both, creating a well-balanced mind-body workout for general well-being.

Here we will compare the similarities and differences between two popular forms of yoga; Anusara and Iyengar. Both have many similarities, such as the founder of Anusara; John Friend was initially a student of the Iyengar founder, BKS Iyengar. John studied with Guru Iyengar for several years and was a certified Iyengar instructor in the USA before introducing Anusara. After practicing Iyengar for several years, John Friend realized that his philosophies were not entirely consistent with those of BKS Iyengar. So he developed the Anusara with the basic structure of both being similar to each other in terms of focusing primarily on proper alignment.

Although Iyengar is alignment oriented, he supports strength development, while Anusara is more fluid and promotes heart-opening poses. Anusara also differs from Iyengar in its use of tantric teachings. These reflect Hindu or Buddhist religious ideas for improving the mind and body in a positive way. Another difference is that Iyengar takes the yogi through a series of poses that are held for a longer time, while Anusara follows a flow of poses with a smooth transition between each change. This creates a very flowing yoga session and relaxes the mind to focus on the heart.

Iyengar and Anusara practice follow the same alignment basis, but due to different philosophical viewpoints, Anusara is more oriented towards the detail of the subtle body and energy body, which are called energy spirals, and Iyengar is more leaning towards technical orientation.

The word Anusara means to move with the flow of grace, so it is inclined to open each and every part of the soul and see it as something sacred or as a supreme consciousness. Unlike Iyengar, Anusara does not divide the body into two different systems; the spirit and the body; instead, the body is disciplined to penetrate the spirit and see the whole as something beautiful, dignified and divine.

So if anyone has attended Iyengar and Anusara classes, you can easily point out the similarities and differences. People who are more laid back prefer to follow the Anusara way, while people who are more rigid in their lives tend to follow the Iyengar alignment method as it provides them with a certain set of rules. It is entirely up to the student to choose between the two, and some end up following both alternately.