Shadow yoga is a system of yoga founded by Zhander Remete. that blends traditional hatha yoga postures with the graceful movement of martial arts.
What you see here is the latter part of the third Shadow Yoga prelude form, ‘Kartikkeya Mandala’ or ‘Garland of Light’. Despite the relative difficulty of some of the movements seen here, the system is in fact perfect for beginners due to its heavy emphasis on preparatory movements.
Preparatory forms are still used in the martial arts and the dance forms of Southern India, but are absent from many popular, modern day schools of yoga. It is through simple and uncomplicated movements, that one cultivates the inner power essential for advancement through the later stages of yoga practice.
If a student pushes ahead prematurely, failing to take the necessary steps in the beginning, there is a good chance they will resort to the use of blind muscular force when faced with more complex movements and postures. As my teacher Zhander wrote, “the best way to learn yoga is to start at the beginning and grow slowly paying keen attention to the details. It also saves a lot of time in the long run. My own experience has taught me, there are no short cuts in yoga.”
Join Tim in Camden for an introduction to Shadow yoga 6 week course, starting Friday 13th October. book now
