Shadow Yoga is a style of Hatha Yoga developed by Shandor Remete. The term "Shadow" is a direct reference to certain esoteric descriptions in source yoga texts that Remete has been influenced by.
Contents
Style
Shadow Yoga incorporates all traditional aspects of Hatha Yoga, including asana, bandha, pranayama, mudra, and meditation aspects. A unique aspect of Shadow Yoga is its prelude forms which dominate the teaching of the general classes.
Shadow yoga practise is often conducted without the use of a mat; schools usually have dense carpet or wooden floorboards.
Preludes
Shadow Yoga emphases the requirement for learning three prelude forms that consist of dynamic activities to prepare the body for general asana practise. The three preludes are known as
The preludes consist of non-traditional poses that build strength in the legs and core, and increase flexibility in the hips and spine. These poses culminate in a series of Surya Namaskara that involve spiralling movements without typical "jump-back" movements common in styles such as Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.
In the full form of each prelude, they continue after the sun salutations with a series of traditional and semi-traditional asanas: samakonasana, atikrantam (a back-bend from classical Indian dance), mayurasana, and hanumanasana.
Geography
Remete originally started teaching yoga in Adelaide, Australia, before moving to Sydney. He now travels with his partner Emma Balnaves teaching workshops around the world on a revolving basis.
Shadow Yoga schools are distributed widely throughout Australia, USA, Europe, and Asia. In early 2013, there were over 40 Shadow Yoga schools across 17 countries, of which each instructor was personally trained and certified by Shandor Remete and Emma Balnaves.