Jivamukti yoga was developed in the 80s. It is considered a path to compassion and enlightenment. This modern style of yoga combines strenuous physical exercises, spiritual elements, music and ancient texts. In this article, we will reveal to you how this type of holistic yoga works, what its effects are and who it is specifically for.

​

Jivamukti yoga is a relatively young practice. It was developed in the mid-1980s by two Americans, Sharon Gannon and David Life. Their now closed New York-based Jivamukti Yoga Center remains the best-known studio in the United States. It even hosted celebrities.

The jivamukti is based on the traditional hatha yoga.

 

The asanas, as the physical exercises in yoga are called, are however executed in a more dynamic and fluid way, like those of the vinyasa yoga.

​

What sets it apart from other practices is the fact that it emphasizes a spiritual and holistic way of life. It doesn't just focus on movement.

 

The practice also incorporates recitations of ancient texts, meditation and chants, which are more like spoken chants.

​

In Sanskrit, which is the language of the Sacred Scriptures of ancient India, 'jiva' means 'individual' or 'soul' and 'mukti' means 'liberation'. According to the central idea of the jivamukti philosophy, anyone who walks the path leading to compassion for himself and others must experience enlightenment.