In the second stage, meditation is included into the practice and postures are held for prolonged periods. Kripalu Yoga is taught by numerous teachers around the world, and the Kripalu Center in Lenox, Massachusetts, offers a battery of classes, workshops, and retreats for beginners and advanced students. Integral Yoga was developed by Swami Satchidananda, a student of the famous Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh, India. Swami Satchidananda made his debut at the Woodstock festival in 1969, where he taught the Baby Boomers to chant om, and over the years has attracted thousands of students. As the name suggests, this style aims to integrate the various aspects of the body-mind through a combination of postures, breathing techniques, deep relaxation, and meditation.
Function is given preeminence over form.
Sivananda Yoga is the creation of the late Swami Vishnudevananda, also a disciple of Swami Sivananda, who established his Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center in Montreal in 1959. He has trained over 6,000 teachers, and there are numerous Sivananda centers around the world. This style includes a series of twelve postures, the Sun Salutation sequence, breathing exercises, relaxation, and mantra chanting. Ananda Yoga is anchored in the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda and was developed by Swami Kriyananda, one of his disciples. This is a gentle style designed to prepare the student for meditation, and its distinguishing feature are the affirmations associated with postures.