Beryl Bender Birch (born October 1942) is a teacher of

yoga as exercise Yoga as exercise is a physical activity consisting mainly of asana, postures, often connected by vinyasa, flowing sequences, sometimes accompanied by pranayama, breathing exercises, and frequently ending with savasana, relaxation lying down or ...

and a creator and

guru Guru ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...

Power Yoga Power Yoga is any of several forms of energetic vinyasa-style yoga as exercise developed in America in the 1990s. These include forms derived from Ashtanga (vinyasa) yoga, namely those of Beryl Bender Birch, Bryan Kest, and Larry Schultz, and f ...

Life

Beryl Bender Birch was educated at

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...

, where she read English and Philosophy. In 1974 she spent six months studying

yoga Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...

in India under Munishree Chitrabhanu. She founded her own school of yoga in

Winter Park, Colorado Winter Park is a home rule municipality in Grand County, Colorado, United States. The permanent population was 1,033 at the 2020 census, although with 2,572 housing units within the town limits the seasonal population can be much higher. It ...

in 1975. She learnt Ashtanga Yoga from Norman Allen, one of

K. Pattabhi Jois K. Pattabhi Jois (26 July 1915 – 18 May 2009) was an Indian yoga guru who developed and popularized the flowing style of yoga as exercise known as Ashtanga (vinyasa) yoga. In 1948, Jois established the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in My ...

's first western students, who collaborated with Jois on his trips to America. In 1981 she began to teach Ashtanga Yoga at the New York Road Runners Club; she later became Wellness Director there. She is the creator of one of several forms of

; she stated that she went on using the Ashtanga Yoga

asana An āsana (Sanskrit: आसन) is a body posture, originally and still a general term for a sitting meditation pose,Verse 46, chapter II, "Patanjali Yoga sutras" by Swami Prabhavananda, published by the Sri Ramakrishna Math p. 111 and late ...

sequence in the new brand. Her 1995 book of the same name became a bestseller. She and her husband, the runner Thom Birch (1954–2006), cofounded New York's "The Hard & the Soft Astanga Yoga Institute".

Reception

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' writes of Birch's book ''Power Yoga: The Total Strength and Flexibility Workout'' that "... some readers may find Power Yoga narrowly prescriptive or severe. However, Birch's credibility supports her passionate advocacy. This is an important book for the yoga community as well: a thoughtful exposition of one of several major yoga movements that have developed from the work of

Krishnamacharya Tirumala Krishnamacharya (18 November 1888 – 28 February 1989) was an Indian yoga as exercise, yoga teacher, ayurvedic healer and scholar. He is seen as one of the most important gurus of modern yoga, and is often called "Father of Modern ...

, one of this century's great yogis." Kali Om, writing on ''Yoga Chicago'', describes Birch's writing style as never dull, with humour and a cheerful tone, but casual and with "endless anecdotes". She finds the account of the ashtanga primary series in ''Beyond Power Yoga'' condensed and "sometimes confusing", but writes that the book provides a non-threatening introduction to the seven other limbs of ashtanga yoga beyond the physical.

Works

* 1995 ''Power Yoga'', Atria. * 2000 ''Beyond Power Yoga: Eight Levels of Practice for Body and Soul'', Touchstone. * 2009 ''Boomer Yoga'', Sellers. * 2014 ''Yoga for Warriors'', Sounds True.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Birch, Beryl Bender 1942 births Living people Modern yoga pioneers American yoga teachers Syracuse University alumni Modern yoga gurus