Ho Chi Minh Center

All – Levels Yoga Class

90-minute Hatha Yoga class, suitable for all levels from beginner to advanced

Sivananda Yoga Center is a classic Yoga lineage from India, teaching the practice of meditative Hatha Yoga. The exercise series focus on spinal health and affect the energy centers along the body. Each movement brings a sense of spiritual, focus on the breath and meditation in the posture.

All-level classes at Sivananda Ho Chi Minh Center, as well as our other centers and Ashram around the world, are suitable for both beginners and advanced practitioners.

In this 90-minute class, you will be guided through Pranayama (breathing exercises to energize and balance the breath), Sun Salutation exercises, a series of Yoga Asanas (steady posture), and final relaxation. Perseverance and stability in practicing this series of exercises will bring great health and peace of mind.

We have mats available in class, but practitioners are encouraged to bring their own mat and towel. We also sell mats and towels at the boutique. To ensure class quality, please arrive 10 minutes prior to class opening to calm your mind and energy down and thus best experience the benefits of Yoga.

Advanced Yoga

For advanced students who want to enhance their Asana practice

The advanced Yoga Asana class focuses on advanced variants of the 12 Asanas in the Sivananda Yoga sequences. This is an opportunity to enhance your Yoga practice with challenging Asana postures, improving flexibility, balance, endurance and stillness.

The main purpose of advanced postures is to enhance the mind’s concentration. Your body should be very firm and strong enough to be able to practice these postures. As postures are not the final goal of Yoga, we recommend you to listen to your body and control your mind to participate in Advanced Asana classes safely and effectively.

Pranayama & Kiryas

Energy control and body purification

Prana means the universal energy. Yama means to control. Pranayama is the knowledge to control the boundless cosmic energy – human prana – through breathing exercises to enhance the health of the body and mind. Pranayama is one of the most important practices in all types of yoga. By practicing Pranayama, Yogis can control his nervous system and thus gradually control his life energy and mind.

Pranayama breathing exercises bring immediate benefits to the mind and body, balance the two cerebral hemispheres and two sources of yin and yang energy in the body, purify 72,000 nadis (the meridians), balance emotions, enhance vitality…

The Yogi sees his body as a vehicle to help him evolve into higher consciousness. In order to operate smoothly, this vehicle must always be cleaned both inside and out – just as we often shower outside, it is equally necessary to clean the internal organs and pipes. The purification exercises in Yoga, “Kriyas”, are known as a natural way to support the removal of waste products and cleansing from the inside of the body. No prior experience is required. Everyone is welcome, from beginner to advanced.

Yoga And Health

Yoga – the natural supporting solution of medical therapy and health care

Yoga and the Cardiovascular system

“The Yogi sees the body as a tool in his journey towards perfection” – Swami Vishnudevananda

The human body is divided into organ systems based on their function. The organ systems work smoothly in the overall machine, influenced by each other. It is important to have a healthy circulatory system, with non-obstructive blood vessels and arteries carrying oxygen and nutrients to the whole body.

The practice of Yoga helps to maintain a healthy lifestyle, limits circulatory problems affecting the normal functioning of the organ systems, for an energetic life.

Yoga for Diabetic patients

There is an increasing number of diabetic patients chosing yoga as an effort exercise to control their condition and improve their life quality.

It is known that regular yoga practice can help to reduce stress levels and enhance mobility, thereby lower blood pressure, and improve health in overall.

These are benefits that many health experts believe Yoga can improve in diabetes and protect against related conditions such as cardiovascular diseases.

Asana Workshops

Technical instructions and benefits of Asana postures

108 rounds of Sun Salutation

This workshop will teach you the meanings behind the Sun Salutation, as well as providing detailed instructions and corrections to improve your practice, bringing the best health benefits.

Topics include:

• Sun Salutation – its meanings and benefits
• Meditation, breathing and movement in Sun Salutation
• 12 Sun Salutation postures and practice
• Spinal health – how we can improve strength and flexibility

Backward and Forward Bend

This workshop help students understand the benefits of forward and backward bending asanas and provide instructions on related postures and variations. Participating in this workshop, students will have better insights on their own physical body conditions- their limitations and advantages to actively explore the Asanas. Also, the awareness of stretching the particular parts of the body and the internal organs syncronyzing with the breath is enhanced significantly. Suitable for students at all levels.

Balancing Poses

This class will focus on variations of balancing poses. You will learn how to improve your practice, starting with easy balancing poses like the Tree, then to the advanced such as the Crow, Headstand, the Scorpion, and other poses.

Suitable for all levels, beginners to advanced learners.

Workshop content:

• Balancing variations for each of the 12 basic poses.
• Preparation exercises for the reverse poses.
• Safety guide for practice.
• Benefits of balancing poses

Music And Arts

Techniques of concentration and meditation through music and arts

Kirtan Singing

Kirtan singing is Bhakti Yoga practice that transforms emotions and increases love. This is the easiest and funniest technique to calm the mind and elevate emotions. Kritan- Yoga of the sound encompasses Mantras in Sanskrit. Mantras create sacred vibrations that directly affect emotions, release negativity, purify and uplift emotions for the sublimation of the spirit and unity attainment.

Join our Kirtan singing workshop for a unique music meditation experience.  Let immerse your mind in purity, bliss and harmony with Kritan songs.

Japa Chanting

Japa meditation is repeating a Mantra, with or without a rosary or malabead. The mantras are mysterious sounds heard by the Rishi in the deep meditation state and passed on to the disciples. Mantra has great power and Mantra itself is also a God/ Goddess.
Japa meditation purifies the mind, increases the will power, increases the concentration and immediately converts the vibration of the body and the mind to a higher and more positive level.
In the Japa Meditation Workshop this Sunday, you will have the opportunity to learn more about a new form of Yoga meditation , learn how to use Mala beads and practice the secret power of mantra.

Basic Yoga Course

For beginners of Sivananda Yoga

Coming to the course, you will be trained methodically on:

• Each posture of Yoga (Asana) from basic to advanced: how to prepare, retain and come out of a posture properly, meditation in posture and the benefits of each posture on body, mind, and spirit.
• Yoga breathing exercises (Pranayama) that increase concentration ability, intellect, and vitality (prana) for the whole body and the mind.
• Sun salutation series (Surya Namaskara) that bring solar energy, increase strength and endurance, synchronize the body and mind.
• Theoretical explanation of “5 Points and 4 Paths of Yoga” by Guru Swami Vishnudevananda for comprehensive health, peace and happiness.

Sivananda Yoga’s basic course 16-days consists of two parts:

• Yoga 1 (8 sessions) includes basic Yoga theories and postures, preparing the mind and the body to be familiar with Yoga practice. People with special medical conditions can only register for Yoga 1. Teachers will record the pathology, body problems of each student and adjust the postures suitably.
• Yoga 2 (8 sessions) is the more advanced part to complete the sequence of 12 Sivananda Yoga Sivananda Yoga. The focus is the “head standing” position (Sirsasana) _ the king of Asanas and advanced breathing exercises (Kapalapati).

Prenatal Yoga

For pregnant women from 4th to 8th month

At that time, the fetus is stable, and the mother has gone through the period of pregnancy sickness. During this period, the fetus has started to grow, which creates backache, hips pain, and difficulty in walking for the mother.

Prenatal Yoga helps mothers to reduce aches and improve their mood. Yoga exercises accelerate the flow of oxygen from the mother to the fetus. The baby will move according to the mother’s poses, so they can grow faster and healthier right in the fetus. Yoga combined with breathing also enhances the connection between the mother and the baby, makes it feel loved and cared for.

Yoga is one of the few subjects that pregnant women can practice. Studies have shown that practicing Yoga during pregnancy has many benefits for both mother and baby. Prenatal Yoga only includes gentle movements, it mainly uses the regulation of breathing combined with movement of body muscles and joints to help mothers learn how to breathe deeply and relax, which is very useful in labor and also reduces the postpartum depression syndrome and stress during pregnancy. Yoga gives pregnant women great effects both physical and mental.

Meditation

Knowledge and techniques for meditation practicing

Meditation is considered to be the aim of Yoga practicing. It is an invaluable techinique to achieve emotional balance, peace of mind and enlightenment. Let get acquainted, expand and deepen your knowledge of meditation with our course.

ADVANCED MEDITATION COURSE 2 – 8 SESSIONS

Go deeper into your meditation practice by understanding the roots of thoughts and emotions. You will learn about 4 paths of Yoga which will uplift your Meditation practice to a higher level. You will continue to practice meditation in a longer period of time to improve your thinking and truly connect with your inner peace.

Course content:

• Meditation techniques follow the four paths of Yoga
• Choose a mantra for personal practice
• Meditate using a mantra
• How to continue a steady meditation practice
• Obstacles in meditation

Satsang

Group meditation or Satsang is the center of the Yoga teachings and provides one of the most effective means to progress in spiritual life.

Every Wednesday and Sunday: 6.30pm – 8.00pm

Satsang literally means “to befriend the wise man”, or a meeting of like-minded people for spiritual practices. No prior knowledge or experience of Yoga is required, and everyone is welcome to join. Each session consists of 30 minutes of silent meditation starting with instructions, 30 minutes of Kirtan chanting, and a short lecture or reading about Yoga philosophy. After Satsang, you are invited to enjoy a complimentary dish or fruit prepared by our staffs.

Occasionally we hold guest talks or spiritual concerts as part of Satsang. Satsang is open to all, all is welcome, and all is free.

• 8:00 am or 5:00 pm: Asana Class for those who have practiced Yoga
• 6:30 – 8:00 pm: Satsang: Meditation, Kirtan chanting, and introduction to Sivananda Yoga

Karma Yoga

Sivananda Yoga Center is a voluntary and non-profit organization, operates entirely in the spirit of Karma Yoga (voluntary service). All instructors and staff are volunteers, and the Center operates only with the help of many individuals inspired by the teachings of Yoga. You are always welcome to join us as a “karma yogi.” There are some areas that you can come and serve: office work, maintenance and repair, gardening, cleaning, cooking, IT, advertising running. If you have any special skills, please share with us. Tell your friends about us and help us spread the teachings of Yoga to everyone.

Gardening

Sivananda Yoga Ho Chi Minh Center has many trees and plants. For a Yogi, connecting with nature is especially important to increase prana and vitality. Although we are in one of the downtown districts, our garden makes us feel like living in an oasis of peace and tranquility. We strive to protect the environment by reducing waste, reusing, and recycling old materials.