The goal of Maharishi Yoga Asanas is to establish the mind and body in a state of balance.
To help you fine-tune your practice of Maharishi YogaSM Asanas, download and print this handout ► and watch one of the video demonstrations below. Before taking the class, please be sure to register and sign the agreement form here ► if you haven’t done so yet.
It is highly recommended that you preview one of these videos prior to your initial Maharishi Yoga instruction with a Certified Teacher of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique or a qualified instructor of Maharishi Yoga Asanas. You may also review the video at any time once you have received Maharishi Yoga instruction. Thank you for respecting the confidentiality of this presentation by not sharing these video links or handout with others.
Please note: If you have any health problems or you are pregnant, please consult your physician before beginning the course.
You are also required to sign this agreement form before taking this class: Please register and sign here ►
Before Class, Watch One of the Videos Demonstrating Maharishi Yoga Asanas
Join an Online Class—Fridays at 4:00 p.m. Central Time (CT) or Sundays at 10:00 a.m. CT
These 60-minute classes are led by faculty of Maharishi International University and are followed by a 20-minute Group Meditation online. Currently these classes are being offered as a free service.
To take either or both classes, participants need to register and sign the agreement form only once. Please register no later than two hours before the start time, by 2:00 p.m. (CT), on the Friday of your first Maharishi Yoga Asanas class. Once you have registered, you will receive a webinar link for all classes. Registrations received after 2:00 p.m. Friday, within two hours of the start time, will be processed for the next class.
Every week, on or before Friday, you will receive an email with links for both Zoom and a YouTube livestream of the webinars. If the Zoom classroom is full, you may view the classes on YouTube.
Before class, preview or review one of the instructional videos above and the handout.
Requirements for the class:
- Prior instruction in the TM technique
- Comfortable sports or yoga wear
- A yoga mat or thick blanket
- A settled environment
Instructors for the Maharishi Yoga Asanas Classes
Both instructors are on the faculty of Maharishi International University (MIU) in Fairfield, Iowa.
Paul J. Morehead, Ph.D., Associate Dean, College of Integrative Medicine, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology and Health Sciences.
Dr. Morehead has nearly two decades of experience in developing and teaching courses in Maharishi AyurVedaSM and Maharishi Vedic ScienceSM.
The courses he teaches include: Maharishi Self-Pulse Reading; Maharishi Yoga Asanas; and classes in diet, digestion, and nutrition. He has been a teacher of the Transcendental Meditation program since 1973.
Sankari Menon Wegman, Ph.D. Researcher, the Department of Physiology and Health Sciences.
She has worked at The Raj Maharishi AyurVeda Health Center for over 15 years and currently works at the Integrative Wellness Clinic on the MIU campus.
She is on the Board of Directors for the Maharishi School and has been a teacher of the Transcendental Meditation program since 2001.
Correct practice of this simple set of asanas is a great addition to twice-daily TM practice and cultures the mind and body to be more settled and balanced during TM practice.
Maharishi Yoga Asanas
The goal of Maharishi Yoga Asanas is to establish the mind and body in a state of balance. These easy, natural postures help culture mind-body coordination and integration, greater flexibility, and strength.
The practice of Maharishi Yoga Asanas also helps remove physical stresses and improve health overall. Scientific research has demonstrated the effectiveness of Yoga in improving many areas of mental and physical health.1
Correct practice of this simple set of asanas is a great addition to twice-daily TM practice and cultures the mind and body to be more settled and balanced during TM practice.
In addition, students also learn pranayama, a simple breathing technique that settles the body and mind, contributing to a smoother, more refined experience during TM practice.
Take Your Yoga Practice to the Next Level
For those interested in learning more and taking their Yoga practice to a higher level, we recommend taking the Maharishi International University course:
MIU PHYS 263: Maharishi Yoga Asanas ►
Note
1. Jeter, Pamela E., Slutsky, Jeremiah, Singh, Nilkamal, and Khalsa, Sat Bir S. “Yoga as a Therapeutic Intervention: A Bibliometric Analysis of Published Research Studies from 1967 to 2013 2015.” Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2015 Oct 1; 21(10): 586–592. doi: 10.1089/acm.2015.0057. Results: A total of 486 articles met the inclusion criteria and were published in 217 different peer-reviewed journals from 29 different countries on 28,080 study participants. The primary result observed is the three-fold increase in number of publications seen in the last 10 years, inclusive of all study designs. Overall, 45 percent of the studies published were randomized controlled trials, 18 percent were controlled studies, and 37 percent were uncontrolled studies. Most publications originated from India (n=258), followed by the United States (n=122) and Canada (n=13). The top three disorders addressed by yoga interventions were mental health, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease.
The yoga sessions have been such a blessing during Covid. They have been a great grounding source. We hope they continue in the future.??? ????
So glad to hear! The plan is for these to continue, for sure! All the best to you.
Thank you so much, but I didn’t get an email regarding this mornings session. It was my first one. Kind regards. L
Hi Loretta, I hope by now you’ve been getting the bi-weekly emails, but if not, let us know! Thanks and enjoy 🙂
Hello! I have registered for the Maharishi Yoga classes. Do you need to register each week? Or once you have the link you can join any class? Thank you and VERY MUCH looking forward to joining!
Hi Kimberly, You only need to register once, then you’ll automatically get the connection information every week for both the Friday and Sunday classes. Enjoy!
Thank you for your time and service, and for educating us in the whats, hows and whys of YOGA. We can all be healthier with Yoga. I have never tried Yoga before but now realize it goes hand in hand with meditation. Thank you!
Thank you, but I can’t see the link. Could you copy and paste it here please? thank you!
My apologies, Dario, I was confusing this page with another. You’re correct, there is no link above for the weekly Maharishi Yoga Asanas online classes. This is just an information page. You need to register, then a link will be sent to you via email. Every week an email is sent out with a link to register. This email comes from TM Special Events and this morning’s subject line begins with 5 Online Events. Scroll down to Maharishi Yoga Asanas, where you’ll see the link to Register. If you don’t find this in your inbox, check your Promotions tab or your Spam folder. Hope that helps!
Hi guys, this sounds great! is there a zoom link for this? thank you.
Dario
Hi Dario, Yes, the Zoom link is at the top of the page under the headline, and again at the end of the page with the U.S. Schedule of Lift-Off Times. Same link for the whole U.S. except Hawaii, which has a different link, also posted. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for the recorded session. I have been attending the Friday and Sunday sessions. They have brought me back to the joy of yoga in a simple and present way. I am very grateful!
May we keep the brief Thursday sessions going? That is precisely the class I need at this point. Have been doing Friday and Sunday for awhile. Time to move forward now. I am most thankful for everything provided during this time.
Thanks for your kind comment, Maureen, and so glad to hear the Maharishi Yoga sessions have been beneficial. I will pass along your request to the MIU organizers. Best wishes!
Hi I haven’t yet received the link for the Thursday Class on Asanas could you please verify if I’ve subscribed correctly. Thank you
Hi Cora, Yes, you’re all registered and both the class link and a reminder email have been sent! If you don’t see in your inbox, do a search for the sender: Maharishi Yoga Asanas Course, and check your Spam folder. Enjoy the class!
Dear MIU – Many thanks for this course – such a generous opportunity. I just attended the online presentation on Sat 11 July 2020 1pm Central with Dr. Paul and Sankari and he mentioned the Sanskrit names and their health benefits for each asana, but these are not on the handout from your link above. Can we please get a list of the Sanskrit names for each asana and the associated health benefits for each one?
All the best, cheers and enjoy.
Jai Guru Dev
Michael
Thanks for your note of appreciation, Joseph! So glad you’re enjoying the online classes with Dr. Paul and Sankari. We’re in the process of preparing a longer handout for Maharishi Yoga asanas, including the Sanskrit names and other information, and we will post above as soon as it’s ready in the coming weeks. Thanks again, and all the best!
Hi
Thank you for this. As someone in the UK it would be great if I could watch a recording of classes, as they start rather late over here. Thank you
Thanks, Ruby. Good news! A special class has been scheduled specifically for UK meditators, this Sunday, June 21, at 11:00 a.m. US Eastern time. You’ll still need to register in advance here and check on the corresponding time for the UK. Enjoy!
Hello! Thank you, so wonderful for Maharishi Yoga Asanas to be offered freely. I will attend when I can, may not be every week so replays would definitely be appreciated!
Some days I work at this time, will I be able to review the link later?
Thanks, Ana. You can view the live class with that link every week at 5:00 pm EDT. There aren’t any recorded replays available yet, but we’ll announce if they are. Hope you can enjoy the live class some weeks!
I was able to join for the first time today and I really enjoyed it. I am working Mon to Fri day shift and just took this week off. I’m in healthcare and find TM so helpful. This yoga would be so nice to have more guidance with. Is there any chance there will be an evening session? Thank you for this session.
Hi Laurie, We’re glad you’re finding your TM practice so helpful, especially in your demanding work, and that you had some time off and were able to enjoy the yoga class! Drs. Morehead and Wegman are looking into having an evening or weekend class. When that’s available we’ll let everyone know. Thanks for your comment and your great work!
HARBOUR asked ADITI about:
I registered a week ago and never received the link for the 5/22 class.
Hi Holly, Due to the overwhelming response they weren’t able to get everyone registered last week. But they’ve caught up now and you should have received a link for today’s class, 5/29. If not, let us know! Thanks for your patience, and enjoy the class 🙂
Looking forward to the group on line class on Friday. I have been practicing TM for a long time, having learned the technique in 1970. I’m happy to say that I am a healthy 68 year old male today because of TM.
That’s wonderful that you’ve experienced long-term health benefits, Stan! Looking forward to seeing you in Friday’s class.
Hoy tuve la fortuna de entrar a esta página de Maharishi Yoga Asanas, quiero saber si puedo continuar con el programa los viernes por la tarde, en mi país México es a las 4 pm. Agradezco su respuesta.
Gracias por tu comentario, Rosa. ¿Te has registrado para el curso de Asanas de Yoga Maharishi? Si no es así, puede hacerlo aquí y recibirá un enlace cada semana para la clase del viernes. La clase en los EE.UU. es a las 5:00 p.m. hora del Este / 4:00 p.m. Central / 2:00 p.m. Pacífico. Sí, en México creo que son las 4:00 p.m. Inicie sesión temprano para obtener un lugar. ¡Disfruta la clase!
Jai Guru Dev everyone.
I just learned about and registered for your May 15 session. I am thrilled to be able to join in. I have been doing my own yoga practice and TM here in my Sonoran Desert home near Tucson, Arizona.
Will I need to reregister separately for each Friday in the upcoming weeks?
Thanks so much!
Karen
Hi Karen, Wonderful to have you in the class! I don’t believe you need to reregister for each Friday, but I will confirm with the organizers. Enjoy!
Hi Karen, I confirmed that now that you’re registered, you will receive a link for the class every week and won’t need to register again. Enjoy the session this Friday!
I registered for today’s session (May 8) a week ago but never received a join link. The registration link on this page has now disapeared.
Hi Grant, I believe they reached capacity that week, but you should receive a link this week for Friday, May 15. If you didn’t receive a link, let us know!
Hi Grant! Due to an overwhelmingly positive response, it took longer than expected to register everyone for the course. I see you are now registered and I hope you will join the class on Friday.
I registered days ago but never received a link to join the class
Hi Lorey, I’m sorry you didn’t get in last week—I think they reached capacity. But you should receive a link this week for Friday, May 15. If you didn’t receive a link, let us know and we’ll get one to you!
Hi Lorey! A registration confirmation email should be coming through today, and a class link on Friday. I hope you will join the class this week!
I registered for the May 8 class at least a week in advance, but did not receive a link or any instructions for how to attend. Was there something more I needed to do? I’d really like to attend this class, but it happens during my usual work schedule. I took the day off today to attend, so especially disappointed it didn’t work out.
Hi Darrin, I’m sorry you changed your schedule to attend then never received a link! I think the system was overwhelmed. Have you received a link this week? If not, please let us know and we’ll be sure you’re in the list of registrants. Thanks for your patience!
The link to the instructional videos on Vimeo is broken. Can you please fix it? Thank you.
Hi Sally, I’m sorry you were having trouble playing the videos. I just tested them both, on laptop and iPhone devices, and they both played fine. Could you try again, after refreshing the page? Thanks, and best wishes!
I live in the UK. Is there a recording of the class that I could watch, as the time difference means the live lessons are at 10 in the evening.
Hi Pamela, thanks for your query from across the Pond! The Friday classes are only offered Live at this time, but the instructional videos are available above. I’ll pass along your question to the organizers in case this is something they could do in future. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy the videos 🙂
Hi there, I am also wondering about the possibility of recordings. I am at work during the time of the offering in real time.
Hi Shana, thanks for asking. The organizers will announce if recordings can be made available. In the meantime, I hope the videos and handout are helpful!
Thank you so much for making this knowledge available online at a time when so many of us around the world have more time at home and can learn/re-learn it and start/re-start the practice. The timing feels like the support of Nature and is much appreciated. Jai Guru Dev
Thank you for your comment, Ward! Feel free to join the class each week (or as often as you wish) to cultivate your practice of yoga asanas and pranayama.
I can’t thank you lovely people enough for this! As well as the Lord. Been making some effort to find an authentic avenue to learn these for just so long… these videos are absolutely perfect and come from two brilliant instructors. I hope I’m able to join on Friday! If we have questions, should we keep them for Friday’s class or is there an email ID/Facebook group, et cetera we can direct them?
Thanks for your kind words, Jalal! We will check with the organizers and have someone reply to your question. Enjoy!
Hi Jalal! You’ll have the option to ask questions via live chat during class each week. Looking forward to seeing you on Friday.
Hello I received the invite email yesterday afternoon, May 1. I just had time this afternoon to open email and read it, register, look at video and print out handout. So what I am saying is I did not attend the 1st class because I was not aware of it until today. Will I be able to start? Thank you very much.
Hi Catherine, thanks for your comment and question. We will check with the organizers and have someone get back to you. Take care!
Catherine, we’re thrilled you’d like to join the class! It is being offered every Friday, so please feel free to join this week. Attending last week’s class is not a prerequisite. Since you’ve already registered, you’ll receive an email with the link to the class on or before Friday.
Thank you for offering this class. I would like to print the flyer but any attempts show only a blank page. Could you provide specific directions.
Thanks for your question, Christina. Sorry you’re having difficulty printing the handout. I just did a test and was able to print it from my laptop. I clicked on the handout link and it opened in my browser. Then I checked that my computer was connected to my printer and instructed it to print, which it did. I’m not sure how your devices are configured, but this worked for me. If you’re still unsuccessful you could try contacting support@tm.org for assistance. Good luck!
That’s great that so many people signed up! Dr. Morehead was the guest speaker at our Retreat in Florida last winter and he was wonderful! So glad that more people are getting to benefit from his boundless knowledge. Sankari is wonderful too – they are a great teaching duo! Everyone – don’t miss out on this – it’s a valuable opportunity!
Thank you Regine! We’re so fortunate to have such great teachers sharing their wisdom and expertise!
Hello,
A link to join today’s class (May 1) never arrived in my email. My registration was earlier today so perhaps the timing was off? Too late?
I will continue to look forward to future classes so please advise if I have more to do to participate.
Thank you!
Christopher
Thanks for your query, Christopher. Today’s class had 3 times as many registrants as expected. They tried to expand capacity to include everyone but weren’t able to do so in time for the class. There will be more capacity for next Friday’s, and you can check back here for updates. Thanks for your interest and patience as we launch this popular new program!
I haven’t receive the invitation
Hi Carolina, So sorry, but today’s class was unexpectedly oversubscribed. There will be more capacity for next Friday’s, and you can check here for updates. Thanks for your interest in this new program, and you’re welcome to watch the videos above until next week.
Please send the link!
Hi Sylvia, Today’s class was oversubscribed, so the organizers were unable to send links to all who registered. But next Friday’s class will have more space for all, we hope. Thanks for your interest, and you’re welcome to watch the videos!
Interested in breathing exercises
Hi Theresa, thanks for your interest. Pranayama is demonstrated and explained in both of the videos above, following the demonstration of the asanas. Enjoy learning and practicing this valuable exercise.
Was not successful in joining the class via Zoom. Even downloaded the app. Please help!!
Hi Nancy, I believe the class starts at 4:00 p.m. Central Time, in about 15 minutes. Try contacting support@tm.org to see if the support team can help you. Good luck!
Hi Nancy, look for an email this week with the link to join the class. We’ll be offering an option to watch it on YouTube in case you’re not able to connect via Zoom. Hope to see you on Friday!
I’ve not yet received the link for the webinar
We’ve been told that they’re still sending them out, right up to the class time…
Where is the link to the class? I signed up but don’t see how to access it.
A link will be sent shortly. Thanks for asking!
Do you think it would be possible to have closed captioning added to the videos?
Thanks, Barry. A good suggestion. I will pass this along and see if closed captioning may be added.
Thank you for your question, Barry. It looks like we can add closed captioning to the live classes starting this week. I hope you’ll be able to join on Friday.
Thank you for this. It is a precious offering. I need to review the Asanas and very much appreciate it.
We hope to see you on Friday!
I did learn these at a retreat several years ago…and I am so looking forward to this today, as I need a refresher to be sure…such great support
Thank you!
Thank you for your comment, Julie. I hope you were able to connect last Friday. We were at capacity, so if you weren’t able to connect, please look for an email with a link for this Friday’s course very soon.
Thank you for this offer. I sometimes find it hard to settle into my meditation. I’m sure this will really help. I have actually already filled out the registration once (via the email I received) but as yet, I have not received a confirmation email. I live in Germany and I wonder if that causes the system to reject me?? Yours hopefully!
Hi Rosalind, You’re registered and will be receiving a confirmation email later today. Enjoy the course!
Hi! I received an email, but no link to the course.
Great! thanks for checking in, and I’ll ask whether a link will be coming soon— before the class start time 🙂
Just checked, and it will be coming soon, before the start of the class!
Great thanks! I miscalculated the time difference. ?
Many time zones away!
Thank you for offering this. I am looking forward to it.
We look forward to seeing you at Friday’s class, Michele.
Thank you for this opportunity. I find it hard sometimes to take the time for reviewing the Asanas before my afternoon meditation. This will really help me include the Asanas, that all important step in attaining balance to my practice.
Rita, please feel free to join the class each Friday to refresh your practice of asanas and pranayama.
The last two times I tried to access TM offerings by Zoom I had no success. I hope this will be better! Please let me know what I should be doing to make the venture work.
Thank you,
Allegreta
Hi Allgreta, I’m sorry you’ve been having difficulty connecting to some of our programs via Zoom. Please contact support@tm.org and the support team will help in any way they can. Enjoy the class!
Thank you for your feedback, Allegreta. We will be offering this class on YouTube as well. Look for a link via email soon. I hope to see you on Friday!
waiting for this opportunity
I would love to have support in developing consistency in the Asanas practice, particularly before meditation.
Thank you.
Looking forward to seeing you in Friday’s class!
I would like support in my daily meditation and yoga practice and thank you for this offering.
Thank you for your comment. We look forward to seeing you on Friday!
I started TM in 1968 and welcome this refresher. Thanks
I’m looking forward to the class.