About yoga/Why yoga?

Yoga is, in its entire form, a complete, complex science and an all-inclusive healing philosophy.
As such it is not so much a technique or dogma, but rather a lifestyle consideration, a way of being that aims to bring about a better quality of life in general. Its principles are also startlingly simple to understand and practical in application.

Yoga is of a spiritual nature, but not a religion. The whole being – body, mind and spirit – is promoted as a unit by the interrelated aspects of Yoga. The emphasis is placed on achieving health of the inner environment; the mind, and all the systems of the body (respiratory, nervous, endocrine etc.), as well as the flow of energy into and within the body is stimulated. The physical vehicle is treated with respect and great care, and used as an instrument to bring about union of mind and body, in harmony with nature – the reason why yoga include specific exercises (asanas), effective breathing practices, which utilize the power of the breath (pranayama), meditation, relaxation and care of body (cleansing and diet) in equal proportion.

When practiced as a strict regime yoga can produce incredible levels of vitality, mental and physical power, but simple stretch exercises, effective breathing and meditative awareness can be highly beneficial to any health practice, sport or lifestyle orientation.

The metaphysical concepts of yoga underlie the physical aspects of its practice – the full beauty of yoga only becomes evident when seeing its interrelated facets as parts of a larger holism. Those serious about following a path of self-realization through spirituality will find the wisdom and insights of the yoga teachings immensely helpful.

Yoga originated in India, where it has been practiced for over three thousand years. It became immensely popular as a system of personal development and recreational exercise in the West in the second quarter of the twentieth century, and has since accelerated evolution into many variations and hybrids.

Different styles of yoga may place emphasis on different aspects of its physical or spiritual content. ‘Hatha yoga’ generally refers to the practice of the exercises. The most popular integral, i.e. styles that include the exercises and breathing techniques and acknowledges meditation, are Iyengar yoga (named after the famous modern teacher), Sivananda yoga (an accessible, remedial oriented style), Power Yoga (from the Ashtanga tradition, now a popular body sculpting style with a Hollywood profile, often practiced by top sports competitors, competitive exercisers and media stars), ‘Kundalini’ (energy and esoteric based), Bikram (in heated rooms) and ‘Raja’ yoga (no physical, only mind work).

Why yoga?

With sedentary lifestyles, the breakdown of supportive religious structures and family values, and the immense pressure and stress of the modern world, there is a great need for a practice that embraces both a physical and a spiritual culture. Yoga fits this description because it looks at the body/mind as a whole complex. It uses universal principles (good posture, effective breathing and mobility, a relaxed and clear mind and simple mind-over-matter spiritual meditative energy-based practices) to promote health, beauty, power and grace.

Yoga is a self-help, feel-good and stress release system rolled into one magnificent discipline which can be as gentle or demanding as the practitioner chooses. It is a centring and rejuvenating practice with multi-layered physical and psychological benefits – this is a direct result of its introspective nature. Regular practice will result in a supple and strong body which is free from stress. It also has therapeutic qualities, and so enhances most other forms of healing. While yoga teaches the body relaxed and graceful movement, it stimulates the health of all its systems; it develops strength and tone while flushing toxins from the body. Glowing, radiant health is a reflection of inner health and mental clarity, which are only some of the abundant benefits of regular yoga practice.

The yoga system is based on very powerful common sense, universal principles of good posture, effective breathing, mobility and body-mind-spirit integration. See the Five Keys to Well-being.