Yoga

Yoga is one of the six darsans ("darsana" is derived from the Sanskrit root "dṛś", which means "to see/to look"), the great philosophical systems of India. As an applied philosophy, yoga guides practitioners to gain self-awareness and clear perception, ultimately obtaining fundamental insight into the depths of one’s existence. A structured, systematic and holistic yoga practise is the key to this path.

Classical body, breathing and mental exercises enable the yogic practitioner to integrate all aspects of his or her being.These methods ignite inner-growth and create an atmosphere of physical well-being and mental serenity. This inspires loving and mindful relationships with oneself and others, as well as with the environment. The yogi and yogini can enjoy exploring and recreating their lives from this new perspective.

Roots

The roots of yoga reach far back in time. They can be traced back to the early age of Indian history.

Under the influence of Aryan tribes immigrating to north-west India from 1800 B.C. onwards, yoga developed gradually finally to become one of the six orthodox, philosophical systems of India.

Yoga sees itself as a way leading to deeper insight. With this the aim is to overcome "dukkha" (suffering) and "avidya" (ignorance), the latter being the root of all suffering.

To achieve this, yoga offers different methods to the seeker, all of which embrace its two main concepts:

• Yoga is a way of practicing ( referring to extensive methods)
• Yoga is a state of being ( fully in peace with oneself and having deepest insight)

The concept

The word "yoga" is derived from the Sanskrit root word "yuj" which means "connecting, unifying". Yoga was developed as a holistic and integrative way for practitioners to recognize their strengths, talents and potential, thus making it possible to unite them in harmony. The aim is to reach a state of outer health and inner serenity– a state of being which makes it possible to encounter oneself on a deeper level."

In yoga, the process of unification seeks to overcome personal suffering by widening the boundaries of one's consciousness to see one's connection with the whole cosmos.

This happens in the following three steps:

• Acquiring and cultivating basic psychological attitudes
• Developing awareness and restructuring one's body
• Intensifying awareness and widening one's consciousness

Yoga Darsana

The Yoga Sutras, comprising of 196 concise phrases was formulated by the author Patanjali. Though the exact date is unknown, it is believed that Yoga Sutras originated between 300BC and 300AD. Today they are considered to be one of the six great philosophical systems of India.

Though they don’t contain detailed descriptions of yoga methods, they hold the thoughts and principals which form the basis of yogic philosophy. In sutra 1.2, yoga is defined as "Yoga chitta vritti nirodha", which translates to "Yoga is the cessation of mind movements". Sutra 1.3 then reads, "The seer rests in his real state of being".

The eight-fold path shows a systematic and holistic way of practise to reach a state of silent self-awareness in the present moment. practise starts with the outer coarse levels and works its way to the inner subtle levels with interdependent methods that enhance each other.

Different ways to practise yoga

Yoga is a state of mind which is defined by mental focus and clarity, achieved when the stream of thoughts and feelings reach a standstill. The heart is filled with deep peace and one is aware of the timeless nature within.

All the various pathways which evolved during the long history of yoga lead the practitioner to this experience or to his of her own personal goal. Though various paths may at first seem quite different (emphasizing particular ways of practise), they all lead to the same mountain peak. As the mountain will appear different when viewed from different perspectives, there lay many routes that can be taken to ascend. Yet, all of these different paths will eventually reach the same peak.

The following traditional ways of yoga practise complement each other and invite the individual to choose the methods which best fit his or her circumstances of life: Jnana Yoga, Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Hatha Yoga.