When we sit down for a meditation practice, Pratyahara is probably the first thing we do - we focus on withdrawing our senses and instead we draw our awareness within. Dharana means ‘focused concentration’. If you feel like your brain is constantly moving from one thought to the next - or what Yogis call the ‘Monkey Mind’ - you may find that practicing Dharana helps you improve your focus and slow down your thoughts.
Read MoreAsana are the physical postures we do on our mat and this limb is, nowadays, quite often the point of entry for people into yoga. The word Prana refers to ‘energy’ or ‘life source’. It describes the very essence that keeps us alive, as well as the energy in the universe around us. Prana also often describes the breath, and by working with the way we breathe, we directly affect the state of our mind.
Read MoreThe second limb, niyamas, usually refers to duties directed towards ourselves, but can also be considered with our actions towards the outside world. There is a reason the yamas and niyamas occur before asana in Patanjali’s eight limbs of Yoga. When we take on a physical yoga or pranayama practice, we’re using, creating and directing powerful energy. Having a solid understanding of the yamas and niyamas can help channel that energy into a positive expression of ourself. There are five niyamas.
Read MoreThe Yoga Sutras, compiled more than 1,500 years ago by the Indian sage Patanjali, are foundational to yoga as we know it today. In the sutras, Patanjali speaks about the eight limbs of yoga, the eightfold path of spiritual growth and self-discovery. In this blog post, we’re looking at the first limb, the Yamas.
Read MoreJnana is Sanskrit for "knowledge" or "wisdom," and it describes the path of attaining knowledge of the true nature of reality through the practice of meditation, self-inquiry (Svadhyaya), and contemplation as well as studying Yogic scriptures. It’s considered to be one of the most direct but also the most difficult of the four main paths of Yoga.
Read MoreIn the Bhagavad Gita Shri Krishna said: “Do your duty without the concern to the fruit of it”. The word “Karma” means action, so Karma Yoga is the Yoga of action or duty. Krishna taught Karma Yoga to his disciple, Arjuna. The essence of his Karma Yoga teachings was that one must participate in the world, performing their proper activities without attachments to the outcome (positive or negative) while all the while devoting themselves to the path of union with the Divine.
Read MoreBhakti yoga involves surrendering to the Divine or uniting with the universal consciousness, through practices such as chanting, devotional mantras, prayer, kirtan and rituals as part of their worship.
The intention when practicing Bhakti yoga is to devote one's self to the Divine in everything, thereby realizing the union of atman (the individual self) with Brahman (universal consciousness).
Read MoreIn Sanskrit, Raja means ‘king" or ‘royal," referring to Raja Yoga as the "royal path"’ or principal form of yoga. Traditionally, Raja Yoga refers to both the goal of yoga and the method of attaining it. It is therefore also considered to be the state of peace and contentment that arises from sustained yoga and meditation practice. It is from Raja Yoga that Hatha Yoga and the modern asana practice developed.
Read MoreDer Jahreswechsel wird oft als Projektionsfläche benutzt. Erwartungen, Wünsche und Sehnsüchte kommen auf und im neuen Jahr soll einiges anders werden. Dabei sind es die kleinen, aber kontinuierlichen Schritte in unserem Leben, welche uns die gewünschten Veränderungen bringen.
Read MoreAnlässlich unseres Team Events gestern durften wir eine Yoga Stunde mit Luna Schmitt geniessen - eine nährende Praxis die uns dazu eingeladen hat, Altlasten abzulegen und Leichtigkeit in unserem Körper und Geist zu spüren.
Dieses Jahr war zweifelsohne geprägt von grossen und kleinen Hindernissen, Schwierigkeiten und Herausforderungen - doch wie mit allem im Leben gibt es für jede Schattenseite eine Seite die von Licht erfüllt ist.
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