”If you control your mind, you control everything. Then there is nothing in this world to bind you.”
Swami Satchidananada om Yoga Sutra 1-2.

"Practice and all is coming.”
K. Pattabi Jois

”we do the practice to love ourselves so we can learn to love others more.”
Larry Schultz

“Asana is a posture that brings steadiness, comfort and joy.”
Yoga Sutra 11-46

Yoga has existed in some form for thousands of years. Its history can be traced back in time to before the Vedic culture around 2800 BC. The Vedic philosophy and its knowledge initiated Hinduism as well which is closely related to other traditions such as Buddhism, Jainism and Tantra, although it’s better described as spiritual practice than religious practice.

Yoga originates from northwest India, in the modern Pakistan-India area named Indus Valley. Indus Valley belonged to the Sarasvati people (the river Sarasvati) who were one of the largest civilizations on Earth in ancient times.

Their art of medicine had the name Ayurveda. Veda (meaning collection of books) and the Sarasvati people gathered their scientific results in various systems (Charaka Samhita) such as Healing herbs, Astrology, Psychology, Spirituality, Yoga, Meditation, Mantra and Surgery.

Ayurveda was a significant part of the Vedic philosophy in the Sarasvati culture and is even now the Indian art of medicine. Yoga was an ayurvedic healing method with its positive effect on the whole body, soul and the nervous system. It also affected, for example, high blood pressure, depression, upset stomach and similar symptoms.

Guru and yoga master Patanjali was the first to attempt to write yoga down in to a system. This eight step way or system of yoga is described meticulously in a written yoga document entitled Yoga sutra. The texts he gathered he pulled together from documents from between 200 BC – AD 200.

In the Yoga sutra Patanjali, it thoroughly describes eight steps or parts for practicing raja-yoga. Raja-yoga is the classic yoga with its eight steps and is the basis of Hatha-yoga.

The type of yoga most widely taught in the West is Hatha-yoga. Within Hatha-yoga there are several diverse teachings where the instructors have developed yoga in their own way. The branches available today are for example Iyengar-yoga, Jivamukti-yoga, Vini-yoga and Bihar-yoga (a total of 14 ea.)

The Astanga vinvasa yoga for instance accentuates a dynamic performance of specific motioning patterns, and has been developed by Pattabhi Jois (born 1915) at the Astanga Yoga institute in Myosore, Southern India.

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
ASHTANGA VINYASA YOGA means the eightfold path of Yoga. It comes from the Yoga sutra; an ancient yoga text which has made the greatest influence, written by Patanjali several thousand years ago. Ashtanga is a development of the Hatha yoga.

VINYASA means energizing system. You can also translate the word “exiting circle”. It provides a flow between the positions (asana) when you’re exercising movements joined together to obtain warmth and provide concentration.

The steps in the eightfold path of Yoga are divided as follows:

Yama (ethics and relation to the world)

Niyama (our attitude towards ourselves). How you live your life.

Asana (physical positions). Physical positions in various exercises.

Pranayama (breathing control) Breathing exercises or energy control.

Pratyahara (controlling your senses). Shutting out disturbing elements.

Dharana (concentration)

Dhyana (meditation)

Samadhi (complete bliss). The goal of yoga. The great happiness, the great ”awareness”.

Ashtanga yoga originates in India, where the present form was created by Sri Pattabhi Jois. He studied and interpreted ancient documents (Yoga sutra) together with his teacher Krishnamacharya and developed the system today taught as Ashtanga Yoga. Patabhi Jois still lives and teaches in Mysore in Southern India.

Ashtanga yoga is a flow of dynamic motions, a physical form of yoga whose therapeutic effect strengthens and cleanses the body.

By synchronizing the breathing with various motions, the inner blaze is brought to life and cleanses and strengthens the body physically and mentally.

The Ashtanga yoga’s greatest strength is correct breathing. It brings oxygen to the blood and increases the circulation in the body and the brain which leads to clear thoughts and enhanced creativity. When training Ashtanga yoga on a regular basis you’ll experience the strong point in this form of yoga.

It’s about exploring yourself, getting to know yourself and getting in touch with the inner you. It’s about building up a strong mentality and a strong body which allows us to face life in a more positive, humble and open way.

This technique has been practiced for 3000 years. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga has been described as “medicine for the soul” as it allows profound mental peace and harmony.

The Ashtanga yoga’s principal effects are stress reduction and reshaping of the body, which in turn inhibits the aging process. The Ashtanga yoga also cleanses the body from toxics and residues.

Ashtanga yoga isn’t a cult, a religion or a competition. Everyone can practice together regardless of age or personal conditions. Ashtanga yoga is a way to health, agility and balance through concentration and training on a regular basis. Meditation is experienced during the motion. This is ideal for people who think that the traditional sit-down meditation exercises are complicated or just not appealing. 

Ashtanga yoga is structured by six series, each designed to work with diverse aspects of the body. The first and most common series aims to cleanse and detoxify the body. It includes about 80 positions carried out in due order, where each motion prepares for the next one. The other series are more advanced and requires great humility and flexibility from the person practicing it. One doesn’t move on to the next series until one master the previous series. But the first series provides a very versatile training, so it’s sufficient.

Ashtanga vinyasa yoga is most suitable for people who like physical challenges and are healthy.

Hatha yoga
This is the physical way to control and is actually considered as preparation for exercising raja yoga (where physical strength and controlled breathing is needed).Hatha yoga is the type of yoga usually practiced in the West. When Westerners speak of yoga, as a rule its Hatha yoga they mean.

The word “hatha” means powerful. Although it’s not perhaps the exact word one immediately associates with yoga, the exercises in hatha yoga can be really powerful. The individual syllable “ha” meaning “sun” and “tha” meaning “moon” are united in he word “hatha”, which suggests unification of opposites.

The harmonizations of opposite powers are a key aspect in yoga – warm energy is mixed with cold energy, strong with weak and masculine with feminine.

Hatha yoga uses a combination of physical positions, breathing exercises, cleansing processes and an attentive awareness of the physical and subtle bodies as a preparation for contemplation and meditation. 

Hatha yoga is primarily founded on a verbal tradition passed on from teacher to student. A lot of yoga wisdom has also been written down in the form of verses, aphorisms, practical instructions and also as the yoga text Yoga sutra, which probably has had the greatest influence and is assumed to have been written sometime between the years 200 BC and AD 200.

Physiology
Practicing yoga is positive for everyone, regardless of age, experiences or background. It doesn’t matter what shape you’re in when you start training. Just having a body – being alive – is enough to be able to practice yoga. Yoga exercising is connected with physical, emotional and – finally – spiritual benefits. Some beneficial effects, for instance increased litheness and increased serenity, you’ll probably discover quite soon when you start practicing yoga.

With reference to this, energies flow more freely, which alleviates, heals and prevents diseases and sports injuries. Unlike several sports as well as various types of fitness training, yoga is working with the body’s every muscle.

This prevents certain muscle groups from getting overstrained, which can lead to damage. Yoga improves balance, posture, swiftness and grace. It cleanses internally and improves bodily processes, like digestion.

Yoga principles of the eight basic principles are:

Physical exercises (Asana)

Breathing control (Pranayama)

Concentration (Dharana) and

Relaxation (Dhyana).

Through exercising asana you’ll develop a better sensitivity to your awareness of your physical self. The subtle relations between body and soul will begin to awaken and you’ll learn how to control your breathing, when you’re moving as well as when you’re inactive.

The emphasis on breathing technique helps you to breathe better - in other words; deeper and fuller – even when you’re not doing yoga exercises. This leads to a sharpened mind and peace of mind as well which in turn leads to improved concentration. Yoga can contribute to the relief or the elimination of specific physical symptoms or ailments like PMS, headache, back pain, stress, insomnia, asthma, irritable bowel etc.

You may also notice that yoga helps diminish anxiety, emotional tension and mood swings.

Yoga is personal exploration for all of us. Its special and unique significance will become apparent when you start your training.