The word yoga means union. On a practical level, yoga is a way to balance and harmonize the body, mind and emotions.

Each person can choose a yoga practice for different reasons. For example to build a strong and flexible body or to relief a specific condition like high blood pressure, back or neck pain, digestive imbalances, sleep disorders, lack of concentration etc.‬ However we need to acknowledge that yoga is a tool for developing and awakening the essence of the human existence.

‬‪Initially yoga works on the exterior of the personality, on the physical body through asana (physical positions) a quite familiar activity for most people. This is only a small piece of what the science of yoga really is. ‬

Additionally yoga continues working on the mental and emotional level and helps people who suffer from phobias and neurosis caused by stress and the effects of daily life. This is accomplished through various meditation and relaxation techniques.

 

Body and Asana‬

Asana are exercises that put the physical body in different positions that help cultivate awareness, relaxation and concentration.‬They have an impact on every part of the body, expanding and harmonizing the muscles and joins, the spinal column and the whole skeletal system. Asana have beneficial results in the internal organs, the glands and nerves.

The mind and body are not separate. Τhe rough unrefined form of the mind is the body and the refined form of the body is the mind. Practicing asana unifies and balances both. Both the body and mind hold tensions or energetic “knots”. Each mental knot corresponds to a physical, muscle knot and vice versa. ‬

The goal of the asana is to “untie” the knots. Asana release mental tension by approaching it on the physical level and working in a psychosomatic way, through the body to the mind.

A good choice of asana accompanied by pranayama, sat karmas, meditation and yoga nidra is very effective in eliminating those knots both from the body and the mind.This results in releasing the latent energy. The body is then filled with aliveness and strength, the mind becomes light, creative, joyful and balanced. ‬‬

 

Breathing and Pranayama

Breath is the most vital function of the human body. It affects the body on a cellular level, is closely connected to the brain function and every side of the human existence. Rhythmical, slow and deep breathing stimulates and is stimulated by a state of calmness and mindfulness.

Pranayama techniques are focused on breathing. The meaning of pranayama is the expansion of prana, our life force energy. These techniques can directly relax or energize our system depending on our needs. By practicing, we increase our levels of energy and become stronger against disease and the challenges of everyday life.

 

Meditation

Meditation practices are necessary in order to gain insight of the content of our minds. The subject of meditation is the mind. So it is necessary to prepare our body with the asana to be able to sit quietly in a proper position for our meditation practice.‬

"Meditation isn’t against activity. It does not suggest escaping life. It just teaches you a new way of life. You are the observer on the hills and you are viewing everything that’s happening around you. You are not the doer, you are the observer. That is the secret of meditation, that you become the observer."

Osho

 

YogaNidra

Each person has their own points of agitation on a physical, mental and emotional level. This tension causes an immense drainage of our source of energy and is the main cause of chronic fatigue and ill health. In yoga we work on the problems of tension from all possible angles. We realize that when the mind is tense then the stomach is also tense. And if the stomach is tense then all the circulatory system is tense. It’s a vicious circle of events. So in yoga, relaxation and releasing tension are two of our main cares. Even a brief relaxation practice will soothe stress and tiredness more effectively than many hours of restless sleep. Yoga nidra is the science of relaxation. It gives us the ability to dive deep into the areas of our subconscious mind and thus release and soften all mental tension in order to establish harmony in all aspects of our being.‬