Yoga is a philosophical and practical discipline from ancient India. It dates back several thousand years and has undergone many transformations throughout its history. Yoga, as it is taught today and practiced worldwide, is a system for the development of the whole personality in harmony with the natural and social environment of man. Special emphasis is placed on a system of physical exercises (asanas), breathing exercises (Prānāyāma), deep relaxation (Yoga Nidra ) and meditation that has been tried and tested for many centuries.
Yoga as therapy
This system is individually adapted to the living conditions of our society as well as to the state of health of each person. Moreover, yoga plays an important role in the therapy of physical and mental disorders. In the ancient source texts we find the parable of the chariot with a team of horses and the charioteer. In a figurative sense, yoga means to rein in the wild horses of the five senses in order to lead the chariot of our personality easily, quickly and safely to its destination: to the knowledge of ourselves and the world in which we live; to the unfolding of the potentials slumbering within us; to the experience of oneness with the universe and with the divine primal principle of creation.
Yoga as philosophy
In ancient India, yoga was not a "wellness" movement, but rather an intensive physical, mental and spiritual training. We can preserve essential aspects of this ancient discipline, but we must adapt it to our modern times. Yoga in its comprehensive understanding is still today a demanding path and a precise science of the human being - not only a physical discipline with excellent health effects, but also a very subtle philosophy that unfolds through the holistic work on body, mind and psyche. Yoga, as it is understood in our tradition, is life-affirming and open. It is based on a view that includes the body as an instrument of cognition.
Holistic understanding of yoga
Yoga is the science of life and the teaching of the elimination of the contradictions and disturbances of consciousness. In yoga, a wide variety of techniques have been described thousands of years ago in India. They all have the goal of developing consciousness until it is so all-encompassing that man can experience himself as a holistic being, connected with body, mind and soul. But when we talk about developing awareness, it is not a process that can be limited to a certain time in the day. Awareness means, above all, introspection and discipline in everything we do or think. Once the need for it is recognized, this process begins, slowly and patchily at first, but gradually it gains such intensity that the whole of life becomes the subject of this observation - and this is where yoga begins. The system of Yoga describes in detail the theory and practice of the development of consciousness. In order to reach the goal, the unity of man with the whole universe, all obstacles on this path must be removed, i.e. all five sheaths Koshas, encasing our soul core, are purified and harmonized. In doing so, it is above all important to provide all levels of being equally with proper "nourishment".
Ayurveda and Yoga - together they work better
This is where the duality of Ayurveda and Yoga comes into play. The focus of Ayurveda is balance on the physical level, the focus of Yoga is balance on the mental-emotional level. Ayurveda teaches us to find the right balance, to experience harmony with the rhythms of nature, to strengthen physical strength and vital energy and to live vitality in everyday life. Mental development and physical balance are the two poles - both belong together.
