What is yoga?

Yoga is an ancient philosophy, originating with the Indus-Saraswati people, in what is modern day India. It is not a religion. Although it pre-dates all the major religions, it does share an affinity to Hinduism.

Yoga is based around the 8 Limbs of Yoga which are:

Yamas and Niyamas - do's and don't for living a good life, very similar to the 10 Commandments.

Asana - the physical postures of yoga which we tend to see most of in classes

Pranayama - breath work

Pratyahara - withdrawal of the senses/ detachment

Dharana - Concentration

Dhyana - Meditation

Samadhi - state of ecstasy/ enlightenment

Each of these headings has loads of sub-topics - enough for several life-times of learning!

In Western society, we tend to practice Hatha yoga, which focuses on the Asana (posture) practice. There are many (many) different styles of yoga, from very gentle to much more dynamic. Here is a great summary article from the Guardian newspaper: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jan/10/yoga-beginners-guide-different-styles .

Speaking personally, each posture you work with is a journey, which changes over time. Sometimes you need to do a variation to work into these. Other times the posture may be easier and you then need to find balance and strength in it.

Yoga is accessible to anyone. All you need is a mat. It's useful to wear loose clothing, like t-shirt and track-suit trousers. Fancy leggings, although nice, are optional. If you're interested in finding out more or trying yoga for yourself, please get in contact with me. I'm happy to have a chat with you, or point you in the right direction to get you started.

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