yoga

The word yoga means “unity” or “oneness” and refers to the connection between body, mind and emotions. Practically, this means harmonizing and balancing thoughts, words and actions through the practice of physical exercises (asanas), breathing (pranayama) and meditation (dhyana). The science of yoga assumes that the emotional, mental and physical levels flow into one another and that a disruption in one of these levels also affects the others.

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The history of yoga goes back many thousands of years. In ancient times, the techniques were kept secret and only passed down orally to ensure a clear understanding of their meaning and purpose. The Indian scholar Panjali wrote the “Yoga Sutras"(which can be translated as "guide") and was the first to put the knowledge in writing. He describes yoga as one inner state of calm. To achieve this state it requires practice. He describes this practice as an eight-step path consisting of yama (yogic self-control), niyama (inner discipline), asana (posture), pranayama (expansion of prana), pratyahara (detachment of perception from the external world, dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (oneness with the cosmic consciousness). This made yoga accessible to a wider audience and we can still draw  on the ancient wisdom today.

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Nowadays we are moving further and further away from this state of inner balance due to constant availability, social media etc. Therefore stress manifests itself on multiple levels.