Yoga: Background

As the weather changes to welcome spring, rebirth and blossoming, we too look for ways to renew ourselves. Enjoying the sense of balance and well-being that comes with the first rays of sunlight after the winter.

Yoga is a way to celebrate the presence of the sun even when it’s gone, filling us with energy, calm feelings and equilibrium. Welcoming yoga into your everyday routine should include the physical practice of the asanas, the meditation and the breathing techniques.

Focusing on the asanas (the poses and transitions in between poses that make up the physical practice of this ancient discipline), there are many variations that can help you work on different body areas.

Aside from the physical and spiritual benefits of yoga, you’ll find a more balanced mind, better ability to focus and concentrate on the present. This eliminates anxiety and reduced stress. You’ll also discover better flexibility, strength, posture and toning.

According to an article by holmesplace, here are some basics to set you on the yogistic path. In our Yoga Teacher Training program in Victoria and Vancouver, BC, we will cover these as well.

Asanas:

The closest literal meaning to this is ‘comfortable seat’ and it relates to any of the various body poses assumed in yoga. You hold poses for a certain length of time and each has its own name, usually derived from nature and animals.

Bandhas:

Body locks which help regulate and control all your internal systems. A term that is related to energy and energy leaks, they are explored as the practice evolves.

Mudras:

The symbolic hand positions that relate to different meditative states. Anajali mudra – the most famous – is a prayer pose; setting the mood for the class.

Pranayama:

Pranayama is the formal practice of controlling breathing. The idea is to support your asanas by regulating and lengthening your breath in sequences of deep, silent and nasal breathing.

Samadhi:

Samadhi is the stage at which union with the divine is reached. It’s the highest peak of meditation, where you experience a paradise-like, blissful state of nirvana and oneness with the universe.

Namaste:

Namaste is the greeting, that means ‘I bow to you’, is something you’ll hear at the end of every yoga class. It’s typically spoken whilst placing your palms together, closing your eyes and bowing your head.