Chapter 1:

What is Yoga?

No one knows exactly how old yoga is. The oldest archeological evidence of yoga’s existence are some stone carvings portraying figures in different yoga poses that were found in the Indus Valley, on the border between Pakistan and India. The findings are estimated to come from around 3000 B. C.E. Yoga was first mentioned in the Vedas, a collection of writings from around 2500 B.C.E.

CLASSICAL YOGA IS BASED ON THE

EIGHT LIMBS THAT Patanjali wrote down in aphoristic form in his Yoga Sutras, 200 CE. His writings are based on the Vedas, whose knowledge had been transmitted orally from guru to student, until they were written down. The Yoga Sutras consist of 195 aphorisms, 196 in some editions. In these, Patanjali systemized yoga and gave it a philosophical form. The Yoga Sutras are divided into four books, or chapters, called pada. They are: Samadhi Pada, which describes what yoga is; Sadhana Pada, which gives instructions on how to practice yoga; Vibhuti Pada, which mentions obstacles that might occur in the pursuit of yoga; and Kaivalya Pada, which describes liberation from obstacles that create imbalances in life. In Sadhana Pada, Patanjali describes the eight limbs: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi.

Yama – Self-restraints

The first limb, Yama, is about self-control and describes five moral codes that describe how to live a worthy life and how to interact with our surroundings. Ahimsa – do not hurt anyone, including yourself; Satya – commit to truthfulness; Asteve – do not steal; Brahmacharya – live humbly and act in moderation; Aparigraha – do not be greedy. Do not expect to receive anything back when you give, that will keep your mind pure.

Niyama – Inner Observances

Gives guidelines on how to treat yourself with respect and how to create good habits. Shaucha – purity, both on the inside and on the outside. Santosha – contentment for what we have and don’t have. Tapas – doing just enough, whether sleeping, eating, exercising, working or relaxing, and the body and mind will be purified. Svadhyaya – selfanalysis ; Ishvara pranidhana – be humble before a higher intelligence or God to let go of ego.

Ashtanga Yoga – The Eight Limbs
of Yoga
Ashta: eight Anga: limb Yoga: yoke/union

Asanas – Movements

The only one of the eight limbs that has anything to do with yoga movements. In ashtanga vinyasa yoga they strengthen, cleanse, and soften the body and mind. The breath links the movements. Practicing the ashtanga vinyasa yoga series will prepare you to face the challenges in life.

Pranayama – Breathing Exercise

Pranayama is a method to regulate and optimize the energy flow in the body.

Pratyahara – Withdrawal of the Senses

The first step towards shifting the focus to your internal world. Here you practice your ability to control and withdraw your senses from external objects. The goal is to shift the focus from the external world and turn inwards to get to know your inner self.

Dharana – Concentration

Here you practice concentration and the ability to control and focus the mind. Dharana is the first step towards achieving deep meditation.

Dhyana – Meditation

A meditative state, where you leave your ego and achieve a deep connection to the present moment and your inner self. Only then can you truly connect to your surroundings.

Samadhi

The final goal of yoga. A state of utter stillness transcending the body and mind, where the life force flows freely and you achieve a connection with the Divine and the rest of the world.

Yoga as a Tool

Yoga is not a religion, but more like a science of life. It is the oldest system in the world for personal development, where it is important to put equal focus on the body, mind, and soul. Yoga means yoke/union: uniting the individual self (jiva) with the divine consciousness (Brahman).

Simply put, we will find the answers we are looking for within ourselves – we are all like uncut diamonds – we are all God and yoga is a tool to find ourselves again, since most of us seem to get lost after our birth. We are essentially born pure, but our experiences, paths, and actions do not always stem from our inner divine, and we need to reconnect to that truthful inner being inside of us.

It is easy to get the impression that you must follow a strict diet, learn all about yoga philosophy, and change your life drastically if you want to begin practicing yoga. But yoga can fit into any lifestyle, we can embrace it no matter where we are or what lives we are living. I believe that the biggest challenge is to fit yoga in to your daily life where work, children, partners, family, and friends already fill our busy schedules.

You can read plenty of books on yoga, you can learn Sanskrit, or interpret Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras – you might even learn his writings verbatim and repeat them in Sanskrit, but if it doesn’t manifest itself in you, what is the effect? Preferably, you should practice meditation and yoga every day, so that it is nurtured inside of you. It won’t happen just by reading about it, but you need to let it grow and manifest itself by the act of doing it. Be patient, it won’t happen right away, but if you are persistent and pay attention, yoga will teach you to understand your body’s signals. All you need to do is listen instead of taking it for granted.

Yoga is a philosophical system that includes ethical rules and attitudes – such as being kind to yourself and to other living beings, and other practical tips and methods that makes life easier and more harmonious and healthy. When the mind and body are in harmony with each other, a desire to maintain a healthy lifestyle follows naturally. Slowly but surely yoga increases each individual’s potential. For many of us, our first encounter with yoga will be like falling in love because we’ll feel the positive effects of our practice almost right away. Maybe you’ll start to sleep better and deeper, or feel less affected by stress. All of a sudden you will notice the positive changes that yoga brings into your life.

HOW YOGA AFFECTS YOUR BODY

• Yoga strengthens and stretches the muscles.
• Yoga counteracts physical tensions and softens stiff muscles.
• Yoga improves the blood circulation in the entire body.
• The body’s ability to take up oxygen increases and in turn you feel more alert and your energy increases so that you have the ability to do more.
• Yoga teaches your body to relax when needed, and it is a powerful tool to counteract stress.

Hatha yoga is a vigorous type of yoga and many of the more physical styles of yoga stem from it. Ashtanga vinyasa yoga is one of them, but in asthanga vinyasa yoga you are in a constant motion, moving with the breath. Vinyasa means flow.

A lot of it has to do with allowing yourself time for yoga. As women we have a tendency to take care of everything else before we take care of ourselves, and we tend to push things intended for us forward for a later date, but in yoga you will face yourself and stay present. Begin by finding a place and opportunity where you won’t be interrupted. Roll out your mat and breathe.

A regular yoga practice will make you more flexible, which in the long run may remove back pain, stiffness, depression, and simultaneously improve your self-esteem. Your body will get strong and flexible, like a temple where you can age with grace.

So why not try it out and see how it will make you feel? Give yoga a few weeks of your life. After a while it just becomes something that you do as part of your life. Something that makes you feel better.

The exercises in the book stem from hatha yoga, but because I practice ashtanga vinyasa yoga daily, the postures are colored by my experience and practice. There are many different styles of yoga and none is more beautiful or better than the other. You simply have to try different styles until you find one that suits you.

The spine consists of 33 separate bones that are called vertebra. Together they make up a column that protects the delicate spine that is an essential part of the central nervous system and whose function is to send information from the brain to the body and back again. Through yoga the spine becomes more flexible; in China, a flexible spine is considered a guarantee to a long life.

»Do your practice and all is coming.«
Sri K. Pattabhi jois, the founder of ashtanga vinyasa yoga