What is yoga?

Yoga originated in India several hundred years before Christ. For a long time, physical activity was not the main focus. The physical exercises (asanas) that we know today from yoga practice and that we see in various magazines, posters and Instagram posts were initially primarily used to prepare the body for long periods of sitting during meditation. It was not until the 20th century that Hatha yoga was further developed by a teacher called Krishnamacharya in the way it is taught today in most yoga schools in the West.

It developed out of Hinduism. The historical development and origin is a broad field. One could fill entire pages on Hinduism and its historical development alone. It was important for me to understand that yoga itself is not a religion. Even if some of the “yogic values” are similar or the same as those of other religions. What I particularly like about yogic teaching is that I think it is very loving and benevolent.

Roughly speaking, yoga philosophy can be divided into five major paths:

• Raja Yoga, the path of the mind (meditation)
• Hatha Yoga, path of the body (asana practice)
• Jnana Yoga, path of knowledge (observation, reflection, contemplation and study)
• Karma Yoga, path of action (universal yet individual compass of values that can influence our decisions and actions)
• Bhakti Yoga, path of devotion (chanting and reciting mantras)

First of all, I only have a limited opinion of this subdivision. Because even when practicing asanas (hatha), we can observe ourselves and learn something by studying ourselves and the situation we find ourselves in (jnana). Asana practice can also be meditative (Raja) and devotional (Bhakti). You can also practice asanas with different “karmic qualities”. However, it would go beyond the scope of this article. Nevertheless, it makes sense to have heard these terms before in order to be able to classify them and better understand yoga in its entirety.

Hatha yoga, the practice that emphasizes the body, can be divided into different styles. The best known are probably Vinyasa, Yin, Ashtanga as well as Jivamukti, Iyengar, Kundalini and Hatha Yoga (this term is therefore also used twice). Anusara Yoga, the discipline in which I have trained most intensively, is not as widespread as Vinyasa Yoga, for example. It was first developed in the 90s of the 20th century by the American physician John Friend.

So what defines my yoga style and the styles that have shaped the way I teach?

Vinyasa means to flow. A single vinyasa is (across styles) a sequence of several asanas strung together through which the practitioner “flows”. Vinyasa classes are therefore very flowing and therefore the “cardio version” of hatha yoga.

Hatha yoga is more static and therefore calmer. The yogi:ni has time to linger in the exercise and really immerse themselves in body awareness. Just because Hatha Yoga is usually slower doesn’t mean that it is less demanding or strenuous. Holding exercises for a long time can be both mentally and physically challenging after a while.

This is also the case with Yin Yoga, for example. Here, the individual postures are held for at least three to six minutes. However, it is permitted and appreciated to support the body as comfortably as possible during the individual exercises with cushions, blocks, pillows, blankets and straps so that the body can really let go and does not tense up or hold on to tension at any point. However, despite all the aids – even pure relaxation can be difficult at first, for example if we have never really learned how to relax or that we are allowed to relax at all.

“Only when relaxation feels safe can our nervous system really let go on a deeper level.”

In my opinion, Kundalini Yoga can be counted as one of the “five yoga paths” mentioned above. Kundalini Yoga itself is sometimes referred to as Raja Yoga. In my Vinyasa training at the time, I was told that Raja Yoga focuses on meditation and describes precisely this practice. Kundalini is always characterized by the same structure: “Warm-up, opening mantra/protective mantra, one or more kriyas, final relaxation, meditation, blessing song/mantra. Kriyas are physical exercises that are held for several minutes or repeated over a certain period of time, similar to the hatha yoga style.

Since these physical exercises are an integral part of Kundalini Yoga classes and, conversely, meditations, breathing exercises and mantras can also be an integral part of other styles, I find the classification as Raja Yoga confusing and would describe it as Hatha Yoga. But again – I don’t think much of these pigeonholes anyway. Just to explain why I want to mention this here (in case any Kundalini hardliners are looking at my fingers haha – in my Kundalini training the topic was hotly debated). What I personally really like about Kundalini Yoga is that it works a lot with breathing, mantras and energy. Kundalini yoga can therefore be as varied as it is monotonous and can tickle all kinds of emotions. It strengthens the willpower, because a lot of stamina is often required, and trains body awareness in a very subtle and refined way.

I sometimes have the feeling that there are practitioners in almost every style for whom it is important that their yoga path and the path they have chosen is the best and most correct. Raja yoga”, which is also known as “the royal road”, is of course a better fit than if your own style is simply part of “ordinary” hatha yoga. For me, however, all the major yoga paths and individual styles have their own advantages and disadvantages.

For me, it is also the core of yoga philosophy to recognize that there is no “better or worse”, but only a “different” and a “more suitable for me or for intention xy right now”.

That’s why I see Kundalini Yoga as Hatha Yoga, which places a much greater emphasis on the energetic effect of the individual asanas than the other styles listed here. This does not mean that the other styles do not also have an energetic effect

My yoga classes are most likely influenced by Anusara yoga. As I am trained in different styles, the transitions here are quite fluid, which makes my yoga classes very varied.

It is characteristic of Anusara Yoga that there is always a guiding theme on which the respective class is based. The aim is to make it possible to experience this theme on a deeper level intellectually, but above all physically, through the choice of asanas and the general design of the class (structure, music, texts, choice of words by the teacher).

My personal wish is to look at the respective topic from as many perspectives as possible, to create aha-moments and thereby expand the embodied knowledge of the participants.

I therefore like to integrate elements from other styles and other tools into my yoga classes, which you can find out more about here.