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Yoga

Yoga is a path of practice originating in India for the integrative training of body, soul and mind – and expressly not a religion. The word literally means “the yoke” and expresses that someone voluntarily takes on a discipline in order to train their personality and their capacity for insight. There is not “the one” yoga, but many systems and schools, each setting its own emphases.

What is yoga?

Yoga refers to a family of paths of practice that join breath, movement, concentration and meditation. The aim is not athletic performance, but a more awake, clearer relationship to oneself. One practises with patience and regularity; progress arises through steady doing, not through the forcing of particular states.

In this broad sense, Energytraining too is a modern yoga system, as is Tai Chi Chuan. What matters is the shared principle: the conscious training of body and mind as a unity.

What is Kundalini Yoga?

Kundalini Yoga is a particularly energy-oriented form. It works deliberately with the life energy resting in the pelvic region, which is said to rise along the spine through the chakras. Breathing techniques, postures, mantras and meditation are used.

From a grounded point of view: Kundalini Yoga is a path of practice, not a switch for supernatural experiences. Careful, guided practice is more important than the striving for spectacular energy experiences.

How is yoga connected with energy and breath?

At the centre of many yoga systems stands the breath as the carrier of the life energy prana. Through conscious breath guidance, the flow of energy in the body is trained: the breath slows, attention gathers, and body and mind come to rest. Breath, energy and mindfulness thus interlock.

This interplay is the reason why yoga has always been understood as a way of self-training – a path of practice that joins spiritual depth with very concrete, everyday practice.

Yoga and nutrition

Anyone who practises regularly often also pays more conscious attention to their nutrition. Concrete practice and everyday tips – for example against cravings for sweets and against frustration – can be found in the separate article Yoga tips against sweets and frustration.

See also

Literature

The following selection comes from the theme area “Yoga and therapy” of the Health Encyclopedia of Esotericism by D. Harald Alke. The complete source list is stored in the frontmatter under quellen; a compact overview:

Frequently asked questions

What is yoga?

Yoga is an Indian path of practice for the holistic training of body, soul and mind. The word means something like 'yoke' or 'harnessing' and expresses that one voluntarily takes on a discipline in order to train personality and the capacity for insight. Yoga is not a religion.

What is Kundalini Yoga?

Kundalini Yoga is a form of yoga that, with breath, movement and meditation, deliberately seeks to address the life energy (Kundalini) resting in the pelvis. It is said to rise along the spine through the chakras. In the Kyborg understanding, conscious practice is to the fore, not the forcing of experiences.

How is yoga connected with energy and breath?

Yoga works with the breath as the carrier of life energy (prana). Through conscious breath guidance, postures and meditation, the flow of energy in the body is trained. Breath, energy and attention thus form a unity that makes the practitioner calmer, more awake and more permeable.

Change history · last updated on
  • — First English version.

Sources

  • D. Harald Alke: Gesundheitslexikon (Health Encyclopedia). A detailed account of health-relevant topics and therapeutic methods; bundled, overlapping experiences from around 30 years of life counselling with clients. Kyborg Institute.
  • Avalon, Arthur: Die Girlande der Buchstaben. O. W. Barth 1955
  • Avalon, Arthur: Die Schlangekraft (Kundalini Yoga). Barth 1975
  • Avalon, Arthur: Shakti und Shakta. O. W. Barth 1959
  • Bhajan, Yogi: The Teaching of Yogi Bhajan. Arcline Publications 1986
  • Boeckel, Johannes: Meditationspraxis. Zweitausendeins 3/94
  • Devananda, Vishnu: Meditation und Mantras. Hugendubel 1986
  • Eswaran, Eknath: Mantram - Hilfe durch die Kraft des Wortes. Bauer 1986
  • Gäng, Peter: Das Tantra der Verborgenen Vereinigung. Diederichs 1988
  • Iyengar, B. K. S.: Licht auf Yoga. O. W. Barth 1978
  • Johari, Harish: Atem, Geist und Bewusstsein. Sphinx 1992
  • Johari, Harish: Chakras. Sphinx 1992
  • Kaur Khalsa, Tarn Taran: Essen für Leib und Seele. Papyrus 1987
  • Kaur Khalsa, Tarn Taran: Yoga für werdende Eltern - Vorbereitung auf die Geburt. Papyrus 1985
  • Khetsün / Hopkins: Die Praxis des Tantra. Diederichs 1988
  • Klein, Agnes und Reinhold: Sokrates und Yoga. Verlag Sokrates 1981
  • Krassa, Peter / Habeck, Reinhard: Die Palmblatt-Bibliothek. Herbig 1999
  • Kyber, Manfred: Der Königsgaukler. Drei Eichen 1972
  • Lexikon der östlichen Weisheitslehren. Barth 1986
  • Mookerjee, Ajit / Khanna, Madhu: Die Welt des Tantra. Scherz 1987
  • Pandit, M. P.: Kundalini Yoga. Drei-Eichen 1966
  • Prabhupada, Swami Bhaktivedanta: alle Werke (Krshna-People). 1983 ff
  • Rozmann, Deborah: Mit Kindern meditieren. Fischer 1988
  • Sannella, Lee: Kundalini-Erfahrung und die neuen Wissenschaften. Synthesis 1989
  • Schandler, Nina u. Michael: Mit Yoga zur sanften Geburt. Fischer 5/86
  • Schweitzer, Albert: Die Weltanschauung der indischen Denker. dtv 4/82
  • Singh, Satya: Das Kundalini-Yoga-Handbuch. Heyne 1990
  • Suzuki, D. T.: Der westliche und der östliche Weg, Zen. Ullstein Materialien 5/1988
  • Swami Maheshwarananda, Paramhansa: Yoga mit Kindern. Hugendubel 1990
  • Swami, Jnanavatar: Die Heilige Wissenschaft. Otto Wilhelm Barth 1984
  • Watts, Alan / Anagarika Govinda, Lama: Die Kunst der Kontemplation. Aurum 1987
  • Weiss, Hartmut: Quellen des Yoga. O. W. Barth 1986
  • White, John: Kundalini-Energie. Goldmann Esoterik 11/90
  • Yoga Sutra. Papyrus 1987
  • Yogananda, Paramahansa: Der Wein des Mystikers. Self Realization Fellowship 1996
  • Yogananda, Paramahansa: Religion als Wissenschaft. O. W. Barth 1986
  • Yogavasistha. Ansata 1990

Autor: D. Harald Alke