Yoga in a nutshell

Yoga is the ONLY system that looks at the body as a WHOLE. When there are areas of tightness in the body it causes blockages. If the body is not in harmony then stress is built up, making all its systems (muscular, skeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, immune, endocrine, digestive and nervous) unable to function at their prime optimum. Yoga brings balance back to the body enabling it to work at its most effective.

Yoga is not a religion it is a science, a philosophy of life based very much on the fundaments of metaphysics (energy). The word yoga means union/yoke. Yoga is a moving meditation it brings awareness of how our body and emotions are intrinsically linked and how they can heal each other.

Like everything it's all about balance, when balanced everything is working well and going smoothly but when we take on too much, everything falls apart and this is our warning sign that something needs to change. It's the same with the body, we get ill, we 'pop pills' to enable us to 'carry on'. We don't listen to the body and we wonder why our immune system is 'shot to pieces' we just don't seem able to shrug it off, we have lost the ability to listen to our bodies but yoga enables us to make this connection again.

The practice of yoga brings health and energy to the body and calm to the mind. The main focus is postures (asana) and breath control (pranayama). The practice stretches the body releasing tension from the muscles, it brings emotional stability and clarity of mind.

We ALL have the answers to bring about our happiness, we have just lost the ability to 'tap into' this. We have a lifetime of conditioning and negativity. Yoga offers choices and enables us to change our thought processes. It brings awareness that the secret for success and happiness (the eternal quest from life) is right here within us. All we need to do is listen to that quiet voice within, call it intuition, soul, higher self or even God, yoga opens the body so we can sit comfortably and quietens the noise, fluctuations and clutter (chitta vritti) of the mind.