During this 10 weeks beginners course we will explain concisely what you can expect on your yoga path, and you can experience. Yoga can be defined as a training that initiates awareness. By practicing yoga we learn to see different processes, accept them, balance and develop them. You can think about the mobility of the body, the breath, reacting, focus and concentration, stress management, communication and being in contact with others.
Yoga is much more than just body postures and stretching and twisting yourself into a complicated pose. It is a training that helps you keep balanced in complex (life) situations. Yoga can be as deep as you make it yourself.
During the course we will cover the eightfold path of yoga (8-fold path of Patanjali). These eight phases of yoga can be found in the book Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Patanjali describes yoga as: “Yoga is whirling down the mind.”
BAHIRANGA SADHANA – THE FIRST THREE PHASES ARE SOMETHING YOU DO (PRACTICE) AND WHAT OFFERS DEVELOPMENT IN THE OUTER LAYER, FOCUSED ON MATTER (THAT WHICH YOU SEE)
- The Yamas deal with one’s ethical standards and sense of integrity, focusing on our behavior and how we conduct ourselves in life. Practicing Yamas brings a subtle experience of a specific change in your behavior that also brings change in your environment. The Yamas consist of five ‘vows’ that help you practice yoga. These are: Ahimsā; Satya; Āsthēya; Brahmachārya; Aparigraha.
- In contrary to the Yamas, the Niyamas are focused more internally and on yourself. Practicing Niyamas brings a subtle experience of a specific theme that goes hand in hand with change in your behavior that also brings change in your environment. The five Niyamas are: Shaucha; Samtōsha;Tapas; Svādhyāya; Īshvarapraņidhāna.
- Physical postures. The postures are meant to focus the attention to you and to get to know yourself. Becoming fitter and healthier is just a side effect.
- Pranayama – experiencing the breath. Prana is the life energy; the energy that makes sure you can exist in this world. Prana is carried by the breath. That is why breath in yoga is so important. Breathe in in the right way and all pieces of the puzzle will fall together.
- Pratyahara – experiencing the senses. This is withdrawing of the senses. instead of radiating your senses externally to the world outside of you, you can use them to discover yourself.
- Dharana – insight in Focus. Dharana is the originating of fixating attention.
- Meditation. This is the point in which you can experience your thoughts as something that is not part of you. You feel the direct experience of you processes and the arising of fixation in attention is complete. You are completely in the here and now.
- Samadhi – Selfrealization. This is the final phase of Yoga. Your body, senses and the mind are one, you experience the here and now, and you feel connected with everything around you.
ANTARANGA SADHANA – THE NEXT TWO PHASES ARE SOMETHING YOU DO (PRACTICE) AND WHAT DEVELOPMENT OFFERS IN THE INNER (MORE SUBTLE) LAYER. FOCUSED ON SPACE (THAT WHICH YOU FEEL)
ANTARATMA SADHANA – THE LAST THREE PHASES ARE SOMETHING THAT OVERCOMES YOU (BY REGULAR PRACTICE OF THE FIRST 5 STEPS)
On your yoga path you need a teacher that you feel comfortable with and who can bring you further in your personal development and realization. You do this process by yourself, but because the teacher has been where you are now he can see what kind of “practice” is needed for you and will support your process. Therefore to maintain a yoga practice is very important. It is learning a new (healthy) lifestyle.
This course will be repeated on two moments per week (Monday 20.00 – 21.00 and Wednesday 08.00 – 09.00) for 10 weeks, after which we will start the set of 10 lessons. See which day suits you better.
Start dates: t.b.a.
Costs regular membership or a 10-ride pass: €95,95;
There is space for questions and we provide tea and water.