What is Yoga and its relevance today?
Yoga Practice was seen by T Krishnamacharya
as embracing three interlinked branches:
- Firstly Yoga Practice as a means of Power
Yoga practice can be used to link the body and the mind through asana and pranayama.
It is the ability to achieve something through intense physical and mental effort.
The consequences are power over and within the body and the mind.
As such, Yoga practice can be seen here as an art and offers a fascinating
and helpful pursuit for many people looking to develop and refine these qualities.
Traditionally this aspect is only a means towards a more important goal.
- Secondly Yoga Practice as a means of Self-inquiry
Yoga practice can be used as a tool for a deeper understanding of ourselves by
inquiring both into and beyond what we view as the everyday self, its actions and its motives.
Here Yoga can be utilised as meditation to appreciate and sustain a quality of attention.
With a more sensitive and consistent attention we can lessen the effects of our conditionings.
As a consequence we can experience a deeper sense of well being and have the potential
for action with greater awareness within our life, work and relationships.
Yet, we all experience problems, poor health or illness from time to time.
- Thirdly Yoga Practice as a means of Therapeutic Recovery
Yoga practice as a restorative, support and preventative, can be a healing therapy to
help us work at changing or anticipating the effects of problems and illness in our lives.
Here the approach must be different for each person as our potential to practice Yoga
will be affected by the problem, or the problem by our attitude towards working with it.
Utilising Yoga concepts it is possible, within a careful group Yoga class or individual Yoga
lesson teaching situation, to introduce Yoga practices that both respect the problems or
illness and support our intention to reduce their negative effects in the future.
Also according to traditional Indian medicine those diseases that are chronic and
cannot be cured by medicine alone can also be helped by using Yoga techniques.
So Yoga can be used as a support alongside other forms of treatment.
However, practicing Yoga as a therapy also presumes that we are willing
to accept responsibility for making changes within our own situation.
“The patient must be his own doctor, must observe himself,
use his own intelligence, and find the right tools.
Fundamentally, the solution is in the patient’s discernment.
No one can understand for the patient.“
- TKV Desikachar
These three aspects of Yoga practice as, power, self-inquiry and therapy are mutually
supportive in helping to maintain physical health, psychological vitality and spiritual
purpose within the commitment and challenges of life, work and relationships.
This approach to teaching Yoga according to different
needs and situations has long been referred to as ‘Viniyoga‘.
"Yoga is a mystery. It does not mean the same thing to each and everyone.
In spite of the vast field it covers from curing chronic ailments,
to extra-sensory perception, etc, hardly anyone is able to define it in simple terms.
Where is then the hope of experiencing its true significance?
What about the risks of inappropriate use of Yoga methods and practices?
Why are so many people all over the world taking the word
and the substance of Yoga so lightly, so ridiculously?
Like everything, Yoga must be presented intelligently.
It should be spoken of carefully and offered according to
the aspiration, requirement and the culture of the individual.
This should be done in stages. Systematic application of Yoga
- be it concerned with physical exercises, deep breathing,
relaxation, meditation, lifestyle, food, studies - is the need of the day.
This I believe - is what the word viniyoga represents."
- TKV Desikachar
So actually this is not Viniyoga but the viniyoga of Yoga,
it is the systematic application (viniyoga) of Yoga,
be it concerned with physical exercises, deep breathing, relaxation, meditation,
lifestyle, food, studies; according to the person and their current situation,
and would be a truer way to describe how Practitioners trained
in this particular Yoga teaching methodology work.
The main aim is to apply Yoga according to the individual and their situation,
through respecting differences in age, gender, mental and physical health,
lifestyle, occupation and interest; together with the persons needs and circumstances.
Care has been taken to try to preserve the spirit of transmission
of these Yoga teachings which emphasise:
Adaptation of all aspects of Yoga practice to our needs and potential,
integrating Yoga postures with movement, breathing and attention, for
better physical and mental health and thus enhanced awareness.
A process that moves from teaching a Yoga practice adapted to
our outer limitations towards one that explores our inner potentials.
The precise use of Yoga breathing techniques as a primary tool
to influence a person's mental and physical well being.
The value of the relationship between the Yoga teacher, the Yoga teachings,
the Yoga student and their Yoga practice.
View or download a Brochure as a PDF on
What is Yoga at Yoganjali and details on Group Yoga Classes and Individual Yoga Lessons
Yoganjali Yoga Centre Links
Visit the cYs Yoga Links Page for Contacts and Resources for the Global Yoga Community
Visit Dharmadownloads for downloadable Yoga Resources for the Global Yoga Community
Yoganjali for Yoga Classes, Lessons, Workshops and UK Yoga Teacher Training
Princes Place, Bishopston, Bristol BS7 8NP, UK. Phone 07768 278 728