Yoga teacher training

1. Yama (moral discipline/restraint): guide on how to behave towards others and our self; five yamas: not to harm others, to be truthful, not to steal, to engage in intercourse with only one partner or not all, to abstain from greed

2. Niyama (observance): ensures that body and mind are not polluted by the environment; physical/mental cleanliness, contentment, discipline, study of sacred texts and acceptance of the existence of supreme beings 

3.Asana (physical postures): to strengthen the body as the body effects the mind. Asanas are used to release us from past conditioning which is stored in the body. When free from past condition we can arrive in the present moment. Asanas should be practiced in way that they serve us well and we should not practice with force.

4. Pranayama (breathing techniques): Prana means life force. Pranayama is the exercise of one's breath to a point where it is appeased and does not agitate the mind. The aims is that we can breath into all parts of the body and prana flows freely throughout the body. 

5. Pratyahara (sense withdrawal): you should not focus on the external while practice but rather stay internal and focus on the prescribed location.

6. Dharana (concentration): prepares you for meditation by learning to focus solely on a single objects to bind movement, breath and awareness together

7. Dhyana (absorption/meditation): M. Is state of rest or just being without being influenced by the extremes of the mind. No effort is made to concentrate on a single object but rather there is a constant flow of impressions.

8. Samadhi (enlightenment/bliss): state aimed at in yoga; can be objective or objectless and is state that is beyond achieving, doing or practicing 

1.Proper exercise: the exercise should be pleasant while being beneficial to the body,mind and spiritual life. Yogic physical exercises ar designed to to develop both body and mind to broaden the mental faculties and spiritual capacities. Initiall aim: increase flexibility, strength and spinal health. 

2. Pranayama (proper breathing): breath should be deep, slow and rhythmical using the entire lung capacity to increase vitality and mental clarity. Yogic breath combines: clavicular, thoracic and abdominal breathing

3. Proper relaxation: by using physical (savasana) mental (slow breath) and spiritual relaxation (withdrawing from the body/mind and ego-consciousness)

4. Proper diet: sattvic diet (lacto-vegetarians diet); pure, simple, natural, fresh, seasonal, organic, balanceD, enough nutrients 

5.positive thinking and meditation: we become what we think -> learn to control the mind by focusing internally / on the self 

1. Tamas: no movement/inactive, mode of ignorance; negative cool, watery, inward principle; lazy, lethargic, inertia, apathy, sleep, boredom, depression, materialism 

2. Rajas: movement, mode of passion; ego, attachment, knowledge/intellect, restlessness, sensitive, curious, learning, stress

3. Sattva: Balance, detachment, mode of goodness; wisdom, happy, peaceful, calmness, lightness, harmony, connection, life of meaning, oneness, purity, steady, 

Ahimsa is a Yama

- Non-harming, -violence in thought, word and deed 

- as all living beings have the spark of divine spiritual energy harming others means harming yourself. 

- harming others leaves an imprint and thus makes religion more likely 

72 000 Nadis

1. Pingala: right nostril, sun, vital, prana shakti, consciousness, sympathetic, external 

2. Ida: left nostril, moon, mental, manas shakti, parasympathetic, internal

3. Subhuman: spiritual consciousness, atman shakti,  central 

Path of devotion and love for god 

Chanting and singing praises to god 

1. Akasha / ether / space

2. Vague / air

3. Agni / fire

4. Apps / water

5. Prithvi / earth

Aim: learn to differentiate motivations form the primitive body and from the higher moral motivations 

How: deepen intellectual knowledge by studying books, scriptures -> it's important to reflect and meditate on these 

Recognise interesting similarities between how yoga asanas are practiced and how life is practiced in general

Constant observance of the breath 

1.annamyaa - physical - earth

> gross body

2. Pranamaya - energy - water

3. Manomaya - mental - fire

4.vijnanamaya - wisdom - 

> subtle body

5. Anandamya - bliss - space 

> causal body 

Symbolic imagination of subtle energy Centers disturbing the prana throughout the physical body 

Lie in the energy body but also link physical and mental body thus affecting states of consciousness 

They're only a concept!

Vishuddi chakra (throat) 

Anahatha 

- wrist pain: fear of hurting myself further

- no being disciplined/continuous enough. Not having a daily routine which incorporates my practice 

Sense organs: ears, skin, eyes, tongue, nose

Action organs: mouth/voice, hands, feet, reproductive organs/genitals, excretory organs/anus