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Yoga & Meditation
Yoga is a state of mind and way of life, a discipline and philosophy that originated in India thousands of years ago. One definition of the word is ‘to unite’. It is one of the oldest systems of personal development known, and helps us work towards our full potential as a whole.
Many people are first drawn to yoga as a way to keep their body healthy, fit and supple and to relax their mind. Those who delve deeper and continue with regular practice notice further positive changes in themselves and their lives, as their understanding increases of just how much yoga offers us in learning about ourselves and how to step through life more lightly.
What is commonly referred to in the western world as ‘yoga’ can be more accurately described by the Sanskrit word ‘asana’, which refers to the practice of physical postures that strengthen, purify and heal the body.
In the authoritative text on yoga, the Yoga Sutras, the great sage Patanjali tells us that, asana is only one of the ‘eight limbs’ of yoga. The remaining seven involve disciplines with regards to ourselves as well as others, breath awareness practices and the consecutive steps towards meditation, all leading towards ‘samadhi’, often translated as the experience of oneness or absorption with the object of focus.
Many people find that practising the ‘asana’ and ‘pranayama’ (breathing techniques) alone bring about profound positive changes that counteract the feelings of disconnection in an often stressful and confusing world. |
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Meditation
‘Yoga is the ability to direct the mind exclusively towards an object and sustain that direction without any distraction’
Patanjali, The Yoga Sutras 1-2
as translated by TKV Desikachar
Meditation is the practice of focussing the mind on one point and maintaining that connection. The aim is to become absorbed in the object of focus. Desikachar tells us that meditation transforms the mind’s agitation to peace, brings clarity, reduces suffering, physical or emotional and finally can bring us to the highest truth, our true nature. |
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Vinyasa flow, pregnancy, postnatal and restorative yoga classes close to Weybridge, Cobham, Woking, Guildford, Ripley, Walton on Thames, Esher, Pyrford and surrounding areas. |
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