SadayaYoga

  by Susanne Grob    

Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word Yuj meaning union, to join or to bring together. There are different systems or branches within Yoga, but all off them have the same aim to unite the individual finite consciousness with the cosmic infinite consciousness.

There is:                                                                                                                                                             

Gnani Yoga  (knowledge and study)                                                                                   Laya Yoga  (mastery of will) Bhakty Yoga (devotion, selfless service, selfless love) Karma Yoga (action, work) Raja Yoga (consciousness) also called Royal Yoga Mantra Yoga (repetition of special sounds, invocations)

Hatha Yoga is the best-known branch in the West. It achieves its objective through general well-being. Although it is concerned with our physical aspect its influence is far reaching. ”Ha” means sun (positive, direct, male energy) “tha” means moon (negative, receptive, female energy). The goal of Hatha Yoga is the knowledge and integration of these energies. The main difference between normal exercises and Yoga exercises are: in Yoga the emphases not only lies in the exercise itself, but also on the performance of the exercise, on the level of awareness, concentration, breathing and relaxation. Through these well being and harmony of body, mind and spirit are achieved.

Yoga not only works on the physical level, but also on the energy body. In Yoga you know that prana (life energy) is taken in not only through food and breathing, but also through the chakras. Chakras are energy centres in our energy body. The energy or prana body also contains nadis or energy channels, which distribute prana to the body and the different parts of your being.                                               

Yoga styles

There are so many different styles of Yoga available now and these are mostly based on Hatha Yoga, but emphasising different aspects:-

Astanga Yoga for example emphasises, the flow of postures, involving jumping from one pose to the next. It is very vigorous, like a work out.    It helps to build stamina, flexibility and strength. In Iyengar Yoga the emphasis lies on alignment and attention to detail, working very precisely on each posture. Kundalini Yoga concentrates on awakening kundalini, an energy lying dormant at the base of the spine, using classic Yoga postures, breathing exercises and meditation.

There are so many more styles and I think it is brilliant because they cover the different needs of different people and their abilities. 

Sadaya Yoga

Now I would like to talk about Sadaya Yoga, the style I developed and teach. Sadaya is a Sanskrit word meaning gentle, soft, tender and / or merciful. Sadaya Yoga is comprised of different styles of Hatha Yoga: my dancing and my experiences in body awareness also influence it. Sadaya Yoga uses all the elements of Yoga to relax you and to work on all levels of your being – not only on your physical body, but also on your energy body. In my opinion Yoga needs to be adapted to our Western bodies and way of living so we can get the maximum benefit out from it. You don’t need to tie yourself into knots to experience and enjoy Sadaya Yoga. For me Yoga is a lot about balance. For example flexibility is good but over flexibility can be harmful because your joints have lost stability.

The emphases in Sadaya Yoga are on experiencing Yoga, on becoming aware of your own body, mind and spirit and treating them with respect. Everyone is different and has different abilities and needs which why I prefer to teach one to one or  in very small groups, because then I can adapt the class to your needs and you can get the maximum benefit out of your Yoga practise.

Also for me Yoga is a lot about fun and enjoying myself, that’s why I take my students on holiday to an imaginary tropical island. The other reason for this imagery is to relax the mind, which in turn helps the body to relax and also it makes you feel good. Just close your eyes for a moment and imagine you are on a tropical island, the sun is shining..  .

My classes start with a warm up. The reason for the warm up is not only to prepare your muscles and get them warm, but also to help your energy to flow freely within your body. Next is a relaxation, which helps you to become more aware, more in tune with your body and breathing. Now you are ready to start with the Yoga exercises. The Yoga exercises work, balance and stimulate different parts of your physical and energy body. Again the emphasis in the exercises is on how it feels from inside and listening to and respecting your body. The exercises are followed by the Sun salutation, which is a sequence that benefits your whole body and is very beneficial for your energy body. I developed an own version of the sun salutation so people with less mobility or ability can benefit from it too; it also gives you a change. Now we do some breathing exercises. The breathing exercises calm or stimulate and harmonise body and soul by directing prana to the different parts of your physical and energy body.

Breathing plays an important part, because not only do we take in oxygen and prana (life force), but the way we breathe also has a big influence on our emotions and the health and well-being of body, mind and soul. In my classes breathing plays an important part during the Yoga exercises as well. With the help of your breath you open and relax your body, you guide your body into the postures. Also with the help of your breath, imagery and gravity you ease your body into the positions.

I end my Yoga classes with a guided relaxation, which works on different energy centres and aspects of you and will relax the whole of your being even further.

As so many of my students kept asking me for recordings of them I produced two CD’s with a selection of guided relaxationsone for each energy centre or chakra. I have also recorded a DVD, which is basically a Sadaya Yoga class - click on the links to find out more!