Yoga
Where does yoga come from?
What is behind it?
What do you have to do with it?
Modern yogis are one thing above all: seekers. For heart intelligence, truth and wisdom. At the same time free & unbound and yet firmly rooted.
Many of today’s yoga styles are primarily concerned with physical postures (asana). However, this is only one aspect of yoga.
In the West, there are an almost infinite number of (more body-orientated) yoga styles. Flowing, static, energetic, sporty, esoteric, erotic, funny, serious … But what is the basis of all these systems? What is their common root and how do they differ? Are there ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ systems? Which system is most favourable for you? Is there one truth?
In order to live the future of yoga, it is important to
to understand the past of yoga.


Yoga – origins, benefits and interesting facts
Yoga is one of the oldest practices of mankind, uniting body, mind and soul. Originally from India, yoga has undergone an impressive development over the centuries and is now popular worldwide. In this text, we shed light on the origins of yoga, its many benefits and interesting facts to know
The four eras of development
The development of yoga can be divided into four main phases:
The Vedic Yoga:
Yoga was first mentioned in the Vedas, the oldest Indian scriptures, in the Vedic period (around 1500 BC). Here, yoga was closely linked to rituals and meditation, which enabled practitioners to come into contact with the highest.
Classical yoga:
Post-classical yoga:
This phase is characterised by the development of new forms of yoga, such as hatha yoga, which focuses on physical exercises and breathing techniques. The aim was to use the body as a means to spiritual enlightenment.Das Postklassische Yoga:
Modern yoga:
Yoga found its way into the Western world in the 19th and 20th centuries. Pioneers such as Swami Vivekananda and Tirumalai Krishnamacharya popularised yoga in the West and developed it into a practice-oriented discipline that was also accessible to laypeople.
The benefits of yoga
Yoga offers a variety of benefits that include physical, mental and emotional aspects. Studies and testimonials show that regular yoga practice can significantly improve well-being.
Physical benefits
Improved flexibility and strength: Yoga poses (asanas) stretch and strengthen the muscles. Regular yoga can improve flexibility and make the body more resistant to injury.
Improved posture: Many people suffer from poor posture due to long periods of sitting or one-sided strain. Yoga helps to stabilise the spine and correct poor posture.
Supporting heart health: Yoga can lower blood pressure, regulate cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Improving the respiratory system: Pranayama, the breathing control in yoga, strengthens lung capacity and improves oxygen uptake.
Mental benefits
Stress reduction: Yoga activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which ensures relaxation. Regular practice can lower cortisol levels (the stress hormone).
Increased concentration: Meditation and mindful breathing sharpen attention and improve mental clarity.
Emotional stability: Yoga helps to reduce negative emotions such as anger and anxiety. It promotes a sense of inner peace.
Spiritual benefit
Yoga is not only a survival strategy, but also a tool for spiritual development. It teaches us to live in the moment, develop gratitude and better understand our inner self.

Become aware of your thoughts and needs,
because they direct your life!
Swami Ramakrishna
Yoga – as versatile as you are
Let’s take a little journey back in time and go back to the ‘old’ days. A time when we as humans were still naturally interwoven with nature and a burning fire was not only a true gift and one of the greatest luxuries, but also carried something divine within it.
It was a time without time, as we perceive it today. The original time was not dictated by clocks, mobile phones or deadline pressure. The original time was different. Rather, it was a living rhythm – determined by day and night and ebb and flow. It was the rhythm of a changing moon, the life-giving sun, the pulsating planets, the colourful seasons.
It was at this time that a tradition began at the foot of the Himalayas that is perhaps even more loved and practised today than ever before, spreading its many flowers around the world. Yoga.
In 3000 BC, some inhabitants of the Indus Valley were not only concerned with technology, grammar and high mathematics, but also with the study of the interplay of nature, rhythm, body, mind, soul and the greater whole.
How do I learn yoga?
They learnt to control the body with the help of breathing techniques (pranayama) and postures (asana), among other things.
Meditation and other techniques, which for thousands of years were only passed on in secret to a very small circle of students, helped the early sages and yogis to understand the complexity and functionality of the human mind and thoughts. The yogis recognised the enormous power that resides within them and developed techniques to free the mind from its limitations, to harness its enormous power and ultimately to connect. With their hearts and thus with the great whole itself.
In their imagination, our entire universe, indeed the whole of creation, is reflected in the space of our hearts.
If we can understand, grasp and experience this, then we can understand what moves us. Then we can understand what defines us at our core – then we understand yoga.

Different types of yoga
Over the course of time, many different styles of yoga have developed, each with a different focus. Here are some of the best known:
Hatha yoga: The classic style that combines postures (asanas) and breathing techniques (pranayama).
Vinyasa yoga: A dynamic style that combines flowing movements with breathing rhythm.
Ashtanga yoga: An intensive, structured approach consisting of six series of asanas that are practised in a specific order.
Iyengar yoga: This style emphasises precision and alignment in the postures. Aids such as blocks and straps are often used.
Bikram yoga: Known as ‘hot yoga’, it is practised in a room heated to 40°C and consists of 26 fixed postures.
Kundalini yoga: A spiritual style that combines meditation, breathing exercises, mantras and physical exercises.
Restorative yoga: A gentle style that focuses on relaxation and regeneration. Ideal for reducing stress.
Yin yoga: Slow and meditative, with long posture holding times to stretch deeper tissues.
The many yoga paths that lead to one, back to yoga
In this day and age, there are almost endless opportunities to get in touch with yoga and thereby get in touch with your inner truth. The gift behind it: Understanding life itself.
In yoga, physical exercises, breathing, mindfulness, contemplation of the mind and philosophy always belong together. All old and new yoga systems have had health, self-knowledge and the development of consciousness as their goal since the earliest times.
The special thing about this path is that it is a purely experiential science, is constantly evolving and, with its diverse physical and mental techniques, can be integrated into almost everyone’s everyday life (whether tall, short, fat, thin, strong, sick, healthy … ).
While the approaches of our Western philosophy provide us with new food for thought over and over again, yoga gives us concrete food for thought. These help us to find inner peace and mental clarity on our own. In our western philosophy, there are hardly any tools, no really concrete practice path that is uncomplicated and easy to implement in everyday life.
If you would like to discover your very own yoga path, please get in touch with us
Yoga teacher training 200 hrs.
Yoga Teacher Training – Yoga Alliance Certified 200 hour basic training to become a yoga teacher for the joy & love of yoga.
learn more…
Online yoga teacher training
Online Yoga Teacher Training – Modern Yoga – as versatile as you are Start next Online Yoga Teacher Training: 04.01.2025
learn more…
Advanced Yoga Teacher Training 300 hrs.
Advanced Yoga Teacher Training 300h START on 07 – 10 November 2024 Live in Tiefenort/Thuringia
learn more…
Tiefenort Yoga Centre
Would you like to practise yoga every week?
learn more…