Müller Anita (Zürich)

The word yoga comes from Sanskrit and means to connect, to yoke, to link, i.e. to connect, the individual self (jivatman) with the universal self (paramatman). Hatha, Ha and Tha correspond to the sun and moon and the effect of these forces on the individual. The goal is to bring body, mind and spirit into harmony in order to face everyday life calmly and harmoniously. This knowledge has been passed down in a five thousand year tradition and is closely linked to Indian philosophy, making it classical yoga.

Yoga is neither a sport nor a religion, but originally a spiritual and partly ascetic training, which in India is still practiced today as a path of knowledge and can also include physical exercises known as Hatha Yoga. In the West, however, yoga is mainly used as a term for physical training.

The various Hatha Yoga exercises consist of body postures (asanas), hand positions (mudras), processes and breathing exercises (pranayamas), all of which are performed with a luminous inner alignment and the appropriate concentration. The classical yoga postures and sequences are known throughout India by specific names (e.g. tree, fish, cobra, cow face or sun salutation, see picture).