Yoga is one of the most important spiritual and healing traditions in the world. It teaches the regular and integral practice of asanas, pranayama, mantras, meditation, service, devotion and self-knowledge.
Yoga addresses principles of human behaviour and right lifestyle. These include the right use of the senses, the emotions and the mind. Thus it is relevant to everyone and to the deeper aspect of human culture.
Swami Sivananda and Swami Vishnudevananda developed a practical teaching system to share this knowledge with all audiences and all levels of society.
Yoga can help to act with more compassion and awareness, to bring greater unity and harmony to ourselves and to humanity.
Today many people all over the world appreciate yoga as a very open and holistic system, which provides a positive philosophy for everyday life.
The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Retreat House was founded in 1998 in a wide valley of the Kitzbühel mountains surrounded by beautiful Alpine scenery.
The 5 Points of Yoga
Swami Vishnudevananda summarised the wisdom of yoga in five basic principles which promote physical, mental and spiritual health.
asanas
Proper exercise (Asanas)
Yoga asanas enhance the flexibility of the joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments and stimulate circulation. Flexibility and strength of the spine keep the body youthful.
pranayama
Proper breathing (Pranayama)
Yogic breathing connects the body to its battery, the solar plexus, which is an enormous storehouse of energy. Stress and depression can be overcome by breathing more deeply and with increased awareness.
savasana
Proper relaxation (Savasana)
If the body and mind are subjected to constant overload, their performance suffers. Yoga relaxation techniques not only help to relieve existing stress symptoms (like muscle tension and breathlessness) but also help develop resistance against external stress factors.
proper diet
Proper diet (vegetarian)
A vegetarian diet is healthy, natural and simple to prepare. It is digestible and easy for the body to absorb. It consists in proper food choices which have the most positive effect on body and mind, at the same time causing the least harm to other living beings and the environment.
meditation
Positive Thinking and Meditation (Vedanta and Dhyana)
Positive Thinking & Meditation (Vedanta and Dhyana) are the keys to peace of mind. By controlling the mind, we can eliminate negative thought patterns and experience inner peace.
