Yoga for stress relief and anxiety
Yoga by Delight Yoga
The constant need to improve ourselves and compete with the rapidly changing world leaves marks on our bodies in the form of stress and anxiety, which can have long-term effects on our health. Yin and Restorative Yoga help bring back our focus into the present moment and relieve our bodies from everyday stress and anxiety.
Upcoming 50-Hour Yoga Teacher Trainings in Amsterdam
Yoga by Delight Yoga
A yoga teacher training is an opportunity to dive deeper into your practice, gain deeper insights into the unique structures of your body and mind, explore yogic philosophy, and find confidence and empowerment in your daily life. Delight Yoga offers 50-hour trainings in different yogic traditions for you to expand your practice and experience personal growth. Read on to discover which of our trainings in 2021 and early 2022 is perfect for you.
The Benefits of Yoga
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Yoga has risen in popularity all over the world for a reason - just ask any yogi why they practice and they'll give you a list of ways yoga has benefitted their lives. In this article, you'll learn why creating a regular yoga practice is worth the effort and the benefits beginning yogis have to look forward to for mind, body, and spirit.
Yoga for strength and flexibility
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Modern yoga culture places a heavy emphasis on the physical benefits of yoga, but there are so many more ways your practice can support your health! This article hopes to explain how different yoga styles can build strength and flexibility in both body and mind so you can live a longer, happier life.
What is authentic yoga?
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Delight Yoga offers authentic yoga. But what does this mean? The origin of yoga is rooted in the soil of the Indus Valley beneath the Himalayan Mountains. Its tradition is so ancient, that it goes back 5000 years. In Sanskrit, Yoga literally means 'union'. According to the ancient text of yoga, the intention of the yoga practice is the 'union' of body and mind to connect to your true self and find inner peace. This can be done by many traditional forms of yoga, like chanting, breathing, physical movement and meditating.
Yoga for balance and stability
Yoga by Delight Yoga
At the beginning of your yoga journey, it can be difficult to know where to start. The number of different styles and teachers that are available to you may feel overwhelming - this blog will keep things simple by focusing on which yoga styles will help bring you into balance and create stability in your everyday life.
5 tips for finding the right yoga class for you
Yoga by Delight Yoga
At the beginning of your yogic path, it can be difficult to decide where to start. The world of yoga is vast, with a wide variety of classes available based on an ancient background of philosophy and tradition. Here are five tips to help you take that first step:
What brings me back to my mat? with Daphne Luttger
Yoga by Daphne Luttger
To celebrate our Drop Back to Yoga School offer, we asked our teachers to share what brings them back on the mat. We hope you enjoy learning what inspires our Delight Family to return to their practice and what yoga means to them.
What brings me back to my mat? with Dylan Simon Alexander
Yoga by Dylan Simon Alexander
To celebrate our Drop Back to Yoga School offer, we asked our teachers to share what brings them back on the mat. We hope you enjoy learning what inspires our Delight Family to return to their practice and what yoga means to them.
What brings me back to my mat? with Moena de Jong
Yoga by Moena de Jong
To celebrate our Drop Back to Yoga School offer, we asked our teachers to share what brings them back on the mat. We hope you enjoy learning what inspires our Delight Family to return to their practice and what yoga means to them. Over the past few weeks, I have spent my holiday in the beautiful mountains in the north of Spain, where we have a Finca. Although I take my travel mat with me wherever I go, for sure my practice has changed.
The Most Important Lessons I Learned on the Yoga Mat
Yoga by Kino MacGregor
If you’ve been following me for awhile or been a student of mine online or in person, then you know that I love to teach strength poses in yoga. It might surprise you, but when I first started yoga I wasn’t naturally strong. That’s why these strength poses are so important to me and my personal yoga journey.
Effortless Effort: My Qigong Journey
Yoga by Francesca Gobeille
When I signed up for my first ten-day meditation retreat, I was in my mid-20s and in the throes of “burnout,” the culmination of a lifetime habit of perfectionism and striving. One of the most upsetting aspects of this period was that even my yoga practice, which had reliably provided me refuge since my teens, was no longer possible.
What is a Women's Circle? Living real sisterhood
Yoga by Satya Katiza
What is a Women's Circle? Sacreds space and sharing times celebrating that there are so many women practicing Yoga and finding ways to live consciously and make a difference in our realities and the world we are in. With good intentions, we enter the path of yoga, inner growth, and inner reflection.
What is Hatha Yoga?
Yoga by Delight Yoga
"In the practice of yoga, one can emphasize the body, the mind or the self and hence the effort can never be fruitless." - T. Krishnamacharya
New Online Journey: Mama Glow with Kasia Pokrop and Ombretta Dettori
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Kasia and Ombretta will be guiding you through your journey into motherhood from the first weeks of your pregnancy until the early weeks of your postpartum. With a series of short episodes which you can easily fit in your daily routine, they aim to share with you their experience combining:
What is Trauma Sensitive Yoga? An Interview with Esther van der Sande
Yoga by Sophia Hengelbrok
Esther van der Sande is the director of Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Nederland, somatic psychotherapist, EMDR clinician and a qualified yoga (500+ hrs), mindfulness teacher and practitioner. She guides her clients through their challenges, enabling them to emerge from the other side feeling renewed, strong, and ready to face the world on their own terms once again. In other words, she helps people help themselves.
The Benefits of Laughter Yoga and How to Do It
Yoga by Delight Yoga
As we get older, laughter comes less and less easy to us as we experience the trials and tribulations that come along with being an adult, taking on responsibilities we could never have imagined having as children. This alone is all the more reason to tap into our inner child and laugh without a care in the world, and regain that light happiness we were once so familiar with.
New Online Journey: Design Your Life with Erica Jago
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Let’s be honest, life can take the most unexpected turns. Despite our carefully planned visions of the future, a lot of us have had to adapt to whatever was thrown in our paths. More than ever, we need to step out of survival mode and take a moment to pause, reflect, integrate these changes, and find the fresh energy to move forward.
New Online Journey: Exploring Alignment with Chantal Soeters
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Whether you're looking to establish a home practice or delve deeper into the nuances of foundational yoga poses, these short sessions by Chantal Soeters will lay the groundwork for a practice in any style by teaching the basics of alignment, movement, and breathing. At an accessible pace, you'll have the opportunity to become comfortable with a variety of yoga poses and breathing techniques. You’ll learn how to cultivate steadiness, calm and greater body awareness as you breathe and move. Each session has a specific focus, allowing you to fully integrate what you learn, while simultaneously helping you to explore the power of yoga to shift your inner experience in a variety of ways. Journey Overview Episode 1 - Feel Present Wednesday 31/03/21 - 09:00 - 09:30 Cultivate curiosity and awareness. Episode 2 - Feel Supported Wednesday 7/04/21 - 09:00 - 09:30 Find your ground. Episode 3 - Find your Center Wednesday 14/04/21 - 09:00 - 09:30 Return to balance and wholeness. Episode 4 - Experience Spaciousness Wednesday 21/04/21 - 09:00 - 09:30 Find freedom and expansion. Episode 5 - Feel Joy Wednesday 28/04/21 - 09:00 - 09:30 Explore and play with your asana practice. Episode 6 - Experience Flow and Ease Wednesday 04/05/21 - 09:00 - 09:30 Balance effort and surrender. Experience the journey here
Yoga Playlist: Delight Yoga Lounge
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Music is the language of the universe. Meant to uplift and inspire, this playlist is a beautiful and balanced collection of our host’s favorite songs that they often play in our studios. Bringing you back in the space we lovingly hold for our students and teachers.
Begin your Yoga Journey
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Many of us are finding it difficult to practice at home after months of lockdown. We have created online yoga journeys with short, dynamic practices centred around a single theme to help refresh your practice. With topics ranging from Yin Yoga, Astanga, Morning Routines, and Experienced Vinyasa, we hope to find the journey that inspires you.
5 Basic Principles of Trauma-Sensitive Yoga
Yoga by Esther van der Sande
Trauma-Sensitive Yoga is a practice created by David Emerson as a treatment for Complex Trauma and PTSD by using trauma-sensitive movements that resemble some yoga postures. “Trauma-Informed Yoga is an intervention that empowers survivors and fosters recovery.” Some of the benefits of practising Trauma-Sensitive Yoga are as follows:
My Sadhana Journey: Diving into the Deep
Yoga by Leonie Dijkstra
After my first Mysore class almost three years ago, I realized I was hooked. I fell in love with the energy in the space, the breathing sounds, and people concentrating on entwining themselves in all kinds of complicated positions. It felt like coming home after a long journey. From that moment on, I stepped on my mat every day, and slowly, my world turned upside down.
Free Kids Yoga Videos
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Dear Delight Family, In the last few weeks we (re)introduced kids yoga on our schedule to support the mothers and fathers within our community and to allow kids to move, play and have fun at home. Marije Roede teaches wonderful classes with simplicity and an open heart.
Free Special Class: Pranayama & Mantra with Live Harmonium
Yoga by Delight Yoga
In these challenging times, the call for connection is so strong… What brings us closer together than energy?
Introducing Delight Online Yoga Journeys
Yoga by Delight Yoga
We have something new for you coming up: to keep supporting you in your practice during lockdown, we have created online yoga journeys. These journeys are a series of shorter classes centred around a theme or intention. Our first journey starts next week:
Join 30 Days of Meditation during Lockdown
Yoga by Delight Yoga
From our heart, we warmly welcome you to join 30 days of Meditation during this Third Lockdown from Monday 21 December to 19 January. This time - perhaps more than ever - requires us to stay Home within ourselves. We are experiencing challenging times for sure, that may trigger emotional turmoil and confusion in our minds. Let’s see this time as an invitation to reconnect to that Peace and Inner Stability that never really leaves us, no matter the circumstances.
How to do a Digital Cleanse
Yoga by Delight Yoga
We practice yoga to find a connection to the present moment and bring our attention inwards. But how can we stay in the here and now when we are constantly distracted by what’s happening on Instagram? The technology that connects us to our loved ones is designed to pull us in, stealing our attention and keeping it away from the here and now. So how can we use technology intentionally, instead of constantly living outside of the present moment? The answer might lie in digital minimalism.
Start the New Year with an At-Home Silent Retreat
Yoga by Delight Yoga
2020 was filled with unexpected moments and unique challenges for us all. We are offering the chance to reflect and check-in with ourselves at the start of 2021 through a unique ten-day retreat, led by our expert teachers, Satya and Sahaj.
Dive into Traditional Hatha Yoga with Sri Sudhir Tiwari
Yoga by Delight Yoga
We are honoured to announce that Sri Sudhir Tiwari will once again offer his teachings at Delight Yoga in an online setting. Sri Sudhir Tiwari is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and expertise on traditional Pranayama and Asana in the Kaivalyadhama lineage (located in Lonavla in India) within our community.
How to practice: Marīcyāsana A (Marichi pose A)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Marīcyāsana A or 'Marichi pose A, is the eleventh posture in the Primary Series of the Astanga Vinyasa yoga system.
Science of Chakras: Sahasrara
Yoga by Erica Jago
We started our journey through the chakras with Muladhara, the Root Chakra, and now we have arrived at the top of the chakra ladder to Sahasrara, the Crown Chakra. Sahasrara means "thousand-petaled lotus flower"; the one flower in Hindu tradition that symbolizes growth through mud and muck to blossom at the crown of your head, like a halo.
How to practice: Jānu Śīrṣāsana C (Head to knee pose C)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Jānu Śīrṣāsana C, or 'Head to knee pose C', is the tenth posture in the Primary Series of the Astanga Vinyasa yoga system. A forward bend for all levels of students, Janu Sirsasana is also a spinal twist.
How to practice: Jānu Śīrṣāsana B (Head to knee pose B)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Jānu Śīrṣāsana B, or 'Head to knee pose B', is the tenth posture in the Primary Series of the Astanga Vinyasa yoga system. A forward bend for all levels of students, Janu Sirsasana is also a spinal twist.
Yoga & Motherhood: Explore Prenatal Yoga
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Are you expecting a baby or just curious about the benefits yoga offers pregnant women? Prenatal Yoga gives you the opportunity to embrace your changing body and support this process by practising meditation and yoga postures, in combination with breathing- and relaxation exercises and specific poses that can be used during delivery.
How to Practice: Jānu Śīrṣāsana A
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Jānu Śīrṣāsana A, or 'Head to knee pose A', is the tenth posture in the Primary Series of the Astanga Vinyasa yoga system. A forward bend for all levels of students, Janu Sirsasana is also a spinal twist.
6 Ways Kids Yoga Benefits Your Child
Yoga by Marije Roede
“It is, in fact, nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry; for this delicate little plant, aside from stimulation, stands mainly in need of freedom. Without that it is surely destroyed.” –Albert Einstein
Science of Chakras: Vishuddha
Yoga by Erica Jago
If you read my previous blog posts on the lower four chakras then get ready to make some noise! The fifth chakra: Vishuddha, in English it is called the Throat Chakra. Vishuddha bridges your feeling with your thinking through creative expression and speech. The element of this energy centre is sound, providing you with the ability to listen and verbally express your needs, your desires, and your opinions, truthfully and authentically.
What is Kids Yoga?
Yoga by Marije Roede
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow we grow old because we stop playing” –George Bernard Shaw A Kids Yoga class is very different from a yoga class for adults. In Kids yoga, children have a non-competitive and fun way to practice yoga and mindfulness through the use of songs, games and stories.
How to practice: Tiryang-Mukha-Eka-Pāda Paścimattānāsana (Three limbs and face in one foot western/back intense stretch pose)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Tiryang-Mukha-Eka-Pāda Paścimattānāsana, or 'Three limbs and face in one foot western/back intense stretch pose', is the ninth posture in the Primary Series of the Astanga Vinyasa yoga system.
How to practice: Ardha Baddha Padma Paścimattānāsana (Half bound lotus western/back intense stretch Pose)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Ardha Baddha Padma Paścimattānāsana, or half bound lotus western/back intense stretch pose, is the eighth posture in the Primary Series of the Astanga Vinyasa yoga system.
How to practice: Pūrvattānāsana (Eastern/front intense stretch Pose)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Pūrvattānāsana, or Western/back intense stretch pose, is the seventh posture in the Primary Series of the Astanga Vinyasa yoga system.
Happy World Meditation Day from Delight Yoga
Yoga by Delight Yoga
On May 21st, the world celebrates meditation - the fragrance of yoga. All yoga practices are a meditative act, transformation from an unfocused to focused mind, until the thought, action and the actor are one. There are many formal and informal techniques that lead to the meditative state of being; all of them being different means that they can suit individual cultures, stages in life or psychological inclinations.
How to practice: Paścimattānāsana A, B, C, D (Western/back intense stretch Pose)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Paścimattānāsana, or Western/back intense stretch Pose, is the sixth posture in the Primary Series of the Astanga Vinyasa yoga system. Literally translated as “intense stretch of the west,” Paschimottanasana can help a distracted mind unwind.
How to practice: Daṇḍāsana (Stick Pose)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Daṇḍāsana, or Stick Pose, is the fifth posture in the Primary Series of the Astanga Vinyasa yoga system. The Primary Series is said to be the most demanding because it is the first series you learn as a beginner - and every beginning is hard. It is called Yoga Chikitsa, meaning Yoga Therapy. It is a series for cleansing and healing the body.
Science of Chakras: Anahata
Yoga by Erica Jago
If you read my previous blog posts on Muladhara, Svadhistana, and Manipura then get ready to love this one! The fourth chakra: Anahata, in English it’s called the Heart Chakra. Anahata, the middle of all chakras, is the place where your opposites of yin and yang unify. Here you harmonize your rational and directional masculine energy with your soft and gentle feminine energy. This equilibrium helps honour the right timing of your doing with your being.
How to practice: Vīrabhadrāsana II (Warrior II Pose)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Vīrabhadrāsana II, or Warrior II Pose, is the fourth posture in the Primary Series of the Astanga Vinyasa yoga system. The Primary Series is said to be the most demanding because it is the first series you learn as a beginner - and every beginning is hard. It is called Yoga Chikitsa, meaning Yoga Therapy. It is a series for cleansing and healing the body.
How to practice: Vīrabhadrāsana I (Warrior I Pose)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Vīrabhadrāsana I, or Warrior I Pose, is the fourth posture in the Primary Series of the Astanga Vinyasa yoga system. The Primary Series is said to be the most demanding because it is the first series you learn as a beginner - and every beginning is hard. It is called Yoga Chikitsa, meaning Yoga Therapy. It is a series for cleansing and healing the body.
Delight Online: 5 Tips for Building a Home Yoga Practice
Yoga by Delight Yoga
"Nobody but you can experience the mystery of your sacred Body, Heart and Mind, and the only way to find out is to turn your eyes towards yourself and explore the sacred mystery of 'who am I'." - Kevin Sahaj Practising yoga at home is a very different experience from taking a class in a studio. Many yogis struggle to keep up their practice without the encouragement of a teacher or the presence of fellow students, however, an online yoga practice offers the opportunity to connect with yourself in a beautiful way.
How to practice: Utkaṭāsana (Chair Pose)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Utkaṭāsana, or Chair Pose, is the third posture in the Primary Series of the Astanga Vinyasa yoga system. The Primary Series is said to be the most demanding because it is the first series you learn as a beginner - and every beginning is hard. It is called Yoga Chikitsa, meaning Yoga Therapy. It is a series for cleansing and healing the body.
Getting to Know Yourself through 'Silent Sit'
Yoga by Royce Benda
Every morning, from 09:00-09:45, we come together to sit. Part of the gathering is guided meditation and during the other part, we sit in silence. We call it a 'Silent Sit'. We sit in silence to dis-cover silence. We sit to get to know ourselves.
How to practice: Ardha Baddha Padmottānāsana (Half-Bound Lotus Forward Bend Pose)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Ardha Baddha Padmottānāsana, or Half-Bound Lotus Forward Bend Pose, is one of the postures in the Primary Series of the Astanga Vinyasa yoga system. The Primary Series is said to be the most demanding because it is the first series you learn as a beginner - and every beginning is hard. It is called Yoga Chikitsa, meaning Yoga Therapy. It is a series for cleansing and healing the body.
How to practice: Utthita Hasta Pādānguṣṭhāsana A,B, C (Extended Big Toe Pose)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
The Primary Series is said to be the most demanding part of Astanga Vinyasa Yoga, because it is the first series you learn as a beginner... and every beginning is hard. It is called Yoga Chikitsa, meaning Yoga Therapy. It is a series for cleansing and healing the body.
Science of Chakras: Manipura
Yoga by Erica Jago
If you read my previous blog posts on Muladhara and Svadhistana, you know what’s coming next! The third chakra: Manipura, known as the Solar Chakra in English. Located at your core, it is the seat of your power in which you find self-esteem, sense of purpose, personal identity, and individual will. Manipura represents a place where you access your PURPOSE.
How to practice: Pārśvottanāsana (Intense Side Stretch Pose)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Six simple Fundamental Asanas (postures) build the foundation of an Astanga Vinyasa Yoga practice. They are often called “standing positions” because they are composed of six relatively easy standing asanas. Pārśvottanāsana is the sixth of these fundamental postures.
How to practice: Prasārita Pādottānāsana A, B, C, D (Wide-Legged Forward Bend)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Six simple Fundamental Asanas (postures) build the foundation of an Astanga Vinyasa Yoga practice. They are often called “standing positions” because they are composed of six relatively easy standing asanas. Prasārita Pādottānāsana A, B, C, D is the fifth of these fundamental postures.
How to practice: Parivṛtta Parśvakoṇāsana (Revolved Side Angle Pose)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Six simple Fundamental Asanas (postures) build the foundation of an Astanga Vinyasa Yoga practice. They are often called “standing positions” because they are composed of six relatively easy standing asanas. Parśvakoṇāsana is the fourth of these fundamental postures.
How to practice: Utthita Parśvakoṇāsana (Extended Side Angle Pose)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Six simple Fundamental Asanas (postures) build the foundation of an Astanga Vinyasa Yoga practice. They are often called “standing positions” because they are composed of six relatively easy standing asanas. Parśvakoṇāsana is the fourth of these fundamental postures.
How to practice: Parivṛtta Trikoṇāsana (Revolved Triangle Pose)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Six simple Fundamental Asanas (postures) build the foundation of an Astanga Vinyasa Yoga practice. They are often called “standing positions” because they are composed of six relatively easy standing asanas. Trikoṇāsana is the third of these fundamental postures.
Science of Chakras: Svadhisthana
Yoga by Erica Jago
Have you read my previous post on Muladhara - the root chakra? Today, I’ll continue with Svadhisthana, the Sacral Chakra—which will be covered in-depth as part of my Kundalini Chakra Course. During this course, in our second Sunday together, we dive into the right to FEEL. As Svadisthana’s element is water, it helps the blood circulate through your hips, awakening a free flow of sensations, emotions, desires, and pleasures.
Eddie Stern Workshop Series March 2020
Yoga by Delight Yoga
We are extremely honoured to welcome Eddie Stern back to Amsterdam for five days of workshops, lectures, and practices. Eddie is a yoga teacher, author, and lecturer based in New York City. He is known for his multi-disciplinary approach to furthering education and access to yoga, as well as his teaching expertise in Astanga Yoga.
How to practice: Utthita Trikoṇāsana (Extended Triangle Pose)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Six simple Fundamental Asanas (postures) build the foundation of an Astanga Vinyasa Yoga practice. They are often called “standing positions” because they are composed of six relatively easy standing asanas. Trikoṇāsana is the third of these fundamental postures.
My 5 Favourite Benefits of Prenatal Yoga
Yoga by Kasia Pokrop
The pregnancy journey is a special one, as is becoming a mother. What I discovered through my two pregnancies, teaching prenatal yoga, and working with couples during HypnoBirthing classes was that the benefits of your prenatal yoga practice will stay with you long after you give birth.
How to practice: Pāda-Hastāsana (Foot on Hand Pose)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Six simple Fundamental Asanas build the foundation of an Astanga Vinyasa Yoga practice. They are often called 'standing positions' because they are composed of six relatively easy standing asanas. Pāda-Hastāsana, or 'foot on hand pose', is the second of these six foundational postures.
How to practice: Pādānguṣṭhāsana (Foot Big Toe Pose)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Six simple Fundamental Asanas build the foundation of an Astanga Vinyasa Yoga practice. They are often called 'standing positions' because they are composed of six relatively easy standing asanas. Pādānguṣṭhāsana, or 'foot big toe pose', is the first of these six foundational postures.
Science of Chakras: Muladhara
Yoga by Erica Jago
Ever heard of your subtle body? According to yoga tradition, your subtle body is invisible and untouchable, yet it is the place where most of your energy flows. Unexplainable feelings are a good place to start when understanding your subtle body and chakras. A lump in your throat, or a butterfly sensation in your belly. Those are the energy wheels spinning in your body, either opening up or closing down.
How to practice: Surya Namaskara B (Sun Salutation B)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
For thousands of years, Hindus have revered the sun, which they call Surya (the god of health), as both the physical and spiritual heart of our world and the creator of all life itself. The sun has immense power and by becoming aware of the effects of the sun on our lives, we will begin to awaken our inherent solar forces.
How to practice: Surya Namaskara A (Sun Salutation A)
Yoga by Delight Yoga
For thousands of years, Hindus have revered the sun, which they call Surya (the god of health), as both the physical and spiritual heart of our world and the creator of all life itself. The sun has immense power and becoming aware of the effects of the sun on our lives we will begin to awaken our inherent solar forces.
Yoga Anatomy: Skeletal System
Yoga by Delight Yoga
The skeletal system includes all the bones and the joints in our body. This system serves four main functions: Support: It provides a support and gives firmness to the body. Protection: It protects the various delicate organs like i.e. brain or lungs. Movement: It provides surface for the attachment of muscles and itself acts as a lever. Thus along with the muscular system, it helps in the movement of various parts of the body or of the body as a whole.
Physical Anatomy Applied to Yoga
Yoga by Delight Yoga
INTRODUCTION As the practice of yoga techniques deeply influences the functions and structures of the human body, it is important to understand its constitution and the way our body works. Compared with the ancient yogic anatomical knowledge, modern anatomy is more an objective science-based on experiential and direct observations than an empirically subjective matter based on personal experiences, as the old Ayurvedic medicine was.
The Importance of Yoga Alignment
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Alignment is the term we use in yoga to describe the precise way to do any given pose in order to maximize its benefits and minimize the risk of injury. It offers options for practitioners of all levels, shapes and sizes and encourages the use of props, modifications to find the safest and most beneficial way for each body to fully experience each pose.
Yoga Poses in Sanskrit
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Can’t quite tell “Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana” apart from “Prasarita Padottanasana”? Not sure what to do when the teacher calls for “Karnapidasana”? Not clearly visualising “Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana”? Fear not, help is on the way...
The Sanskrit Alphabet
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Are you interested in yoga, but don't know where to begin? We offer a 50-hour Essentials of Yoga training to help you establish or deepen your practice. This program also serves as a pre-teacher training for students that are planning to attend our Basic Teacher Training. The pronunciation of Sanskrit is very simple: you open your mouth wide and move the tongue and lips as necessary (they are almost pure muscles and have little inertia or resistance to movement). By contrast, the pronunciation of English requires much effort, for we barely open the mouth, and instead of simply moving the tongue we move the whole jaw.
The Yamas & Niyamas
Yoga by Delight Yoga
The Yamas & Niyamas are the first two limbs of the eight limbs of yoga according to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Yama is the attitude towards our environment and Niyama is the attitude towards ourselves. They create a container for yoga to happen.
An Introduction to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Yoga is considered by some to be the oldest unbroken line of philosophical/spiritual thought. It has its origins in India at the time of the Rig Veda, perhaps the oldest book in the world. It spread to the north, to the east (where it is known as Chan and Zen) and eventually to the west.
10 Fundamental Principles of Yoga
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Yoga is a complex tradition, which has a history of 5000 or more years. Beginners are easily overwhelmed by the vastness and richness of Yoga’s practice, philosophy, and literature. But there are a few underlying principles that, once grasped, provide easier access to all the numerous aspects of Yoga. Here are ten such fundamental principles:
The Origin of Yoga
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Despite more than a century of research, we still don’t know much about the earliest beginnings of Yoga. We do know, though, that it originated in India 5,000 or more years ago. Until recently, many Western scholars thought that Yoga originated much later, maybe around 500 B.C., which is the time of Gautama the Buddha, the illustrious founder of Buddhism.
10 Definitions of Yoga
Yoga by Delight Yoga
Are you interested in yoga, but don't know where to begin? We offer a 50-hour Essentials of Yoga training to help you establish or deepen your practice. This program also serves as a pre-teacher training for students that are planning to attend our Basic Teacher Training. 10 Definitions of Yoga There are lots of references to Yoga in Hindu scriptures, especially in the Gita, the Upanishads and other Puranas. Here’s a selection of 10 quotations from Sanskrit literature, which are trying to define or qualify Yoga:
Why take rest on Moondays?
Yoga by Delight Yoga
On moon days we can recognize and through this recognizing, honor the natural rhythms of nature. Because if anything, nature teaches us that only change is constant. Both the new moon and the full moon create energetic experiences within us. Because of this, we see these days as yoga holidays in Astanga Yoga tradition. Lunar phases are determined by the relative position to the sun.
Breathing in Ecstasy
Yoga by Arno Nistal Ten Veen
Breathing in Ecstasy In this article, Arno gives you some insights into how the way you breathe is directly related to how you feel, and how you exchange energy with life itself with all of your life.
What is Satsang? Getting to know your Self
Yoga by Satya Katiza
Dive into Satsang, get to know your Self. Are you ready to free yourself from your limitations, fears and confusions we are all individually and socially trapped in? Satsang is an invitation for the ones who feel the call in their hearts to awake to the nature of being human, our right to live from true Peace, true Joy and true Love.
The Light within
Yoga by Satya Katiza
The Light Within We are the very source of all what we are searching for; healing, happiness, peacefulness, freedom or perfection, but it is so easy to be missed. Even when we try to point towards it is already too far, because you can't point to that which is already here, and what you really are.
The Opening & Closing Mantra of Astanga Yoga
Yoga by Sasha Van Aalst
The Opening Mantra vande gurūṇāṁ caraṇāravinde sandarśita svātma sukhāvabodhe | niḥśreyase jāṅgalikāyamāne saṁsāra hālāhala mohaśāntyai || ābāhu puruṣākāraṁ śaṅkhacakrāsi dhāriṇam | sahasra śirasaṁ śvetaṁ praṇamāmi patañjalim || I bow to the lotus feet of Gurus The awakening happiness of one’s own Self-revealed, Beyond better, acting like the Jungle physician, Pacifying delusion, the poison of Samsara.
My teacher training experience with Delight Yoga
Yoga by Dolores Mae Höppener
Now, I feel what it is to be a spiritual being having a human experience. Now, I - and every particle in my body - know why I practice yoga on the mat. Now, I really dare to choose to be the Light. Now, I have the tools to stay Here. Now, I operate with faith.
The essence of Immortality
Yoga by Satya Katiza
Ohm ॐ, We are honored to have received the teachings and blessings of Maratika Rinpoche at Delight Yoga on May 15th and 18th. We are very grateful to share one of his teachings transmitted in Amsterdam on May 18th, 2017 through this blog. Besides the texts, we hereby share the pictures for visualization of HRIH and Buddha Amitayus with you also.
The Delight of Being: Let it be as a life strategy
Yoga by Juno Burger
The Delight of Being A senior monk and a junior monk were traveling together. At one point, they came to a river with a strong current. As the monks were preparing to cross the river, they saw a very young and beautiful woman also attempting to cross. The young woman asked if they could help her cross to the other side.
Just being is enough
Yoga by Kevin Sahaj
Maybe you have this experience that you are thinking to much. We are always planning, worrying, solving some problem, judging what we see as good or bad, liking or disliking. Is there ever a time when we are just being? Simply experiencing life as it is in whatever colour, sound, taste and touch is unfolding NOW by NOW, is a rare event.
The Importance of Your Yoga Practice
Yoga by Kevin Sahaj
Do you have a practice of yoga that you do regularly at home by yourself? If the answer is yes then you may have understood what is the real meaning of yoga practice: to dive deeply into yourself and find what is truth.
'Why do you want to meditate?' asked master Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Yoga by Dana Marshall
Why do you want to meditate? At ten years old, sitting in front of meditation master Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, I was asked “ Why do you want to meditate?”
Why Meditate? Finding Sanity in an Insane World
Yoga by Kimberly Poppe
Why Meditate? Finding Sanity in an Insane World Each morning when I wake up and look at the news, it feels like the world has gone insane and that we are in some apocalyptic horror movie with a script so badly written that no one would believe it is actually real.
The Path of Krishnamacharya
Yoga by Adela Serrano
Tirumali Krishnamacharya (1888-1989) is also known as “The Father of Modern Yoga”. He was born in the south of India, in a Brahmin family and was trained in the study of the Vedas by his father, the Vedas are the basis of what is known as Hinduism.
Find your sacred space: an interview with Tijn Touber
Yoga by Michel Fijn
Once upon a time there was a man; a virtuoso of the guitar and member of one of Hollands most beloved and famous bands in the eighties, Lois Lane. He seemed to have it all – the most desired woman in Holland and a band who caught even the curious eye of superstar Prince, who would later take the whole ensemble on a world tour – all of them except for this man.
Find your sacred space: an interview with Katiza Satya & Kevin Sahaj
Yoga by Michel Fijn
To set foot inside the sacred space of Katiza Satya and Kevin Sahaj is to feel submerged in the very essence of their being. The smell of sandalwood incense, the simple tones of dark wood, earthly colours and matted white walls, the many statues and tokens of those who represent the divine, holding the space that is their home now;