A Journey through India's Yoga
I got a chance to experience Vini Yoga firsthand in Chennai, India. In a small 100+ degree room overlooking fern-like trees with bright orange flowers, lizards, and birds chirping i inhaled & exhaled my way to a clearer mind. As i trusted my breath to lead me to my perfect asana, I was engulfed with colorful sounds carried by the humid air like local vendors selling water,fruits, flutes, and a myriad of other things on their bicycles. The humidity makes you sweat like a sauna so that, you're left with a cleansing almost refreshing glow. There in that little room i listen to the words of my yoga guru guiding me to the state of Nirodah (balanced mind).
Where did yoga come from? Patanjali, a sage came to the earth to teach us & help ease our suffering by giving us the Yoga Sutras around 200AD. According to Patanjali, you need to protect the body in order to access the mind. By doing asanas one can access the body, then breath, followed by the mind and finally reaching the soul. He gave us asanas to access body, pranayama to access breath, and mediation to access mind.
What is Vini Yoga? Vini Yoga was taught in India and in the ancient times yoga was taught one on one. Vini Yoga means a specific connection or continuous link to something perhaps reaching a specific goal. The concept can be applied to non-yoga philosophies and should be practiced daily to move you through a deeper awareness.
How do we practice Vini Yoga?
The asanas are done slowly with focus and are broken down into steps. Each step an inhale/exhale is applied, holding the posture longer and finally repeating it several times.
Key Benefits
*Slowly moving into asana increases awareness of breath & specific muscles working
*Hold the posture longer increasing stamina & stability
*Calms the mind, moving you into inner essence of being
*Increase intensity with stay and repeat postures
*Breaths span increase cultivating pranayama breathing
*Aware of your body's dominant muscles
*Enhances deep concentration & focus
*Fosters a quieter mind preparing you for mediation practices
*Targets a specific area to strengthen it i.e. low ankle flexibility, weak knees
*Personalized to any fitness level
Rather than explore the techniques of how the asanas are done, my study in India focused on reaching one's individual capacities and purposes in their practice.
In Vini Yoga a moment is never wasted because you are conscious of every inhale, exhale, muscle contraction, muscle release, and opening of the mind.
