Yoga Workshops

The Festival will showcase some of the best yoga and breath workshops and teachers, from a multitude of compatible styles.

So what is yoga?

Yoga is both ancient and modern, it is both a ‘state’ and a means to attaining it. This state is one of union and integration of both the body and mind and at the heart of all styles and approaches to yoga is the recognition that we are more than just a body and a collection of thoughts in the mind. The practices of yoga help us to transcend the physical and mental limitations and come to the easeful state of simply being true Self.

There are many different ideas related to Yoga, where it comes from, what it is all about, and how to practice a range of techniques.

Yoga is generally is recognised as an ancient system of philosophies, principles and practices derived from the Vedic tradition of India and the Himalayas, more than 2500 years ago. It is a system that recognises the multi-dimensional nature of the human person, and primarily relates to the nature and workings of the mind, based on experiential practice and self-enquiry.

The most widely recognised form of yoga today is an integration of several yoga practices, primarily body movement, traditionally known as postures or asanas.

They serve to strengthen and invigorate the body, helping all physical systems to work properly. These include the skeletal and muscular structures as well as the circulation, respiratory, glandular and nervous systems.

The postures are performed with awareness, with a focus on the breath and the internal experience, leading to greater mindfulness and mental ease. In Yoga, the body, breath and mind are seen as a union of these multi-dimensional aspects of each and every human being.

The system and various techniques of Yoga cultivate the experience of that union, leading to greater integration of being, internal peacefulness, and clarity of the mind. It is a system that is designed to cultivate health and happiness, and a greater sense of self-awareness and higher consciousness.