Английский вариант

Life is the most important thing in the Universe. All living beings, from the simplest to the most complex, desire to bear life. They support life by giving birth and fostering a new generation of their own species.

When something negative happens to us, we start looking for someone or something to blame. We blame our destiny, our life, the Universe, other people and we waste a lot of time, energy and emotions. Is it worth looking for someone to blame, and what can we do with the problems appearing on our way?

Many people do not pay due attention to tactual sensations. A person builds up his/her own world and finds it very comfortable, but he/she is not conscious of the way other people live. By cutting oneself off the world a person is suffering very much, and does not understand the reason why he/she is suffering.

In terms of evolution, the form of human life is the crown of creation and according to ancient treatises, the human body is a great chance for a spiritual breakthrough. What is the driving force behind the development of living beings: is it only natural selection and environmental conditions? What is spiritual evolution and how is it related to the evolution of physical bodies? What actions can we take to make the future world better?

Everyone sooner or later asks whether there is something permanent in this world: something that will never go away? The body is aging, emotions replace one another, people come and go. Is there anything we can rely on? If there is something eternal, where can we find it?

Where does self-exploration begin? Many people start this journey by inquiring what their mission or destiny is. Some people discover their path immediately, for others it remains a secret for a long time. Guidance by other people impedes us from hearing our inner voice. There are many training courses on similar topics that help us recall our mission, which is concealed in childhood memories.

Sooner or later every person starts thinking about starting a family, having kids and raising a new generation. Many new parents ask themselves: How should they bring up their children and what kind of personal example can they demonstrate? What does Yoga offer in this respect?

What is happiness? Do we need much in order to feel it? Where is the key to happiness and what does it depend on? How to be happy despite all twists and turns in life?

Nowadays it is widely believed that before starting to practice yoga, a person must stop eating animal products and become a vegetarian. How much truth is in this statement? It is worth understanding. It is important to understand that Yoga does not control our every movement and does not impose any binding rules. Yoga makes recommendations, but we decide ourselves how to do it. Yoga is a system of self-exploration, and its main goal is freedom!

Humans are social beings: they create groups and communicate with each other on a regular basis. We have different feelings in different groups: in one of them we may feel discomfort, and another group can become “a second family” for us. How should we choose a group according to our purpose of spiritual development? What is the influence of society on us? How to learn the methods of effective communication in a group?

As it often happens, the inner weakness destroys our plans, our health and our life. At times, the following thoughts come to our mind: “This is not for me, I cannot do it.” Where does this lack of self-confidence come from? Our past failures raise doubts about our own abilities. We perceive any personal mistakes as a proof of our inadequacy, and become confident that next time nothing is going to work out.

People start practicing yoga for different reasons. Some are looking for answers to spiritual questions; others are motivated by the desire to get into shape or to lose weight. When you choose yoga for losing weight, the following questions arise: “Is it possible to lose weight by practicing yoga? Is it necessary to become a vegetarian? How quickly can I get a result?” Let’s refer to some theory of Yoga in search of answers to these questions.

Human development nowadays is very fast. We have to perform a large variety of tasks, process a huge amount of information and try hard to succeed in different areas of our lives. It seems impossible to achieve all goals and objectives without forcing ourselves and without losing out on our health and happiness.

In modern society, people are often faced with multitasking. Solving several problems at a time became normal and watching those, who succeed in being all over the place, we admire them and think, that it is effective. But is it right? What is multitasking? Where did this behavior pattern come from? Is it possible to become the modern Julius Caesar? What advice does yoga give us?

It is hard to define our fears, because we prefer to ignore them. We need to have considerable courage and to be honest with ourselves in order to face our fears. How can we learn not to be afraid of anything? How can we learn to be brave?

All of us have heard the phrase: “Motion is Life”. However, every day we have to sit behind a desk at school, at the university, in the office, or in the car. Considering a sedentary lifestyle, we need to compensate lack of motion for our well-being. In a vanity of everyday life many people are searching for a real way to get rid of both physical and mental stagnation. How can we free hidden reserves up and give rest to body and mind?

What is it — our Ego? Is there a difference between “Ego” and “egoism”? What is a fine line between reasonable individualism and fanatical satisfying of Ego’s desires? How can we get rid of pandering to selfish desires?

When we are born, we have to trust this world, represented by our mother and father, our relatives, the society in which we grow, and the country where we live. Growing up, we become strong and independent, renouncing everything that, in our opinion, restricts our freedom and everyone whose opinion is in contrary to ours. Choosing the path of confidence, we choose the path of bhakti yoga.

For many centuries relationships between a man and a woman have been a topic of great concern. There are always a lot of disputes, discussions and theories around it. Various teachings try to explain the “sacred conflict” of a man and a woman from their side. Today we’ll talk about jealousy. This is the side of interpersonal relations, the appearance of which becomes a serious obstacle on the way to a happy family life.

Probably each person at least once in a lifetime wondered what happiness is and where it can be found. And at least once each of us was feeling happy. But you would find it difficult to describe this feeling in words. How can you explain something that is beyond any words or definitions?

When I decided to study at IOYU, I didn’t have any clue what was waiting for me. We are familiar with the main approaches in the educational process from the early days of school and barely anything changes at a later stage. “Learning is just learning” – but this is so only at the first glance. So, what have I discovered since I started studying at International Open Yoga University (IOYU)?

It happens that, a person wants to change some aspect of their life but cannot solve this problem by usual means. According to the teaching of Yoga, practicing asceticism can help in cases like this.

When you start to take interest in yoga as a system of self-exploration, you learn about its three pillars – the three principles of yoga. Considering these principles comprehensively and from different angles, we receive Knowledge about them. Logically and consistently accepting and applying them in our life, we are more and more convinced: that, indeed, the principles are the foundation, the soil which real yogis and just good people grow up on.

Yoga teaching is not just the knowledge of doing physical exercises, but also the whole layer of moral and ethical rules and laws of the Universe. When we attend hatha or kriya yoga classes we might want to learn how yoga works, and some of us may want to pass this teaching on to others. The learning process is the implementation of the acquired knowledge and its application in practice. Learning requires not only the efforts of a teacher, but also of a student .

We are constantly faced with the need to make choices throughout our lives. There are life-altering decisions like choice of a future profession, educational institution, place of work, career direction, or a life partner; as well as “no-brainers”: buying this or that thing, choosing your style, places where to spend your leisure time, food to eat, etc. At the same time, we do not always make decisions vital for our lives.

Yoga has always been surrounded by a lot of mysteries. Nowadays there are not so many people who have a holistic view of this ancient teaching. In this article we tried to highlight the most common myths about yoga and people practicing it.

We all know about the importance of keeping our body clean. But it is equally important to maintain the inner cleanliness. What does the cleanness of the inner Universe mean? What recommendations does yoga give for impurities elimination?

Unfamiliar situations force us to pay attention to ourselves and to concentrate on the problems. Having negative experience in the past we skeptically demonstrate distruction to new personal and situations. Our mind is activated and includes alertness, which helps us to avoid trouble. However, the ongoing mistrust of our environment becomes a big obstacle in our life. How does distrust become chronic? Why does it interfere with life? How does yoga help to trust the world?

In our lives, we often face a number of obstacles that prevent us from achieving our goals. In addition to the circumstances that we can not influence, there are those that are entirely dependent on us. It is in our power to manage our will, attention, effort, and time, and to make our goals and plans a reality.

One of the first manifestations of a human being in this world and one of the earliest ways of interaction with the Universe is a sound – the first cry of a baby, or child’s cooing, which translates into words and speech in the course of time.

All of us have certain qualities that correspond with our perception of the world. Some like to work with their hands and make some useful things for other people. Others are capable of bringing a group of people together to achieve a common goal. They make excellent managers. Some of us are very good at reaching out to people and kindling people’s minds to explore new knowledge. Why are we so different?

Why do some people feel happy and others don’t? Some of us are strong, full of energy and luminous and others are passive, sluggish, dull and uninteresting. Why are some people successful in all matters and achieve their goals within a short time, and for others things fall apart, whatever they do? Why do some people succeed in building the desired world around themselves, and others only look on the dark side of things and don’t understand how to change the situation?

How to upgrade your personal yoga practice? The answer to this question was given by the sage Patanjali in the 2nd century BCE in his treatise “Yoga Sutras of Patanjali”. He picked out eight main limbs that a person should go through to achieve the state of yoga – the restraint of fluctuations of consciousness. All these limbs intersect and complement each other.

At least once in our life each one of us has been in a situation, which was dissatisfying or unpleasant for us, and caused suffering and pain. Someone did not get the desired job or did not achieve the goal. Someone had a serious illness or could not build a relationship. When something negative happens to us, we start looking for someone or something to blame.

A person can live to an old age without vision, sense of smell or hearing, but even if all these sensory organs do not function, we shall still have one very important sense — a sense of touch.

Everyone sooner or later asks whether there is something permanent in this world: something that will never go away? The body is aging, emotions replace one another, people come and go. Is there anything we can rely on? If there is something eternal, where can we find it?

What is happiness? Do we need much in order to feel it? Where is the key to happiness and what does it depend on? How to be happy despite all twists and turns in life? “Happiness is a person’s state, corresponding with the most satisfaction of the living conditions, fullness and meaningfulness of life, and fulfilling one’s purpose in life.” Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Most of us, tired of a drab existence, strive to change our place and surroundings to experience novelty and diversity. But at some point, we realize that we have already explored a lot of things in the outside world and we surrender to a feeling of monotony. Wherever we go, sameness follows us everywhere.

Where does our time fly? What do we spend time on? Why do we have only 24 hours in a day? Why do some events last forever and others rush by us in a blink? We ask these questions from time to time, but it does not seem easy to get the answers.

Each of us is wondering what is our destiny. Some find the answer to this question in early childhood, while for others the decision comes not at once, but after years and years of searching. What does yoga say about the choices of life journey?

The reference to the above principle can be found in Vedas and in the Fundamentals of Hinduism Philosophy. It means non-aggressive, nonviolent interaction with the world around.

With the birth of a child, a woman's life changes dramatically. Changes begin to occur during pregnancy at the level of body, mind and emotions. When the child is born, so many new worries are coming up that many mothers don't know how to cope with them most effectively. Yoga can come to the rescue! But is it possible to do yoga with an infant? What are the benefits of these activities? What type of yoga is most effective from the very first days of a child's life and how to apply it in practice

Ancient treatise “The Narrative of Hatha yoga” states that the habit to practice yoga every day is the main criteria of success on the way to understanding yoga. But what do they mean by the word “habit”?

People have always been attracted by road and journey. Going on a road opens so many things up. “Following the paths” - is the ancient practice of self-exploration, which was a part of tradition all over the world over many generations. Travelling pilgrims, wanderers, wayfarers, travellers and hikers - we can read about them in all ancient scriptures, including the Vedas.

People have always been attracted by road and journey. Going on a road opens so many things up. “Following the paths” – is the ancient practice of self-exploration, which was a part of tradition all over the world over many generations. Travelling pilgrims, wanderers, wayfarers, travellers and hikers – we can read about them in all ancient scriptures, including the Vedas.

Studying at International Open Yoga University (IOYU) gives us the opportunity to receive an additional profession as a teacher of yoga in English and Russian, as well as to acquire additional competencies. This opens broad prospects and significantly expands the degree of our freedom. Let’s see what innovations are being introduced at IOYU and what additional competencies can be obtained in the learning process.

When we start working on self-improvement, we may experience the resistance of our mind to the changes that we want to bring into our lives. With great willpower, we can overcome any difficulties. And if we know the right method to work with the mind, we can achieve the desired results with minimum loss of strength and attain a state where we are not subordinated to the mind but are in the position of a skilled manager.

Success in yoga is defined by the habit to practice regularly. Let’s see why a habit to practice is of key importance. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle

Success in yoga is defined by the habit to practice regularly. Let’s see why a habit to practice is of key importance. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle

At least once in a lifetime everyone has the experience when our eyes light up and we work with enthusiasm. We feel so happy that we can move mountains and we just wish this condition could last as long as possible!

Nowadays there are many indicators showing that humanity, interacting with the outside world, by its actions sometimes harms nature, which subsequently affects each of us. The modern way of thinking and human behavior is not always appropriate. In order not to harm the world around us with our actions, emotions, thoughts, humanity must change its attitude towards it. What can we do to make this change happen? How can we make life of all living beings happier and more harmonious?

Regular practice is an indicator of success in yoga. But practicing yoga everyday can be difficult. At the beginning the practitioner enthusiastically practices yoga in a group or alone at home. After a few months most practitioners stop practicing regularly. Changing your lifestyle is rather difficult. The new lifestyle seems unusual and uncomfortable. You can use the following tips to maintain your desire to practice yoga and keep your practice regular.

Regular practice is an indicator of success in yoga. But practicing yoga everyday can be difficult. At the beginning the practitioner enthusiastically practices yoga in a group or alone at home. After a few months most practitioners stop practicing regularly. Changing your lifestyle is rather difficult. The new lifestyle seems unusual and uncomfortable. You can use the following tips to maintain your desire to practice yoga and keep your practice regular.

Our modern life is very diverse. There are many theories, teachings, doctrines, religious organizations with distinct worldviews. Each one of us at a certain age faces a choice: to believe in a Creator of the Universe and predefined processes or to succumb to randomness and Fortune.

A good leader knows that every employee needs a different approach. Some need to be praised to get the job done efficiently and on time. For others this method does not work, and only imposition of fines or salary deductions can get them moving. Why are there such differences: some people are motivated by the stick, while others are motivated by the carrot? Is it necessary to apply the carrot and stick method in your life?

We all face manifestations of certain fears, apprehensions, anxieties in life. A part of them lends itself to a logical explanation — we ourselves can find their cause and, therefore, overcome them; some fears are justified and appropriate because they warn against dangers. Others, on the contrary, have long lost their relevance, but continue to exist, manifesting themselves from time to time in a very unpredictable manner.

Each of us strives for freedom, but not everyone succeeds in achieving this state. The concept of freedom cannot be explained logically. Everyone understands it in their own way. Let’s think about freedom from the yoga perspective. Is there Freedom in this Universe?

“What brings happiness to our lives that makes the soul sing so that any deed turns into a bright moment and takes us straight to freedom? Or what is that sometimes oppresses us and we can’t take a step forward, when every new day is a disaster and makes us believe that the world is our enemy?”

What are the peculiarities of the way yoga spread in the cultural environment of the West? Why is it often impossible in the Western culture to reproduce the spirit of yoga by blindly copying techniques and practices? Why some followers give up yoga so quickly? What is the paradox of yoga in the West? What factors should merge together to open the “lotus” of self-improvement?

A study plan for yoga offers many advantages, maximizing our ability to effectively utilize our own resources for self-exploration. In this article we will try to answer such questions as: What are the key factors for successful learning? How to choose the right school of yoga? Why is the personal presence important during the studying process?