Yoga is a millennial tradition. With mind and spirit become stronger by the practice of asanas (each of the different postures) breathing and meditation.
It is one of the most common practices to feel strong and agile, but in addition to being a physical exercise people around the world ensure that it is a lifestyle. Beyond a physical activity, it can change our perception of the environment and with it all our life.
Some facts
There is no written record of who invented yoga.
Male yoga practitioners are known as yogis, and female yoga practitioners are called yoginis.
It is well known for its postures and poses, but they were not a key part of original yoga traditions in India. Moreover, fitness was not a primary goal. They focused on expanding spiritual energy using breathing methods and mental focus.
There are six basic divisions with in Yoga. They are:
Bhakti yoga: This aims to establish the path of devotion, a positive way to channel emotions and cultivate acceptance and tolerance.
Hatha yoga: This is the physical and mental branch designed to prime the body and mind.
Jnana yoga: This branch of yoga is about wisdom, the path of the scholar, and developing the intellect through study.
Karma yoga: This is a path of service that aims to create a future free from negativity and selfishness.
Raja yoga: This branch involves meditation and strict adherence to a series of disciplinary steps known as the “eight limbs” of yoga.
Tantra yoga: This is the pathway of ritual, ceremony, or consummation of a relationship.
But as every long lasting tradition as time has passed by, it has evolved. Modern yoga has evolved with a focus on exercise, strength, flexibility, and breathing.
There are many styles of yoga, and no style is superior to another. The key is to choose a class appropriate for your fitness level.
Ashtanga yoga: This type of yoga uses ancient yoga teachings. However, it became popular during the 1970s. It uses sequences of postures that rapidly link every movement to breath.
Bikram yoga: Also known as “hot” yoga, Bikram occurs in artificially heated rooms at temperatures of nearly 105 degrees and 40 percent humidity.
Hatha yoga: This is a generic term for any type of yoga that teaches physical postures. “Hatha” classes usually serve as a gentle introduction to the basic yoga postures.
Jivamukti yoga: Jivamukti means “liberation while living.”
Power yoga: In the late 1980s, practitioners developed this active and athletic type of yoga, based on the traditional ashtanga system.
About Yuremi Rodriguez
Now, on the yoga stage in Berlin there are millions of teachers, studios and gyms to choose from. And so it was that we met Yuremi Rodríguez.
Yuremi Rodríguez was born in Caracas, Venezuela forty years ago. She left Venezuela because she wanted to explore the world and wanted to see other life options. For this reason, her travel plans are constant.
She has been living in Germany for more than a decade, of those eight years have been in the German capital. She arrived to the country because of a grant from DAAD (Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst e. V. – German Academic Exchange Service) and Fubndayacucho.
But before that she studied Sports Science and Modern Dance in Venezuela. In addition to this, she has traveled to India and has certified as a Yoga teacher on four different occasions, always with Gurus who have allowed her to expand her knowledge.
Although in the world of dance it is common to start at an early age, she did it with twenty-three years. When she lived in Caracas, a friend introduced her to the world of dance. Her friend assured her that the dance had helped her to know her body. And, short time she auditioned for the Caracas Dance School. Then, she went on to the Teresa Carreño School and then Dance Today. While receiving education in the world of dance, she had the opportunity to practice ballet, African, contemporary and theater.
Yuremi’s education comes from several countries. In Cuba she got a degree in Sports Science and in Leipzig, Germany a master’s degree in Sports Science.
Yuremi is completely devoted to dance and yoga. Rather than being physical activities, they are activities that require immense discipline, dedication, love and art!
There are several facts that are true. One of them is that, exercise releases hormones that produce happiness, it is antidepressant and therapeutic. It is also a fact that exercising regularly helps maintain good health and prevent disease.
On the other hand, the arts in general serve to develop the human spirit and are a magnificent therapy. Artists in general see life in a different way. They are happy for what they do, they don’t work for money but because art makes them happy.
Yuremi assures me that money and material things are in the background and although we need them in our world (society) the goal is to express emotions through art. In her case, she expresses it through movement and dance.
Art can change people. And, yoga is a lifestyle and a philosophy too. Doing asanas is a kind of art, you should practice a lot.
Solkes: How has the practice of yoga influenced your life?
Yuremi R.: Yoga influences the lives of all people who practice it with awareness.
Solkes: What are the benefits of practicing yoga (in general) and aerial yoga?
Yuremi R.: The truth is that it helps detoxify the body. It makes people stronger and more flexible.
There are more than 100 different Yoga styles and one of them is aerial yoga. This particular yoga style was developed in 2014 and combines traditional yoga, pilates and dance poses with the help of a hammock.
She is one of the many people who considers yoga to be an art form.
Solkes: Why do you think it is an art?
Yuremi R.: I want to make it very clear that for me, yoga is a philosophy of life but the execution of asanas is an art. I refer to complicated asanas in which there are extreme contours and flexibility. It takes many practice and discipline to carry them out.
Solkes: How has the practice of yoga influenced your life?
Yuremi R.: Since I practice yoga I am more aware of what and how Ayurvedic medicine. Also on how the farms are activated and on how I can be a better person independent of religion or studies.
One pose at a time
Yuremi is a woman who is not afraid to go out to look for new horizons or learn new languages. She developed her life in Germany without having her family close by. Got ahead thanks to his studies and working tirelessly.
This is a woman who leaves her body and soul in each movement where the beauty of the human body and the shape and geometry of the different asanas are appreciated for their visual appeal. Since artists use different media to present their ideas, the yogi uses his body as a means of expression.
We could say that art (in a generalized way) is the process towards greater harmony and beauty. With this in mind, we could argue that it is an aesthetic experience in which the body takes various forms.
We could also say that art affects our spiritual practice and our relationships with ourselves and our environment. After all, art leads to higher states of consciousness.
After having the pleasure of talking with Yuremi, I think yoga is an art and a science. It is a practice in which the body, mind and spirit come together. Like all artistic practices, yoga requires a lot of practice, discipline and to perfect it takes effort, will and determination. We could say that yoga is built on a scientific basis, but it is presented as an art.
