What is Indriya Yoga?
The term Indriya is an ancient Sanskrit term relating to the senses of the body. Yoga teaches us that what is received through the sense organs feeds the mind. We all operate at a level of sensory overload at some point in our lives, and each of us has a varying capacity. This overstimulation increases the level of stress hormones in the body, simultaneously activating the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight). This prolonged heightened state has a negative effect on the immune system and can manifest itself in many ways in the body including anxiety, hypertension, migraines, ulcers, asthma, digestive disorders, skin diseases, cancer and heart disease.
What Indriya Yoga seeks to do is to bring the body back into balance with nature. This is done through pratyahara, or the turning inward of the senses. Pratyahara is the 5th limb of raja yoga’s 8-limbed path. When we address the body’s sensory organs and restore them to their natural resting state, we are able to focus our minds and take slow, deep breaths. This relaxes the nervous system, which in turn calms the mind and leads us to a deeper sense of connection, compassion, intuition, creativity and healing.
If you are an artist or work in a creative field, Indriya Yoga can be especially helpful to you. It is where you can begin to go deeper into the subconscious and unconscious minds, where the fount of artistic, poetic and creative scientific discoveries lie. The intuitive inner knowledge will flourish to the conscious mind. This is done through a combination of asana (yoga postures), pranayama (breath control), meditation, and pratyahara.
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Email us at info@IndriyaYoga.com for more information on how Indriya Yoga can help transform and nourish your mind, body and soul.