The earliest references to meditative practice, often known by the generic term ‘yoga’, are found in the Upanishads. ‘Yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit word yuj, meaning ‘yoke’, as yoga sought to unite or yoke the self (atman) with the universal reality (Brahman). In the West, yoga is mainly used for health and relaxation and is associated with body postures (asanas), breath control (pranayama), gestures (mudras) and meditation. What I practice and teach is a holistic practice which uses all the aforementioned techniques,

plus purification rituals, to regulate energy flow (prana), align energy in the spine with the brain (kundalini) and balance opposing elements and energies such as fire and water, hot and cold, male and female, positive and negative, and consciousness (purusha) and matter (prakriti) in order to achieve higher consciousness (samadhi).