The new yoga will was founded by Heinz Grill over the last 35 years. He himself does not see this impulse as a new style or direction of yoga, but as a spiritual path of training that aims to promote the individuality (ego) and spiritual freedom(moksa) of the human being. This allows practitioners to train themselves freely and independently of any style, group, guru or religious denomination. On the other hand, these impulses can also flow into the practice of their preferred style and enrich it.
The soul dimension of yoga
Heinz Grill suggests starting not with the body, but directly with the soul. The soul, i.e. the consciousness, is the starting point for the physical exercise (!)
The interested person first deals with the mental content of an exercise until a clear inner image has emerged. He enters the exercise with this image, shapes the body with this image and enriches it with this content.
This is certainly unusual in the sense of traditional yoga – which is essentially about releasing energy. What is the content, the deeper hidden meaning of a yoga exercise?
An example: The Manipura Chakra with its qualities of “expansiveness and centering” and the “momentum” of the spine.
Let us think of the Manipura Chakra at the level of the solar plexus. By raising the center – or the costal arches – the dynamic flows from this center upwards towards the cervical spine and downwards to the lumbar spine. It then continues into the limbs – and the body becomes increasingly relaxed towards the periphery. The shoulders are also relaxed. The breath flows freely.
If we direct our attention even further towards the air space surrounding us, then a very free play of movement with “centering in the solar plexus and flowing out into space” can unfold as if of its own accord. The practitioner becomes aware of the outer space and at the same time experiences themselves centered in their spine. They feel in relationship with their surroundings.
This can be developed in all tense positions, for example in the balance, head-knee position, camel, triangle or sun salutation. This creates a healthy“momentum” in the spine and at the same time enables movement that is free from voluntary constraint. The spine is not only stabilized and bent, but also receives an impulse to expand as if “by itself”. This provides maximum relief for the intervertebral discs. Back pain recedes.
In the following video you can see the lengthening of the spine from the Manipura Chakra very well:
This principle is also very clearly visible in the sun prayer and is constantly expanded through the alternating relationship of opening outwards and centering inwards again.
The series of images shows the specific movement approach in the middle back and the resulting width of the movement in detail once again.
The exercise method
The easiest way to start is to stick to a general sequence: Warming up, inversion postures, forward bends, then backward bends, twists, balance, side movements and conclusion. The Sun Prayer or the Cosmic Prayer developed by him can introduce a sequence.
You choose a content and explore it in the exercise. Heinz Grill has developed many simple exercises and approaches, demonstrating and explaining them in a variety of ways to make the content clear and stimulate the mental activity of the practitioner.
The free breath
Particular attention is paid to releasing the breath. This means that the breath is not connected to the movement, as is usual in classical yoga, and in particular is not used to charge the energy or to help you find your way into the movement. The breath is left free. This opens up a completely free relationship from consciousness to the breath itself and ultimately to the body. This is characteristic of the spiritual-mental training path.
Examples can be found on Heinz Grill’s homepage or in the two standard works:
The soul dimension of yoga – practical foundations for a spiritual practice path
The free breath – and the light soul process
Study days and training courses:
Free College for Spirituality in Lundo
International Yoga Academy
Interested in finding out more?
Then head over to Heinz Grill and the new Yogawille
Continue to the next yoga style: Power Yoga
