Yoga is a return to the natural or original state, a state of peace, harmony, balance - a state of joy and wisdom.

At some point in our history, human beings lived in harmony with nature and were content with simplicity - but at a certain point we became civilised - we began to accumulate food and possessions - we began to develop greed, envy, the need to protect what we had acquired - slowly human beings developed many different types of unhealthy habits which resulted in greater and greater suffering.

According to yogis - in this original innocent and harmonious state, we felt a connection to our essential nature, to our soul, spirit or consciousness.

At certain times of the day, when we feel a deep sense of peace and contentment, we can go into a kind of trance - we forget about everything that is external - thoughts stop - and we can experience a deep state of bliss.

This trance-like state is called samadhi - it is similar to sleep in a way, but different in the sense that we are awake and conscious even though the body appears to be inert, dead or asleep.

Like sleep, which refreshes our bodies every day, this state of samadhi is deeply refreshing for the mind.

But since human beings began to develop so many unhealthy habits, the opportunity to experience peace and contentment disappeared, and as a result the capacity for samadhi also disappeared.

We all know that if you do not sleep for several days, you begin to feel awful - the body starts to hurt and we become sick - in the same way, since mankind has lost this natural condition of samadhi - we have become mentally sick.

This explains why samadhi is vital for our good health - even though it is primarily for good mental health - if the mind is sick, it leads us to develop many bad habits that afflict the body too - so poor mental health leads to poor physical health.

The way to re-connect with the state of samadhi is simple - we just need to return to a state of peace and quiet and contentment - when we can experience this, the mind stops with its busyness and we are able to re-connect with the spirt or consciousness or whatever you want to call it.

But reversing all the negative physical and mental habits is not easy because these have become strongly established over many generations and many lifetimes. This is what yoga sadhana is designed to achieve.

Sadhana works to reverse our conditioning and return us to the original, pure, healthy condition.

Everyone knows that meditation is not easy - in order to achieve it we need to employ a variety of tools - one such system of practices is known as Ashtanga Yoga.

We start by healing and relaxing the physical body through exercise, good diet and other healthy habits. Then the next step is calming the mind through breathing practice - pranayama.

Next is a process of introverting the mind through controlling the senses - this is known as pratyahara. Pranayama and pratyahara are types of concentration that lead seamlessly into meditation and samadhi.

These practices are done in the context of the yamas and niyamas:

Ahimsa - means being gentle, being kind to yourself - moving without aggression, stress or violence - satya - truthfulness - being authentic - asteya - being content with where you are - brahmacharya and aparigraha - non-craving - these are all types of contentment.

According to Patanjali, contentment leads to the highest happiness - if you are content, you do not crave anything, you are not driven to unhealthy actions - you are at peace. Other practices include keeping the body and mind clean and pure, discipline, targeting practice towards self knowledge and surrendering the ego to the higher, pure essential nature.

Ashtanga Yoga is an integration of all these practices. Practice is developed over time, step by step. It takes time because our unhealthy habits are so deeply ingrained, but the time and effort is not only worthwhile, but necessary, if we wish to regain the true health and happiness that is our birthright.

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An ideal way to deepen and accelerate this process is to combine the practice of yoga with a retreat in a beautiful natural environment.

We are, after all, natural beings - our bodies are made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen - not concrete, steel and plastic!

Tuning your mind in to the sound of the waves, the bubbling of the stream, the song of the birds, the colours of nature - this brings peace and harmony, while tuning in to a WiFi, Bluetooth, 5G phone signal or an electronic screen, engenders stress, headaches and insomnia!

Unplug your mind! Immerse your senses in nature, breathe pure air, drink pure water and eat pure food. Sleep with the sound of the crickets, the wind in the trees and the waves of the ocean rather than the noise of road traffic, aircraft, barking dogs and canned music.

And then, commune with your inner Self in the company of like-minded people in a pristine supportive environment.

This is no luxury - this is the cure, this is the fundamental need - this is an investment in health, peace of mind, inner wisdom and true happiness. Invaluable!

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At Kadermo Conscious Living
On the peaceful and idyllic, untouched Kadermo Island in Finland
August 27 - September 1
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At Porto Elea Beach Resort

In Chalkidiki, Greece
September 17-23
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