At first, we will become more aware of the physical body and its needs for proper functioning and work on bringing any imbalance that exists therein back into balance. The purely physiological processes that take place in it, its structure, and its composition have already been researched to a certain extent, and there is enough information about them in relevant books and on the Internet.

What not many people know, however, is that negative thoughts and suppressed emotions can also negatively affect the physical body. They can cause tension, restricted movement, changes in posture, restricted function of organs and glands, and lead to all sorts of other problems.

We therefore always carry our suppressed, unprocessed mental and emotional past with us wherever we go, and this can also be experienced directly in the physical body. So in order to become freer, more mobile, and more alive on a physical level, it is important to dissolve these energy blockages.

What Can We Do on a Physical Level to Become Freer and Feel Better in Our Body?

1. Proper Nutrition

Did you know that in some Eastern healing systems, when a patient goes to the doctor, the first thing he does is change the diet in order to cure or alleviate the illness?

In Tibetan medicine, for example, three basic energies that work in the body are described, which must be in harmony in order to be healthy: Lung, Tripa and Péken.

In the event of illness, the Tibetan doctor checks how these three energies behave in the body, and if he detects disharmony, he usually tries to cure it first by changing the diet. Every food, as well as its temperature and preparation, influences one or more of these three energies.

If, for example, you have a medical condition where there is too much lung energy in the body and you then eat foods that further increase this lung energy, this will have a further negative effect on your wellbeing. However, if you eat foods that reduce this lung energy, your wellbeing will usually improve. So... you can have a positive or negative effect on an imbalance through your diet.

I just wanted to mention this as interesting and perhaps helpful background information on the subject of nutrition. The root of illness often lies in the mind, but diet can also contribute a lot to health, or if you eat incorrectly, you can negatively influence your healing process.

I have tried out a lot of different things myself nutrition-wise over the years. For example, I was vegetarian for about 6 years, vegan for two years, did not eat anything for 10 days (and also did not drink anything for three days) as a result of a living-on-light process, experimented with dietary supplements, and tried out a variety of diets.

My personal conclusion: There are many different nutri-tional systems that can be helpful for certain people. However, I have learned that every person has a very unique structure of the body system and that nutrition is therefore generally an individual matter. In other words: What is good for one person is not necessarily good for someone else.

How Do I Know Which Foods Are Good for Me, Then?

The best thing to do is to simply observe how the physical body, energy, and mind react some time after you have eaten or drunk something.

It should also be noted that the time (i.e., what time of day you eat the food), the amount, the preparation, the quality of the food, and which other foods you eat (or drink) it with also play a role.

What You Should Generally Pay Attention to or Know About Nutrition...

Unfortunately, at the moment many of the foods you can buy in the supermarket are not very nutritious or healthy. The food industry has changed most of our food and added (sometimes toxic) additives and pesticides to such an extent that conventional food can make us sick in the long term.

Therefore, I would just like to mention a few things that you can consider:

1. Food should be processed as little as possible.
2. Buy fresh, organic, and local food whenever possible.
3. Eat as little (industrial) sugar as possible.
4. If you eat meat or other animal products, make sure they come from species-appropriate farming.

Detoxify

Since poor-quality food can cause substances to build up in our bodies that have a negative effect on their function, it is important to rid our bodies of these substances. There are various types of detoxification – I would just like to mention a simple one here:

Intermittent Fasting

There are various variations of this form of fasting. I personally practice it like this every now and then: On days when I feel like it, I simply don't eat anything for between 16 and 18 hours. The body (or more precisely the cells) starts to excrete toxins around 12 hours after it has not received any food. So, for example, if you haven't eaten anything for 16 hours, your body will excrete toxins for about 4 hours. It is important to note that you can only drink water during those 16-18 hours – not even tea.

Dietary Supplements

...can help maintain health and the healing process. They should be considered for vegetarian and especially vegan diets and may even be necessary for some people.

Medicinal Herbs

They can have a positive effect on the healing process. But be aware that healing work often does not only have to be done on a physical (or chemical) level.

I Would Further Like to Mention...

that certain yogis who have achieved a very high state of consciousness and mastery over their bodies show that ultimately the mind controls matter! These yogis can, for example, survive without physical food (as shown in the film 'Am Anfang war das Licht' (in the beginning there was light)), or they can eat or be given poison and feel no negative effects (as demonstrated in the clinical experiment conducted on Wim Hof by injecting him with a virus).

2. Movement

2.1. Yogic Physical Exercises

One system that was developed, among other things, to dissolve blockages in the body system is... yoga. I attended my first yoga classes in 2002 and was certified as a yoga teacher in 2008 after completing a yoga teacher training in an ashram (=monastery) in South India.

The numerous positive effects of yoga exercises on the entire body system are widely known and scientifically proven, and 'yoga' is now very trendy.

In many yoga classes today, however, too much emphasis is placed on asanas (the individual body positions are called 'asanas' in yoga) and too little on self-knowledge, holistic healing, and achieving mastery over the mind – as is actually intended in the teachings of the Yoga Sutras.

To illustrate... in only 3 of the 196 sutras of the Yoga Sutras is reference made to posture – and even there it probably mainly refers to the posture in meditation.

Sutra 2.46.: "The posture should be stable and com-fortable." or "The seat is firm and light."

Sutra 2.47.: "Entering into infinity is achieved by letting go and recollection." or "Mastering a posture requires releasing tension and meditating on the infinite."

Sutra 2.48.: "This is how you overcome the polarities." or "This is how you become untouched by the duality of the physical world."

There are various reasons why yoga (especially in the West) is now largely limited to postures and physical exercises. One of them is that when yoga originally came to the West, religions had much more power, and it was therefore not possible to also teach yoga philosophy, for example.

However, physical exercises do, of course, have an important function and are a valuable tool on the way – yoga should just not, as is so often the case, be reduced to the practice of asanas.

As the first exercise in the FBY Basic Exercise Series, I would now like to introduce you to the so-called "Sun Salutation"...

2.1.1. Sun Salutation

We practice the yoga exercise called 'Sun Salutation' (='Surya Namaskar' in Sanskrit) because of its multifaceted and excellent effect on the entire body system.

It is also called the king of asanas and is designed to work on all body parts, organs, body systems, and chakras. Of all the asanas, the Sun Salutation is also considered the most effective exercise for warming up, stretching, and strength-ening the body and spine – although it is not actually an asana, but a yoga exercise in itself. The practice of the Sun Salutation awakens the body intelligence inherent in every human being to absorb energy directly from the sun (especially through the Solar Plexus Chakra) and to open the body to absorb pranic energy from the environment.

Regular practice of the Sun Salutation has an enormous healing effect on the body system. The heat generated improves the metabolism, stimulates the immune system, and helps to release pent-up energies that are within us. The Sun Salutation thus has a deep cleansing and energizing effect and opens the body up for the subsequent exercises.

It is taught by various yoga schools in slightly different versions and is traditionally often practiced together with 12 mantras. However, since FBY, to a great degree, is about becoming more aware of our different bodies, we focus our attention completely on our physical body when practicing and remain with it as good as we can during the move-ments.

The Sun Salutation is, as the name suggests, a greeting (prayer) to the sun and should be practiced with a feeling of gratitude for the life-giving energy of the sun.

You can do this by being aware of that before you start the exercise and mentally thanking the sun. And... smile a little while you do the Sun Salutation, it feels good!

Keep your eyes open throughout the exercise. The breaths should last for approximately the entire duration of the respective movement, be done through the nose, and the movements should flow into one another smoothly.

The Sun Salutation

Individual Positions:

1. Stand with your feet together (or slightly apart) and bring your hands in prayer position in front of your heart.

2. While inhaling, bring your hands above your head and bend your spine backwards.

3. While exhaling, move your outstretched arms forward with a straight back and bring them to the floor next to your feet, with your head moving towards your knees (you can also bend your knees if necessary).

Picture Sun Salutation

4. During the next inhalation, bring the right leg back on odd rounds and the left leg on even rounds and stretch the chest forward and up as best as you can.

Picture Sun Salutation

5. Now bring the left leg back and form a straight line with the legs, spine, and head. The hands are under the shoulders in this position, and the breath is held.

6. As you exhale, bring your knees, chest, and forehead to the floor.

7. As you breathe in again, lift your chest off the floor and look up. Use your back muscles to straighten yourself up and use your arms only for a little support.

8. Now, as you exhale, push your hips up and your heels towards the floor.

9. Now, while you breathe in, bring your right leg forward on odd rounds and your left leg forward on even rounds, and stretch your chest forward and up again.

10. Bring your left foot next to your right foot as you exhale, and bring your head toward your knees (you can bend your knees again if you need to).

11. With your upper body and arms in a straight line, move upwards again while inhaling and gently bend your spine backwards then.

Picture Sun Salutation

12. Now, while exhaling, bring your hands back in front of your chest again into the prayer position.

This is one repetition of the Sun Salutation. One repetition each with the right leg and the left leg makes one round.

When you start practicing, you can start with 6 repetitions, for example, and then increase them over time to 12 or, if you want, even more. You can also experiment with the speed at which you do this exercise, as slow(er) and fast(er) practice have a slightly different physiological effect.

After the Sun Salutation, briefly feel how your body system feels.

2.1.2. Individual Asanas

In the FBY Basic Exercise Series, we do three asanas in addition to the Sun Salutation:

First we do the Seated Forward Bend, where we bend forward (as the name suggests), then the Pigeon Pose, where we do a counter-stretch, and finally the Seated Spinal Twist, where we then twist the spine sideways.

1. Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)

The Seated Forward Bend activates all chakras, and the subtle spine is opened. It is one of the most energetically effective asanas, and in advanced yogis, the Kundalini (=an energy that 'sleeps' at the base of the spine) can be awakened through it.

This asana activates and massages the entire pelvic and abdominal area, stretches the back of the body, and promotes flexibility in the hip joints. It also strengthens vitality and potency.

Contraindications: The Seated Forward Bend should not be practiced when having fractures, after a herniated disc, or with sciatica problems.

Instructions:
1. Put your feet together and place your hands on your knees.

2. As you inhale, raise your arms and stretch your spine.

3. As you exhale, lower your upper body, with the movement coming from your pelvis.

Move slowly and not jerkily. Traditionally, the spine is kept straight, but in Yin Yoga it is bent forward – just try and see what you prefer.

4. Once you are in the position, occasionally go a little deeper into the stretch as you exhale, but also make sure that you do not overstretch. Hold this position for two minutes.

5. Coming out of the position: As you inhale, form a line with your outstretched arms and upper body and then return to the position as described under 2. Then, as you exhale, lower your arms and place your hands back on your knees.

2. Pigeon Pose (Kapotasana)

This exercise helps to open the hips, and it opens and stretches the hip flexor muscles (psoas) and the entire front of the body. It helps with lower back pain and relieves stress and tension.

Contraindications: If you have a knee injury.

Instructions:
1. Get into a quadruped position: your hands are under your shoulders, and your knees are under your hips.

2. Bring the left knee to the left hand and then place the left foot under the right hip so that the left lower leg is as parallel to the hip as possible.

3. Then let your hips sink towards the mat, gently bend your spine backwards, and support yourself slightly with your arms. Make sure that you push your chest forwards and upwards, let your shoulders fall down a bit, and your chin should go towards your neck. In this position you can then do the yogic Three-Phase Breathing (=breathe into your stomach, chest, and shoulders).

4. Coming out of the position: Come out of the position slowly and carefully while you exhale.

Hold this position for one minute on each side.

3. Seated Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

The Seated Spinal Twist is one of the most important Hatha Yoga exercises. Pain in the hips, back pain, and lumbago can disappear after a short time if you do this asana regularly.

The spine becomes flexible, and the back muscles become more mobile. The shoulders relax, and the neck muscles are strengthened. The Seated Spinal Twist massages the abdominal organs, which can alleviate diseases of the digestive system. It also has a positive effect on the pancreas, liver, spleen, and adrenal glands. Ardha Matsyendrasana also reduces stress and has a nerve-strengthening, calming, and harmonizing effect. This asana also activates the solar plexus and opens the subtle spine.

Contraindications: pregnancy, sciatica problems, severe intervertebral disc problems or herniated discs, stomach ulcers, and hyperthyroidism.

Instructions:
1. Bring the heel of the left foot to the right buttock and place the right foot next to the left knee.

2. As you exhale, turn to the right and bring the elbow of your left arm to the outside of your right knee.

Keep your back straight and breathe slowly and deeply. Every now and then, go a little deeper into the stretch as you exhale, but make sure you don't overstretch.

3. Coming out of the position: Exhale as you release the position.

Do this exercise to the right and left side for one minute each.

Now that you have done the Sun Salutation and the asanas, take a moment to notice how your body feels after these exercises.

2.2. Fitnesstraining

Zusätzlich zu Asanas kann/sollte man natürlich auch noch weiteres Körpertraining machen, um so richtig fit zu werden/bleiben und sich dadurch maximal wohl in seinem Körper zu fühlen.

3. Other

1. For example, spending time in as untouched nature as possible (e.g., in a forest), direct sunlight (in moderation, of course), and fresh air have a very positive effect on our body system – everyone should know this, but for the sake of completeness I would like to mention it here.

2. Since the functioning of our body system is also based on electrical energy and electromagnetism, it is important to minimize artificial external radiation that can penetrate our system, as this can disrupt our energy field.

Here are a few tips:

• Live as far away from cell phone towers as possible.
• Never carry your smartphone on your body, or if you do so, only in flight mode or switched off.
• Connect your computer to the router using a LAN cable and then switch off the WiFi.
• Turn off the power to all devices that are connected when they are not in use – especially overnight.
• Connect devices with cables if possible and avoid using, for example, Bluetooth as much as possible.
• Use a blue light filter on your smartphone and computer and perhaps also blue light glasses to minimize the harmful rays emitted by the screen.

What Does Science Say About it?

You can find comprehensive studies about yogic postures on the Yoga-Vidya website here (you will need your browser's internal translator, a translation add-on, or e.g., Google Translate, as the site is in German – but there is also plenty of information in Englisch on the internet if you prefer):

Studies Yoga

Next up is... 2.1.2. The Pranic Body