#yogagermany

Backbends help counteract the damage of bad posture by bending the spine in a direction it isn’t used to. They help to realign our vertebrae while at the same time stimulating the sympathetic nervous system. They open the chest, lengthen the spine and strengthen the upper back, all of which make our posture more straight.⁣ ⁣ Think of all the times you spend bending forward in a day. Whether you’re driving, eating at a table, typing at a computer, cleaning, or gardening, it is likely that you are spending a majority of your day in an unsupported forward bend. And for this reason, you need to practice backbends every day.⁣ ⁣ Too much forward bending, and as a result, poor posture, can lead to:⁣ • Back and neck pain⁣ • Restricted blood-flow to vital organs and glands (preventing them from working as they should)⁣ • Negative effects on self-esteem and mood⁣ ⁣ What most people fail to recognize is that our backs are meant to move in all directions – forward and back. Back-bending is actually a natural range of motion for the spine – take a look at children or monkeys, for instance. They have the ability to move their spine in more ways than you could imagine! Fluid and without restriction.⁣ ⁣ The posterior part of your spinal column is compressed as you bend backwards, which helps push the disks in your vertebrae away from the spinal nerves, and decompresses the front of the vertebrae. As a result, the damage from forwarding bending (over time) can be reversed.⁣

Modern life often encourages us to move faster, do more, and fill every moment with activity.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why mornings like these feel so valuable.

Last Sunday in Heimbach, we gathered for Yin Yoga, Sound Healing, and a shared brunch. For a few hours, there was space to slow down, breathe, listen, and simply be present.

The gentle practice of Yin Yoga, the soothing sounds of singing bowls, and the conversations shared over brunch created a beautiful reminder that wellbeing is not always about doing more. Sometimes it begins with creating space.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped create such a warm and peaceful atmosphere 🌿

📍 Heimbach, Eifel National Park, Germany

It is always interesting to see what happens when people from different countries, backgrounds, professions, and stages of life come together for a few days.

At first, everyone arrives with their own expectations, experiences, and reasons for being here.

Then, little by little, something begins to shift.

Conversations become longer. Questions become deeper. Meals are shared. Experiences are exchanged. People learn not only from the teachers, but from one another.

By the end of the week, certificates are received and goodbyes are exchanged, but what often stays with people the longest are the connections, the shared experiences, and the memories created along the way.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in Heimbach and helped create such a warm and supportive atmosphere 🌿

📍 Heimbach, Eifel National Park, Germany

There is something very different about a training that helps you feel genuinely prepared to teach.

Not only inspired for a few weeks afterwards, but actually confident standing in front of real people, understanding what you are teaching and why you are teaching it.

This was something Tabetha spoke about very honestly after training with us.

Before joining, she had already completed another 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training, but still did not feel confident teaching in person. What changed for her was not simply learning more postures, but experiencing yoga in a way that felt more authentic, grounded, and practical.

Through anatomy, Pranayama, traditional practices such as Shatkarma, philosophy, alignment, meditation, and teaching practice from the second day onward, she finally began to feel ready to teach with more confidence and understanding.

Today, many yoga trainings move very quickly and focus heavily on certificates, sequences, or performance. But yoga was traditionally meant to be practiced, observed, experienced, and understood over time.

This is something we continue to value deeply in our trainings.

Thank you, Tabetha, for sharing your experience with such honesty 🌿

There is something special about a teacher who brings both knowledge and presence into the space.

At Anandam Yoga School, Dr Katharina Austermann is one of those rare teachers who combines scientific understanding with authentic yoga practice in a very natural and grounded way.

With a PhD in Human Nutrition from the University of Bonn and many years of experience in research, her teaching is deeply informed by how the body truly works. At the same time, she carries a calm and supportive presence that allows students to feel safe, seen, and able to explore.

With more than 15,000 teaching hours and E RYT 500 certification, she has guided students through Yin Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Yoga Nidra, meditation, pranayama, and anatomy with clarity and depth

Students often share that her way of teaching makes complex topics simple and accessible, while still keeping the depth of the practice alive.

In our trainings in Heimbach, in the peaceful Eifel National Park in Germany, she helps create a learning space where yoga is not only practiced, but truly understood and integrated into life.

If this resonates with you, take it as an invitation to explore further.