How I Found My "Tiger Feeling" at Age 66—and Why the Question Isn't All That Important.
Testimonial by Claudia Thommen, April 2026
Yoga or Cantienica?
This question is on a lot of people’s minds.
What is yoga in the Western world?
What exactly is YOGA? Yoga is the eight-limbed path of yoga shown in Table 1.
How is YOGA practiced in the Western world?
People often associate “yoga” exclusively with asanas and pranayama.
What is the CANTIENICA® method?
The CANTIENICA® method helps everyone, regardless of age, health status, gender, or fitness level—everyone can improve their well-being, posture, and alignment and perform healthy, mindful movements.
Breath control in visualization, awareness, and mindfulness of our bodies are key factors for a healthy, long life.
To my great relief, that isn’t the crucial question at all. I’ll try to explain why:
The Eightfold Path of Yoga, which has been passed down for over 2,000 years, leads to absolute harmony through a moral way of life. (Table 1)
It is not in competition with CANTIENICA® Körper in Evolution.
Table 1 – Comparison of the Eight-Limbed Path of Yoga and CANTIENICA® Body in Evolution
| Yoga Path | Term | CANTIENICA® Body in Evolution |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ethical Conduct | Yamas | Possible on an individual basis |
| 2. Rules of Inner Discipline | Niyamas | Possible on an individual basis |
| 3. Sitting Posture and Exercises | Asana | Approximately 3,000 soothing movements and postures |
| 4. Breathing Exercises | Pranayama | CANTIENICA® Breathing Guidance |
| 5. Withdrawal of the Senses | Pratyahara | Possible with CANTIENICA® |
| 6. Collection, Concentration Exercises | Dharana | Possible with CANTIENICA® |
| 7. Contemplation, Meditation | Dhyana | Possible on an individual basis with CANTIENICA® |
| 8. Harmony | Samadhi | Available on an individual basis |
Explanation:
The CANTIENICA® method focuses primarily on point 3—exercises and sitting postures—and point 4—possible breathing exercises, or pranayama.
Of course, the other options are also possible—depending on individual needs, worldview, view of humanity, and spiritual development.
Now I’m really relieved.
CANTIENICA® Body in Evolution and yoga are neither right nor wrong; rather, the physical exercises (Point 3) have been researched, developed, and created by Benita Cantieni over many years so that they are contemporary, tailored to our individual needs, our longer life expectancy, and our modern lifestyles—and, as already mentioned, helpful and healing for all age groups and different body types.
The asanas have been passed down, adapted, expanded, and modified over the centuries.
The yoga asanas, as such, actually aim to achieve the same thing as Benita Cantieni’s *Body in Evolution*. (See Table 2)
However, they date from a completely different era and clearly do not appeal to people of all ages.
Many asanas are completely impossible for us Westerners to do—and they don’t make sense for us either.
Overzealous or careless individuals may suffer injuries or worsen their condition. (See my personal story.)
Differences in body dimensions make certain asanas impossible.
Painful joints, misaligned spines, etc., are not specifically treated by the asanas performed in a yoga class. (I’m not talking about yoga therapy.)
Yoga classes, which consist primarily of asanas and pranayama, are a small part of the eight-limbed path of yoga.
I cannot—and do not wish to—explain the rest of the yoga path here. There is an entire philosophy behind it, and many experts on the subject.
Table 2
| Yoga Path, Point 3 – Seated Posture and Exercises | CANTIENICA® Body in Evolution |
|---|---|
Asana
Objectives:
|
Objectives:
|
The exercises developed by Benita Cantieni and CANTIENICA® Körper in Evolution can help you achieve “lifelong flexibility and strength with a tiger-like spirit and lightness.”
There is one caveat, however, that applies to all physical exercises aimed at improving health and well-being well into old age. (Longevity)
Points 1 and 2 of the Eightfold Path of Yoga are great aids in achieving your goals, and it’s probably worth taking a close look at yourself on these levels as well.
Because 1. a moral lifestyle (a healthy lifestyle) and 2. inner discipline (I do something for my health even when I don’t feel like it) are very important for achieving a happy, healthy, pain-free life—even if today’s world doesn’t like to hear that.
If you can’t bring yourself to exercise regularly, you won’t succeed.
In summary, I would like to say that Benita Cantieni has succeeded in creating a holistic exercise system with over 3,000 precise body movements and postures that can be adapted to each individual and, when performed correctly, is certain to have both preventive and therapeutic effects.
The body is evolving.
My Very Personal Story
When I was 20, I began my yoga journey with a small paperback: *The 28-Day Program* (Richard Hittlemann, 1969).
I didn’t know anything about the eightfold path of yoga (Table 1) at the time.
For me, yoga involved breathing, asanas, body awareness, focus, and centering—but also spiritual development and a spiritual mindset.
Throughout my entire life, up until last fall 2025, I practiced yoga once a week—for a full 45 years. I had a mindful yoga teacher who placed great emphasis on the eightfold path of yoga and on adapting the asanas to our individual abilities.
I absolutely love being active, so I’ve done a lot of different things: everyday exercise, biking, hiking, skiing, jogging, and swimming in the ocean or a lake.
No matter how many times I tried, I just couldn’t bring myself to do strength training at a gym. That’s not my thing, and it never will be.
Every body is individual and unique.
My body is extremely flexible; in other words, I can do the splits without ever having practiced them. I can lie down between my outstretched legs (in a straddle) and effortlessly fold myself into a seated forward bend (Paschimottanasana): a stretch for the back.
Actually, I can do almost all the asanas without practicing.
However, when it comes to certain asanas that require long arms or long thighs, I fail miserably due to my physical limitations (short arms, rather short thighs, and lower legs that are too long).
The result of this peculiar trait is that, very often during yoga practice in my yoga teacher training, the asanas threw my body’s balance off—too much stretching, too much leverage, too much of everything… a hip that was almost dislocated…
I always had to be extremely careful to make sure I only pushed myself as far as felt good for me personally during yoga class.
Often, it didn’t quite work out, and after overstretching during an asana that involved leverage, I had to realign the hip joint, “unlock” the sacrum, or realign the vertebrae.
After I retired, I completed the first year of the Swiss Yoga Association’s yoga training program out of personal interest and without earning a certificate, since I didn’t—and still don’t—plan to work in that field.
I really needed to know more, because I suspected that yoga asanas can have many benefits, but can also cause harm.
For 25 years, I took one class a week with the same yoga instructor, along with two friends.
Our yoga instructor then retired at over 70 years old, and I didn’t want to look for a new one.
So now, once a month, I do yoga with my two women in my living room.
As I was preparing, I realized that I couldn’t guarantee that the asanas and exercises I had chosen would actually be good for my friends.
But I only want to guide people through movements that are beneficial, build strength, and promote good health.
I didn’t know what to do, and I was also pretty disillusioned and frustrated.
Before Christmas 2025 , I stumbled upon Benita Cantieni’s book *Staying Flexible and Strong for Life with a Tiger’s Spirit* at the Orell Füssli bookstore .
I was completely captivated, so I got five of her books on various topics and purchased many CANTIENICA® online programs from cantienica.com.
The CANTIENICA® method involves much more than just the physical level.
Benita Cantieni keeps saying, “The body follows the mind.” That’s exactly how life works.
Our image is extremely important.
Personal Reflections in April 2026
Over the past four months, I’ve been using the CANTIENICA® method to exercise for 12 minutes every morning at the edge of my bed and have practiced for an hour about three times a week.
One session with a CANTIENICA® instructor in a group (10 sessions).
I’ve read a lot of books and watched and listened to many videos and interviews.
During this time, my body has really transformed, and so many old physical injuries—the pain—have simply disappeared; they’ve literally dissolved. (That didn’t happen during yoga class.)
I feel strong and flexible, and I have a real “tiger feeling”—a wonderful sense of lightness—at 66 years old.
Here’s an example: Fifteen years ago, I had surgery on my right ankle, during which a damaged tendon was removed.
For 15 years, my right ankle had been really swollen.
Today, the joint is almost exactly the same as it was before the surgery.
I didn’t pay any attention to it, nor did I expect anything.
It just happened naturally through the holistic, healing movements.
So what does the future hold for me personally?
In the eight-part Yoga Path, I can easily replace the asanas from point three with CANTIENICA® exercises.
My core muscles continue to be strengthened to relieve pressure on the spine and strengthen the supporting muscles.
So I no longer have any misaligned vertebrae, my sacrum no longer gets stuck, and my collarbones stay where they’re supposed to be.
My neck is relaxed and strong.
I have lots of ways to help myself.
Thanks to Benita Cantieni’s many books andthe CANTIENICA® video programs I’ve purchased, which include very detailed instructions, I’m sure I’ll be able to find the right movements and postures.
If I need additional guidance, I’ll contact Benita Cantieni directly or sign up for a private lesson with a CANTIENICA® instructor.
Thanks, Benita!
Every day, I look forward to making new discoveries in and with my evolving body.
