What is Yoga?

 

 

Many people are first drawn to yoga as a way to keep their bodies fit and supple.

Others come seeking help for relief for a specific problem in their bodies. Some are merely driven by a sense that they are not getting as much out of life as they could be.

Whatever your reason, Yoga could be a useful tool for you... And to understand what yoga really is about, you need to experience it for yourself.

At first glance yoga seems a little like a series of strange poses to keep the body flexible. But in time, anyone who continues with a regular yoga practice becomes aware of the subtle change in their body and also in their approach to life – for, through persistently toning and relaxing the body and stilling the mind with the breath, you begin to glimpse a state of inner peace which is the true nature of everyone. It is this that constitutes the essence of yoga, this self realization that we are consciously or unconsciously seeking.

 

The ancient yogi perceived the physical body as a vehicle with the mind as the driver, the soul as man’s true identity. They understood that the action, the emotion and the intelligence are the three forces that pull the body-vehicle in action but these must be in balance.

As they understood this, they formulated a unique method for maintaining this balance - a method that combines all the movements you need for physical  health, with the breathing needed to influence the life force energy moving through you and meditation technique that ensure peace of mind. They created this by watching nature and animals thus the name of the yoga poses or asanas.

The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word "Yuj" meaning to yoke, join or unite. The underlying purpose of all the different aspects of the practice of yoga is to reunite self with the absolute or pure consciousness (Brahman) - union with the unchanging reality liberates the spirit from all sense of separation, freeing us from the illusion; it is only our own ignorance, our inability to discriminate between the real and the unreal that prevents us from realizing our true nature. In each individual life, the restless search for love, for success, for change, for happiness are all witness to this underlying awareness of a reality we sense but cannot reach – Swami Devananda

 

Yoga is a complete science that encompassing body, mind and spirit. It originated with the Vedas about 3000years BC, but it is with the Upanishads, which form the later part of the Vedas who provided the main foundation of yoga teaching, and of the philosophy known as the Vedanta - it teaches about bringing back the self with one absolute reality, the consciousness.

 

The varied philosophies and methodologies of Yoga itself were clearly and methodically brought together, and presented by the sage Patanjali in his set of 196 aphorisms called "The Yoga Sutras," written some 2200 years ago.

 

           Patanjali explain that in order to perceive the true self there are 8 disciplines:

1. Yama - Universal ethics: Non-violence (to yourself as well), truthfulness, non-stealing, sexual moderation and non-acquisitiveness.
2. Niyama - Principles of self conduct: purity, contentment, perseverance, study of self and scriptures and self-surrender.
3. Asana - practice of the postures.
4. Pranayama - Breath control.
5. Pratyahara - withdrawal and control of the senses. Deep inward focus.
6. Dharana - concentration.
7. Dhyana - meditation.
8. Samadhi - a state of higher consciousness where the sense of self (ego) dissolves in the object of meditation and the individual self exists in its own pure nature.

 

The yoga postures or asanas exercises every part of your body, stretching and toning the muscles and joints, the spine and the entire skeletal with all the connective tissue. And the poses work not only on the body frame but on the internal glands and nerves as well, keeping all systems in radiant health.

 

The physical goal of yoga is to improve postural alignment, increase the range of motion, strengthening weak muscle consequently balancing muscular asymmetry and release chronic tension.

Because Yoga works on so many different levels, it has great potential as an effective therapy for chronic diseases and conditions that do not respond well to conventional treatment methods.

Yoga is a practice of awareness that teaches us to be present in each moment and to be present in our bodies.

By releasing physical and mental tension yoga postures will liberate vast resource of energy.

 

The yogic breathing as known as Pranayama revitalize the body and help to control the mind, leaving you calm refreshed - In a culture where people tend to be shallow “chest breathers”, learning to breathe deeply and fully offers great physiological benefits.

 

Anyone can start a yoga practice, even if you don't feel like you are very flexible or very strong; it will definitely improve as you practice. The amazing thing about yoga is that your practice is always evolving and changing, so it never gets boring. Although the poses themselves do not change, your relationship to them will.

This is your body and your practice, and from that point of view comes the noncompetitive spirit of yoga; one of the most difficult, but ultimately most liberating things about yoga is letting go of the ego and accepting that no one is better than anyone else. Everyone is just doing their best on any given day.

 

In simple words, yoga is a fantastic system for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health; the postures of yoga lubricate the body and keep the muscles and joints running smoothly, tone all the internal organs, and increase circulation while the breathing increases prana, the life force energy.

But keep in mind that the practice of yoga is really an exploration of ourselves on all levels. It helps us to break free from the shackles of ignorance, from our habits and conditionings, and to discover the true roots of disharmony, unhappiness and frustrations in our life.

Yoga brings union to our polarities like the yin and yang of the life force energy (ex. masculine and feminine aspect/ hot and cold/ calm and excited…).
Yoga thrives to help you find balance in everything you are doing.
Yoga supports your spiritual quest to allow you to find your innermost being. 

 

When the mind and body are peaceful, it’s much easier to hear the still, small voice of the heart to guide you.

Regardless of your motivations, with effort, dedication, and above all else, “patience”, you will most certainly find success through yoga!

 

Namaste!

In the yogic tradition, the spirit is often called our “true self” and these teaching hold that our spirit are alike and that they are immortal and blissful. "Namaste" is a reverence between us and can be translating as:

“I honor the place in you that is the same in me”  or  “My light inside me honor the light inside you”.