Yoga

Yoga Health & Wellbeing




Yoga (/ˈjoʊɡə/;[1] Sanskrit, योगः, pronunciation) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India

The origins of yoga have been speculated to date back to pre-Vedic Indian traditions; it is mentioned in the Rigveda, Yoga is a spiritual tradition that began in India about 5,000 years ago. Historically its practices have been adopted by such religions as Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. However, the practice of yoga is compatible with any religion, as well as atheism.

About Yoga

The word yoga means union in Sanskrit. Many of the yoga traditions believe that the practices of yoga lead to union of a person with his or her true nature, or with God or the universe (however one wishes to conceptualize it). How this is interpreted and the means employed to get there differ in the various yoga traditions.When people in the West hear the word yoga, they usually think of the stretching and strengthening poses known as asana [AHS ah nah], which are the primary focus of most yoga classes. But asana is only one aspect of a multidimensional system

Patanjali, author of the classic yoga text, the Yoga Sutra, defined yoga as the quieting of the fluctuations of the mind. From a yogic perspective, the mind, and its ceaseless internal monologue, is the source of suffering. The various yoga practices serve to calm the mind. From a wellspring of relaxed concentration-the hallmark of yoga-comes inner peace, heightened creativity, and awareness of our essential nature.

Benefits of Yoga

  • Stress reduction
  • Psychological benefits
  • Psychological benefits of yoga include relaxation
  • Increased strength and flexibility
  • Breathing practices, known as pranayama 
  • Meditation techniques
  • Moral precepts against stealing, lying, doing harm to yourself and others, etc.
  • Chanting 
  • Selfless service such as volunteer work, known as karma yoga
  • Visualization exercises
  • Study of yoga philosophy