Posts Tagged ‘Word Yoga’

Is Yoga something for me?

Who was the initial Yoga apprentice? It all started 5000 years ago. Some people say Yoga is as old as civilization itself, but there is no real evidence. The oldest evidence we have is an ancient stone seal which depict figures of Yoga poses. From where does the word “Yoga” originate? The word came from the Sanskrit word “yuk” which means “to unite or integrate”. That is exactly what Yoga is all about. The ancient students believed that in order for people to be in harmony with himself and his surroundings, he has to integrate the body, the mind and the spirit. For these three to be integrated your emotion, action and intelligence must be in equilibrium. If you want to get and maintain this balance it is through exercise, breathing and meditation – the three primary Yoga basics.

The body is dealt with care and respect, because it is the primary instrument in living itself. Yoga work out enhance circulation, stimulate the organs and put pressure on the glandular system of the body. This can improve in better health.

The breathing techniques were evolved because breathing is the source of life itself. The Yoga apprentice gain control as they slowly increase their breathing abilities. While the students are focusing on their breathing, they get ready for the next step – Mediation.

Mediation assist us cool off from the daily stress and the breathing technique and physical poses assist us evolve the awareness of our body and mind. A lot of people think that our mind has to be blank to meditate, this is of course not correct. It should assist us to focus and give you a pause in the feverish day.

Yoga teaches us that we have to be self conscious about ourself, the people surrounding us and the nature. You will get impressive benefits for your body and soul. “Who may benefit from Yoga?”, you may ask. Yoga are for everybody, youngish and active to elderly. Yoga does not either require any particular equipment or clothing. The only thing that requires is your will to get a healthier and more stress-free life.

The History of Yoga and Four Thousand Years

Since the beginning of its creation, yoga has always meant a bringing together of the mind and body in perfect union and since that time, the main intentions of yoga have not changed, but have improved and been refined. Originally from the country of India, the brief history of Yoga has a lot of tradition embodied in its movements and is a fitness system that incorporates the mental, spiritual and physical health for an individual. Thus, the history of yoga is rich not only in its tradition, but also in its effectiveness and it may be divided into four different periods that began with the pre-classical period which was followed by the classical period which gave way to the post-classical period and up to the present or modern period.

The Book of Yoga: Yoga Sutra

The classical period of yoga would not have been possible with the book yoga sutra and the full history of yoga that it helps to contain in its pages. The word yoga itself means the ëYolkí or something which joins other things together and a good example would be joining of a cart to the ox while using a yolk. Thus, you can easily infer that yoga has everything to do with uniting each and every aspect of the human being into one single entity.

In addition to the famous body contortions, there are breathing exercises, physical postures and meditation that work together to bring all aspects of yoga and its ethics together.

Nowadays, there is a change in the world of yoga and the the history of Yoga has gone to the past, allowing a more globalized version of yoga and a more experienced renaissance to evolve, allowing a delineation between the spiritual and physical aspects of yoga. The history of yoga has also been witness to the many schools and methods of teaching for yoga over the years, springing new philosophies and approaches to yoga itself.

Nevertheless, the common thread that runs in all forms of yoga and which have not changed much throughout the history of yoga is that the fundamental aim of yoga is to create a harmony of the mind, body and also the environment. The modern period in the history of yoga shows us that we can have comprehensive control on our minds and bodies and not just use yoga as a way to stay skinny, but instead as a way to empower ourselves and control our minds and bodies.