The Contribution of Patanjali’s Yoga Suta
When we speak of Yoga the first thing in mind is the posture, the breaths, the exercise. Yoga is commonly associated with flexibility and its complex postures. It is also associated with breathing excercises and meditation. But this is not always the case. There is more to Yoga than just the exercise. For those who studied Indian Philosophy, Hinduism or Indian culture and history, Yoga is not just all those things; it is something more. So what is Yoga to begin with? The word yoga literally means ‘union’. Union in the sense of spiritual union of the individual soul with the Universal Soul. Yoga is “a Hindu theistic philosophy teaching the suppression of all activity of body, mind, and will in
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This is abstention from avarice. Aparigraha is neutralizing the desire to acquire and hoard wealth. This does not only apply on money but also to everything, material and immaterial things. Aparigraha also means “to take only what is necessary, and not to take advantage of a situation or act greedy.”
Following the Yama is Niyama. Unlike Yama, Niyama is the inner discipline and responsibilities. Niyama is considered as the duties to the self; culturing oneself. Like yama, there are also five Niyamas. The first of these Niyamas is shauca or purity. Purity or cleanliness is to be observed both in the outer (physical) and inner (spiritual) aspects. In the outer and physical aspect, one has to take care of his/her body and environment. Purity of the body entails one to take proper care of one’s health and condition. Eating healthy foods and not abusing the body are examples of proper care for the body. A clean surrounding also contributes to the purity of the body. The other aspect is the inner and spiritual aspect. Shauca in this aspect requires one to acquire pure thoughts and words. Next is santosha or contentment. This means the acceptance of things as they are. Throughout life’s troubles, one should find happiness and contentment. This brings peace in one’s life. And so, one needs to understand that he/she cannot have the best of both worlds. One should be happy with what he/she has, rather than being unhappy about what he/she
Yoga is a practice for union. When yoga is being practiced the participant becomes relaxed and tries to achieve a higher state of mind.(Fisher 80) There are different types of yoga that help achieve different states of mind. Raja yoga is the path to mental concentration and is used by meditative people. Jnana yoga is the path to rational inquiry which is done by rational people, and for naturally active people there is karma yoga which is the path of right action. “Yoga is known as the disconnection of the connection with suffering.” –The Bhagavad Gita (hinduwisdom.info) Hinduism also has a series of gods and goddess who Hindu’s pray to and worship. Durga whom is called the Ideal Warrior, Sita, who is the
There are quite a few different yoga posses and each one has a benefit towards the mind-body connection. As of 2011, 1,300 poses had been described and 200 had been video graphed (Rockwood, Media, 2009). As a beginner it can be tough to perform some poses since there are different ones with different names. Also, it may be challenging to do complete certain poses if we are not familiar with how to precede a pose. For example, when I first tried yoga I had no clue what was going on or how to remain in a certain position. Though not being familiar with the different poses that were being practice during my first yoga class, helped me relax my body and tension that I was holding on. In a way that I was able to listen to the teacher and just be mindful. Yoga poses have been catalogued since before written history. Depictions of yoga poses were found engraved on soapstone seals in the ruins of the cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, which flourished at least 5,000 years ago in the Indus River Valley (Rockwood, Media, 2009). Yoga poses have been around for a while and they are being practice in today’s life style. Seems to be famous since many people from different ages are studying and practicing it. For example, college students may practice yoga to help reduce stress since balancing schoolwork and personal life might cause stress. Yoga can be practice at any age single women and
Yoga: The word Yoga came from the Sanskrit word yuj which means to “join” or to “integrate”. It is the Indian ancient activity for the meditation and self-improvement. If we breathe slowly in a calm way then we will slow our heart rate and if we focus on the mind we will develop mental peace and well-being. Yoga makes the body strong, fit and flexible. It also improves the human body’s respiratory, circulatory, digestive system and hormonal systems.
Yoga is a comprehensive system of mind/body techniques that is thousands of years old. Its techniques are designed to improve physical and mental health and well being, and include such practices as physical postures and stretching, breathing exercises (pranayama), focused concentration, meditation, visualization, and chanting (mantra) (Desikachar, 1999; van der Kolk, 2014).
Yoga is an ancient Hindu spiritual meditation practice that some believe dates back to 3300 BCE, during the Indus Valley Civilization. Modern wellness practices use yoga as part of a cardio routine and as a therapy to alleviate health disorders such as
The instructor of the yoga class was Amanda, who is a current student at Rowan University. Yoga is an exercise that enables people to relieve stress, balance emotions and relax and strengthen their muscles at the same time. Amanda had many different objectives that she wanted each participant to accomplish by the end of the yoga class. She wanted us to be able to relieve our stress and feel better about ourselves through a relaxed exercise. Not only does yoga relive stress, it also builds muscle strength and coordination.
The art of doing yoga we know today originated 5000 years ago in India. The infinite cognitive, physiological, and neurological benefits of yoga have been found and proven effective in regaining energy, balance, and health. Practicing this ancient body art, even just for few short minutes, will enable an individual to regain balance and physical energy. Regular practice of yoga can bring improvement in health, in mind and body, increased energy, well-being, and
Almost fitness and gym center offers a class in yoga, this workout performs a series of flexibility and strenght- building poses. Yoga is more than just an exercise, it is also a spiritual discipline with a long history. It is originated in India and spread in western world as an exercise practice that links to our mind, body and breath. But do you aware of the realness and rawness on the art of yoga? Many yogis doesn't know about this, they just do it for the sake of healthy living. It is important for us to have knowledge in the art of yoga to embrace and embodied the teaching and doing the art of
Yoga is a multibillion dollar industry. It is popular in the United States and is widely recognized for its therapeutic benefits. It lowers blood pressure and provides long-term relief from stress. Yoga is the perfect antidote for many people living stressful lives. This is likely an important reason for its rising popularity.
Yoga emerged over five thousand years ago, known as the pre classical era, and is believed to be developed by the Indus- Sarasvati civilization in Northern India; although some researchers believe Yoga is over ten thousand years old. The old sacred text, Rig Verda, is the oldest scripture that yoga has been found in. The Upanishads took the idea of ritual sacrifice from the Verdas, however they internalized it; this meaning to sacrifice the ego through self knowledge. In the post classical era yoga masters abandoned the ancient Verdas and embraced a new style that involved cleansing the mind and body; breaking the bond of our physical existence. This type of yoga is primarily thought of as Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga has been proven to help not
Yoga is used over 100 times in the Bhagavad Gita by Krishna. Yoga can be used as a noun or a verb, depending on the usage and linguistic representation. Yoga is something that everyone practices, regardless of his or her knowledge of it (Ghosh, 2012). The definition of yoga is revealed to be devotion, discipline, and self-fulfillment.
Yoga is a discipline both involving physical and mental control that originated in India. The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word, "yug", meaning union and it means the joining of the individual spirit with the universal spirit. The type of yoga known as Hatha Yoga, ("Ha"- sun, "tha"-moon) is what is most commonly practiced and this yoga involves the path of the mind and body and is the most physical. There are eight limbs or steps of Hatha Yoga, the first step being the five Yamas. There are five yamas and these concern your behavior to the world.
What is yoga and how is it helpful to the average person? Many people hear the word "yoga" and think of some sort of stretching and breathing, but yoga is much more complex than this. Yoga is actually "characterized by body alignment." In other words it consists of many different "poses" that stretch and relax the entire body. Yoga is not just about someone sitting on the floor twisting their body. Blocks, straps, blankets, mats, and chairs are all used to enhance positions and to make sure each position is executed properly. Does yoga really benefit one's health, or is it just a waste of time? We have some answers to these questions.
Yoga is well-known as one of an exercise that people play in the nowadays. Yoga is the practice of mind and body which originate in ancient India philosophy. There are various types of Yoga connect the breathing techniques, relaxation or concentration and physical posture together. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation stated that "Yoga is not just exercise and asanas. It is the emotional integration and spiritual elevation with a touch of the mystic element, which gives you a glimpse of something beyond all imagination." From practicing in history to the current popular exercise, Yoga was adjusted from the original. Yoga began to gain popularity in the West at the end of the 19th century
There are many different styles, forms and intensities of yoga that one can practice. Yoga is not a one-size-fits-all type of exercise. The beauty of yoga is that anyone at any age, including the elderly, can practice this ancient art. Many gyms are now offering yoga classes to their members as well as yoga-specific studios which are popping up all across the country.