What is yoga, and why should you be interested in it?
The easier way to understand the meaning of yoga is to go back to the roots of this ancient practice. Yoga originated in India more than 5000 years ago as a body of knowledge, a philosophy of living aimed at finding harmony – inner balance and harmonious integration with our environment.
The word "Yoga" comes from the Sanskrit "yuj" which means "to unite or integrate." Yoga is aimed at uniting a person’s body, mind and spirit (prana, or breath of life), and ultimately uniting the individual and the universal consciousness.
This union – it being a subjective experience - can be achieved in countless different ways. Yoga as we understand it today in the Western world achieves and maintains this balance based on certain physical, breathing, and meditative exercises.
So what does this mean in practice? It means that yoga is an attitude more than a result. As such, yoga is very individual and fosters self-knowledge and awareness, harmonious living, health and vitality. It means that yoga is NOT a competitive practice; it is NOT a dogma or a form of religion; it is NOT gymnastics or a stretching class!
So, is yoga for you?
Definitely! Physically, mentally and emotionally yoga can help with the stress of our modern life as well as provide a tool to maintain a balanced mind and
youthful body.
- Physically, yoga helps to unwind a tired body and re-align the posture so often affected by too many hours sitting in a chair or in front of a computer screen;
- with yoga practice the mind is quieter, re-charged and more focused;
- with more openness in our bodies and a balanced mind comes emotional understanding and stability.
Yoga is for everyone and for any level of fitness.
"We begin where we are and how we are, and whatever happens, happens" (T.K.V. Desikachar)
Learn more
- The heart of yoga - T.K.V. Desikachar
- The yoga sutras - Patanjali
- Mind, body, Spirit - Donna Farhi
- Forever young, forever healthy - Indra Devi
- The breathing book - Donna Farhi
- Yoga for pregnancy, birth and beyond - Françoise Barbira Freedman
- Yin yoga - Paul Grilley
- Anatomy and Asana - Susi Hatley Aldous
- British Wheel of Yoga (www.bwy.org)
- Yoga Alliance (www.yogaalliance.org)
- YANI (www.insegnantiyoga.it)
- Yoga Journal (www.yogajournal.com; www.yogajournal.it)
- Krishnamacharya Healing & Yoga Foundation (www.khyf.net)