The term “yoga” brings to mind people bending and twisting, stretching
their bodies into pretzel-like shapes of almost super-human flexibility. Yoga
is about much more than learning to perform such impressive feats of physical
prowess. At the heart of yoga is the cultivation of consciousness of the moment,
the mind, the body, and the spirit. While it can help you get into good physical
condition, it can also help to calm the mind and create a sense of peace and
well-being.
The word “yoga” is taken from the Sanskrit word meaning “to
yoke” or “to bind.” Behind the practice of yoga is the goal
of attaining union between the mind, body, spirit, and universe. These practices
were first put into writing and collected into the Yoga
Sutras approximately
2,000 years ago. While yoga is devised of 8 limbs pertaining to postures, breathing,
concentration, meditation, observance, restraint, absorption, and withdrawal
of the senses, most Westerners are familiar with Hatha yoga, or the yoga of
the postures. These poses are meant to strengthen the body for the practice
of meditation, but many people today use them simply to get in shape. Yoga
is not a religion, but it is about more than the physical practice. As an individual
travels down their yoga path, they may deepen their practice in an attempt
to gain the ultimate reward of enlightenment. You don’t have to start
out with that goal in mind, though, to reap numerous physical, mental, and
emotional benefits from regularly practicing the yoga postures. All you need
is an open mind and a willingness to try.
Author: Nan Little
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