sandeyeWhat exactly is Yoga?
October 8th 2007 16:51
The majority of people initially view Yoga as a bunch of exercises, generally performed in a class, and often upon a mat. These asanas are only one part of the physical world of Yoga however, and there are other aspects as well. To understand Yoga in its entirety, one should consider all the pieces, and not just the most famous. There are eight main segments involved with a complete study of Yoga. Conveniently, this is known as the eight-limb path of yoga. This octagon, portraying the various Yoga facets, covers physical, mental and spiritual matters.
The Yamas and Niyamas are each a list of five items, and they deal with our lifestyle and attitude. The Yamas cover the moral restraints, which should be considered by a full Yoga practitioner, if not the beginner or physical fitness freak. They are much akin to Buddhist beliefs, and include Ahimsa - nonviolence, Satya - truthfulness, Asteya - nonstealing, Brahmacarya - moderation, and Aparigraha - no hoarding. The Niyamas are a group of observances. They include Sauca - purity, Santosa - contentment, Tapas (not the edible type!) - enthusiasm and seriousness, Svadhyaya - self-study, and Isvara-pranidhana - devotion to the divineness within. These aspirations need to be considered if you aim to make Yoga a way of life, rather than just an exercise routine.
The Asanas are the actual exercises, the physical postures that many people think of as being all there is to Yoga until they begin to explore it further. Pranayama is also within the physical realm. It can be described as attentive breathing. There are several breathing exercises used within Yoga and these are now often taught along with the postures at modern facilities. The effect of adding breathing to the poses can be the key to making Yoga work for you if you are involved simply to perfect your shape or health. Most who attempt Yoga merely as an exercise, and do not bother much with the breathing aspect, find that they do not achieve the results they were searching for.
The final four main pieces of Yoga are Pratyahara - turning inward, Dharana - concentration, Dhyana -meditation, and Samadhi - union of self with that meditated upon. These are the mental and spiritual matters involved in Yoga practice. If you wish to practice completely, they should also be attended to, along with the physical, lifestyle, and attitude areas. When adding all these pieces together, you get to see the entire picture of Yoga, rather than just one façade
In this blog, I hope to cover all these aspects eventually. However, I will commence with the 'everyday' Yoga of asanas. In my next post, I will begin to take you through my own personal routine. After this, I will go onto some other areas of Yoga, such as alternative postures that I do not personally use, the theory, my personal experiences, the lifestyle, Yoga events, and everything else I can think of to completely cover the subject.
The Yamas and Niyamas are each a list of five items, and they deal with our lifestyle and attitude. The Yamas cover the moral restraints, which should be considered by a full Yoga practitioner, if not the beginner or physical fitness freak. They are much akin to Buddhist beliefs, and include Ahimsa - nonviolence, Satya - truthfulness, Asteya - nonstealing, Brahmacarya - moderation, and Aparigraha - no hoarding. The Niyamas are a group of observances. They include Sauca - purity, Santosa - contentment, Tapas (not the edible type!) - enthusiasm and seriousness, Svadhyaya - self-study, and Isvara-pranidhana - devotion to the divineness within. These aspirations need to be considered if you aim to make Yoga a way of life, rather than just an exercise routine.
The Asanas are the actual exercises, the physical postures that many people think of as being all there is to Yoga until they begin to explore it further. Pranayama is also within the physical realm. It can be described as attentive breathing. There are several breathing exercises used within Yoga and these are now often taught along with the postures at modern facilities. The effect of adding breathing to the poses can be the key to making Yoga work for you if you are involved simply to perfect your shape or health. Most who attempt Yoga merely as an exercise, and do not bother much with the breathing aspect, find that they do not achieve the results they were searching for.
The final four main pieces of Yoga are Pratyahara - turning inward, Dharana - concentration, Dhyana -meditation, and Samadhi - union of self with that meditated upon. These are the mental and spiritual matters involved in Yoga practice. If you wish to practice completely, they should also be attended to, along with the physical, lifestyle, and attitude areas. When adding all these pieces together, you get to see the entire picture of Yoga, rather than just one façade
In this blog, I hope to cover all these aspects eventually. However, I will commence with the 'everyday' Yoga of asanas. In my next post, I will begin to take you through my own personal routine. After this, I will go onto some other areas of Yoga, such as alternative postures that I do not personally use, the theory, my personal experiences, the lifestyle, Yoga events, and everything else I can think of to completely cover the subject.
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