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Crash Course on Yoga

By Adam Maywald

Although yoga has always been associated with Hinduism, it is actually even older than the religion. In fact, yoga is considered to be the oldest physical discipline in the world. This is perhaps the reason why there is no clear answer where it came from and when it started.

Some believe that it started about 3000 BC, used to relax the muscles and the whole body as people prepare for meditation. Until now, yoga is considered to be one of the ways to meditate or to attain a state of being.

What is yoga?
Yoga is a form of exercise and relaxation technique where the mind is used to control the body and the breath. Its name is taken from the Sanskrit word that means unite. Practitioners believe that the different yoga poses, called asanas, can help a person attain an inner balance and harmony, uniting the body, the mind and the spirit. It follows a holistic practice that believes in the interconnection of body to the brain and the soul, the mental consciousness and the physical consciousness to spiritual consciousness.

Yoga is primarily used to ease up the tension of muscles, to tone up internal organs and to develop the body’s strength and flexibility. Although yoga can be practiced alone at home, most practitioners prefer to do their poses by groups on classes. Often, these yoga classes are more focused on the physical benefits of yoga as opposed to the spiritual benefits of yoga.

Discipline is key
Although yoga seems to be fairly easy to do, it is not only make use of postures and breathing techniques. One important aspect of yoga is control… control of every aspect of your mind, body and soul. Discipline and balance is key. This does not only extend in the practice of yoga but also in thee things that occupy a yoga practitioner’s life. Movements are slow and fluid because yoga practitioners believe that jerky and hurried movements will only cause imbalance and fatigue.

Different types of yoga
There are several kinds of yoga. One of the most popular kind is the Hatha Yoga, which is practiced in Western countries. The word Hatha comes from the combined words of HA, which means sun and THA, which means moon, suggesting the union of opposites. HATHA emphasizes asanas which is the practice of yoga postures; pranayama which are breathing techniques and dhyana, which is the attempt to reach a state of consciousness through meditation. As a form of exercise, it involves controlled movement, concentration, flexibility and conscious breathing.

Another form of yoga is the VINYASA, which is not actually different from Hatha. VINYASA is based on breath synchronized movements that tend to be more performance-based than Hatha. There is a certain theatrical quality in the way VINYASA poses are done.

ASHTANGA, on the other hand, is a more fast-paced style of yoga. The name literally means eight limbs in Sanskrit. Also called Power yoga, this is very physically demanding for practitioners, more so compared to other types of yoga. Each routine involves constant movements.

IYENGAR is another form of yoga that focuses on body alignment. Practitioners of this form of yoga emphasize the movements that will perfect a position. This is done to achieve the maximum benefit of the practice and of course to avoid injury.

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posted by Cheryl Levesque @ 9:12 PM