The word ‘Yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit word "yuj" meaning to yoke, or unite and also can be translated as ‘harmony’. This implies harmonizing all aspects of the individual - body with mind and mind with soul - to achieve a happy, balanced and fulfilling life, and at the advanced stages of Yoga, a yogi can realize the universal consciousness, uniting the ‘self’ with the ‘supreme’.
Many people in the West know yoga as a form physical exercise, but in India, the country of its origin, yoga is a scientific system covering the vast arrays of philosophy, psychology, mysticism, religion, music, literature, dance and other forms of art.
Yoga is also one of the six classical Indian philosophies and is referred to throughout the Vedas – the oldest historical writings dated back to 5000 BC. The earliest archeological evidence of yoga was found in the stone seals, depicting the yoga poses, during the excavations of the Indus valley civilization dating back to 3000 BC. Legend has it that knowledge of Yoga was first passed by Lord Shiva to his wife Parvati and from there to the rest of human kind.
The ultimate aim of Yoga is to experience the Truth, by realizing the true nature of our ‘Self’ and the Universe. Then one can become free from the chain of cause and effect (Karma) which brings us to earthly life again and again. In that highest state of yogic realization, one can regain one’s real nature – Eternal Existence, Supreme Wisdom, Absolute Bliss (Sat-Chit-Ananda). According to Yoga, the ‘self’ (soul) is timeless, unchanging and free of sorrows. Yoga is therefore a spiritual quest. However, along the path of yoga, the yogi also gains health, happiness, tranquility and wisdom, which are indicators of progress and an encouragement to continue the practice.
The beauty of yogic teachings is that a yogi is free to think, to rationalize, to feel and then to choose a path according to his choice. In modern day India, there are 33 million Indian gods, millions of techniques and thousands of schools – all of them aiming for the same goal and existing side by side. Even now, one hears about new styles of yoga being invented every other day, but of course, they are mostly from the West. However, all of them can be classified under the following broad categories:
1. Jnana Yoga: Yoga of Wisdom – the path of intellectual philosophy and non-dualism.
2. Bhakti Yoga: Yoga of Love – the path of devotion to a divine personality and non-dualism.
3. Karma Yoga: Yoga of Action – the path to spiritualize our day to day life with selflessness.
4. Raja Yoga: Yoga of Meditation – the path of mastering the mind and mystical experiences.
It must be realized that there are no clear cut boundaries between these various paths and one is free to blend the practices and philosophies of the others, as all these paths have the same goal. The yogi is free to practice or experiment with any number of paths at one time.
There are still a lot of misconceptions about Yoga, for instance, Yoga being a religion. Yoga is not a religion. It is a set of techniques for us to find spirituality. In fact, Yoga is being practiced by a lot of people from different religions like Christians, Jewish, Buddhists, and Muslims.
Another misconception is that Yoga is an exercise, a way for us to keep fit. It is partly true, but if you think that Yoga is just that, then you are greatly mistaken. Yoga develops the body, since a weak one is a hindrance to spiritual growth. It does not simply focus on the physical but on the mental and spiritual aspects as well.
Definitely, yes! Yoga is for anyone who is willing to learn its philosophy and ideas. It does not require any special equipment or clothing. What it requires is your will to have a healthier, stress-free life.
You may first approach Yoga as a way to achieve a great body or to keep fit and that is perfectly alright. After the purification of the body, you will eventually start reflecting on yourself and desire to find your inner peace. It exercises not just your body but your mind as well. With a healthy body and mind, you're on your way to a more fulfilling life.
They are countless. Whatever you may be looking for – weight loss, diabetes, better time management, freedom from anger, effective communication, or creativity at work, yoga has the answer. The practice of yoga has immense benefits for not just the body but also the mind so that you enjoy a perfect healthy state of being.
Yoga has never been alien to us. It's a way of our life. We have been doing it since we were a baby! Whether it was the Cat Stretch to strengthen their spine or the Wind-Relieving pose to boost digestion, you will always see kids do some form of yoga throughout the day. It's now time to get back to the practice. Here, you will find something for everyone – be it a beginner in yoga to the practice or an advanced practitioner, children or adults, women or the elderly – all can benefit at the courses.
The basic assumption of Yoga is that the body and the mind are part of one continuum of existence, the mind being more subtle than the body. This is the foundation of the yogic view of health. The interaction of body and mind is the central concern of the entire science. It is believed that as the body and mind are brought into balance and health, the individual will be able to perceive his true nature; this will allow life to be lived more freely and spontaneously.
Yoga first attempts to reach the mind, the place where health begins, for mental choices strongly affect the health of the body. Choices of food, types of exercise, which thoughts to think, etc. all affect the body. As practiced traditionally in India, Yoga includes a set of ethical imperatives and moral precepts, including diet, exercise, and meditative aspects. In the West, Yoga focuses primarily on postures (gentle stretching exercises), breathing exercises, and meditation. Yoga is frequently used in modern medicine to enhance health and treat chronic disease as well as stress.
In the midst of our modern world characterized by daily stress, fatigue, and pollution, more and more people are seeking that elusive sense of relaxation and inward awareness. We are often depressed, tired, and an easy victims of disease. Though the practice of Yoga is closely associated with ancient texts, beliefs, and values, it also yields benefits useful for people's practical daily lives. Here are some reasons why more and more people are practicing Yoga:
1. Yoga relaxes the body and the mind. Even in the midst of stressful environments, Yoga helps control breathing and clears the mind of cluttered thoughts, leaving only deep physical and mental refreshment.
2. Yoga can help normalize body weight. For people who are either overweight or underweight, Yoga exercises can help achieve the desired weight. The principles of balance and moderation in physical activity and diet under Yoga can also lead to a healthier lifestyle.
3. Yoga improves your resistance to disease.The postures and movements in Yoga massage the internal organs, enhancing blood circulation and functionality, thus, lessening the risk of illness.
4. Yoga increases your energy level and productivity. For as quick as 20 minutes, Yoga can replenish the mind and body with precious energy needed to respond to daily tasks and challenges.
5. Yoga leads to genuine inner contentment and self-actualization. Meditation -one of the aspects of Yoga- focuses the mind, taking it away from the distractions of the highly-materialistic world and leading it to genuine happiness.
Yoga employs asanas, pranayama (breathing), kriyas (cleansings) and meditation to achieve the perfect harmony amongst the body, prana, mind, intellect, and consciousness.
Postures are gentle stretching movements designed to help balance the mind and body. The Yoga Postures are designed to release tensions by stretching or pressurizing muscles, nerves, spine, glands and internal organs. They work by increasing the blood circulation and prana supply to these areas and by stimulating them with a gentle squeezing action. All the asanas were designed with economy of time and effort in mind. Most of them work on more than one aspect of the body at the same time. For example, the spinal twist asana benefits the spine, adrenal glands, liver, pancreas and kidneys. The Yoga asanas produce their beneficial effect on the organs and glands all at once:
1. The position of the asana causes an increase in blood circulation to the specific target organ or gland.
2. The position of the asana often produces a slight squeezing of the organ or gland. This has the effect of massaging the organ or gland and stimulating it.
3. Deep breathing and visualizing the target area sends an extra supply of prana to the area.
4. Yoga's effect on the spine is to increase its flexibility. This ensures a good nerve supply to all parts of the body, since the nerves from the spine go to all the organs and glands.
Pranayamas are specially developed breathing techniques to create and store a huge amount of energy in the solar plexus area at the navel centre. This will cause the body to radiate vitality and, if any sickness is developing, the body can call upon some of this energy reserve to combat the disease. Yoga breathing also improves brain function (intelligence and memory), as well as increasing the elimination of toxins from the system. The total effect of Yoga asanas and breathing is to produce a state of high vitality and rejuvenation.
The benefits of the postures are greater if you concentrate on the healing action where it is needed. You can incorporate a variety of affirmations, meditation/concentration practices and visualization. Many times focusing on an object or sound (like clicking of a clock) can help us concentrate and leave our distracting thoughts away. An affirmation is a statement from yourself to yourself. They are inner-self conditioners. Our inner mind will believe everything we say with conviction and emotional force, though it may take some persistent repetitions to get the desired result. Typical affirmations that can be used are:
a. I am at my desired weight (for dieters)
b. My lungs are pure and clean (for smokers who want to get out of the habit)
c. I feel continuously alert, vital and useful (general), etc.
An even more powerful technique than affirmation is visualization. Here, we show our subconscious mind a picture of what we are talking about. Forming such pictures inside our minds is called visualization. To be effective, visualization should involve all the senses, not just the sight. Imagine the state or thing we want. How does it feel when we have it? What will you be with it? What does it feel? What does it look like? How does it sound? How does it taste? How does it smell? For healing therapy, visualize the state without the condition.
For example, for those trying to lose weight, visualize yourself in the desired weight and physical condition and imagine the life in the new state. In other words, you should mentally see the affected area as they receive fresh blood circulation, oxygen and physical massage. A diabetic should visualize the healing energies flowing into the pancreas, near the stomach. A rheumatic can concentrate on the release of synovial fluid. Synovial fluid is a lubricant and also disperses waste matter which can cause stiffness at joints.
Most people turn to Yoga only when they have a health problem for which medical treatment could not give satisfactory results. This is valid for many chronic diseases, which often can be attenuated but not cured. Psychosomatic diseases are another example - the psychic factor is especially evident here and is therefore difficult to treat with common medical methods. What can Yoga therapy offer these patients?
The yogic approach towards health or the person who is suffering from a disease, differs very much from the one of medical science. The latter tries to isolate the pathogenic factor; a microorganism, a toxic substance, a metabolic disorder – and eliminate it. Of course, this principle is valuable, but it fails if the root cause is unknown. In this case, the symptom-oriented therapy often proves unsatisfactory.
Yoga on the other hand, does not refuse the scientific explanation of a disease, but looks at it from another point of view: from the personality of the patient. If he is ill there must be a deeper reason behind it–a disease doesn't arise by chance! There is an imbalance, a disturbance somewhere in body and/or mind, which is manifested as a disease or illness. The symptoms, the pathogenic factors, the name of the diseases are not the main issue – the root cause lies elsewhere.
Yoga Therapy tries is to re-establish the inner balance by various means, working from the gross to the subtle. On the physical level it uses: Yoga postures (asanas), Kriyas (Cleansings) Breathings (pranayamas), Meditation and Positive thinking.
The second line of therapy is the work on the mind. Mental disturbances such as anxiety, stress and confusion are the most important factors, which can cause a diseased condition. Therefore, yogis employ various techniques to relax and to create positive state of mind: part-to-part deep relaxation, visualization, mantra chanting, positive affirmations, etc.
These are some of the technical means that may be used. The technical aspect is however of minor importance compared to the primary goal: to create a condition which can encourage the patient to give free way to his own inner forces. If he succeeds in doing so, the results can be surprising. If not, Yoga Therapy is at its limits - it can work only together with nature, not against it.
It begins with a fundamental principle from Yoga. Yoga views diseases as having insufficient life force (prana) or energy, either in the whole body or in a part of it. The flow of energy within the body may be blocked or obstructed in some parts. This insufficiency results in lower vitality and susceptibility to infection.
The logic of this view of diseases is centered on the importance of the spine as the primary avenue of energy flow in the body. A misalignment in one of the vertebrae affects the nerves that transmit energy to the organs. When this happens, organs do not function at their optimum levels. If this low level of functioning is prolonged, a disease may develop. Many yoga postures in Yoga Therapy stretch and relax the spine, which helps in realigning the vertebrae.
A session is participated in by the patient and the Yoga teacher. The session begins with an assessment of the patient's conditions and aims. Once the Yoga teacher and the patient reach a level of understanding, the Yoga exercises can begin with simple Yoga movements, often focusing on Pranayamas (breathing). The session progresses from there. It is important that there is a good rapport and trust between the teacher and the patient.
Yoga Therapy does not make any claim that it alone cures diseases. When it is combined with Ayurveda one can see the results within a short time.
At Veda Wellness, we have highly experienced yoga therapists to help you with any kind of chronic and stress related problems.
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