Yoga is a growing trend that seems to be everywhere now, but Yoga actually began more than 3000 years ago in India, a valuable inheritance that we all have gained.
In the Sanskrit language of ancient India, the word Yoga means ‘Union’, ‘to join’ or ‘to become one’. The ancient yogis practised meditation to join their inner spirit with the spirit of the universe.
Regular practise of yoga through Asanas (postures), breathing practices and meditation can help to align, centre, plus integrate the whole body, mind and spirit as a means to become more balanced and harmonised from within.
It is important to find a balance within our lives. Life has become so fast paced and stressful, that it has become challenging to simply catch a breath, let alone sit down and quiet the mind. This causes an imbalance within us; the body, mind and spirit no longer work together in harmony, creating the organs, muscles and nerves to become strained which then leads to many different kinds of illnesses and disease within the body.
By regular practice of yoga the body, mind and spirit can function in harmony. Yoga is not a cure but can help to create a life that is more manageable.
Yoga works in the form of a trilogy that work simultaneously, body, mind & spirit, head, heart & hand and thought, word & deed. There are different forms of yoga including Hatha, Karma, Mantra, and Kundalini. The most common type of yoga that is used today is Hatha, this is based upon asanas (postures) & pranayama (breathing).
The Relevance of Yoga in Today’s Society
One of Yoga’s most notable achievements is physical and mental therapy. Yoga has been proven to be an alternative and effective form of therapy for various diseases such as asthma, diabetes, blood pressure, arthritis, digestive disorders as well as other conditions that science of today has not been able to provide a solution. Medical scientists have conducted investigations to establish the reasoning behind the efficiency of yogic practices. They have found that yoga is successful because of the balance it creates in the nervous and endocrine systems which consequently affects all of the systems/organs of the human body.
In the modern day lifestyle of today, most people see yoga as a method of maintaining physical and mental well being in their busy and stressful lives.
Asana is known as the first part of hatha yoga. Having completed asana, individuals can remain physically and mentally calm, still, quiet and relaxed. Asanas are different postures which open the energy and psychic channels of the body. The hatha yogis found that by controlling the body through asana, one can also control the mind.