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Yoga refers to traditional physical and mental
disciplines originating in India. The word is
associated with meditative practices in
Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Within Hinduism,
it also refers to one of the six orthodox
schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal
toward which that school directs its practices.
In Jainism, yoga is the sum total of all
activities — mental, verbal and physical.
The Sanskrit word yoga has many meanings, and is
derived from the Sanskrit root "yuj", meaning
"to control", "to yoke" or "to unite."
Translations include "joining", "uniting",
"union", "conjunction", and "means". An
alternate root from which the word yoga may be
derived is "yujir samadhau", which means
"contemplation" or "absorption." This
translation fits better with the dualist Raja
Yoga because it is through contemplation that
discrimination between prakrti (nature) and
purusha (pure consciousness) occurs. Outside
India, the term yoga is typically associated
with Hatha Yoga and its asanas (postures) or as
a form of exercise. Someone who practices yoga
or follows the yoga philosophy to a high level
of attainment is called a yogi or yogini.
Several seals discovered at Indus Valley
Civilization (c. 3300–1700 B.C.E.) sites in
Pakistan depict figures in positions resembling
a common yoga or meditation pose, showing "a
form of ritual discipline, suggesting a
precursor of yoga", according to archaeologist
Gregory Possehl. Some type of connection between
the Indus Valley seals and later yoga and
meditation practices is speculated upon by many
scholars, though there is no conclusive
evidence.
Techniques for experiencing higher states of
consciousness in meditation were developed by
the shramanic traditions and in the Upanishadic
tradition.
Patanjali is widely regarded as the founder of
the formal Yoga philosophy. Patanjali's yoga is
known as Raja yoga, which is a system for
control of the mind. Patanjali defines the word
"yoga" in his second sutra, which is the
definitional sutra for his entire work.
I. K. Taimni translates it as "Yoga is the
inhibition of the modifications of the mind".
Swami Vivekananda translates the sutra as "Yoga
is restraining the mind-stuff from taking
various forms."
In the Western world, yoga was once considered
the province of New Agers and students of
Eastern philosophy. However, the 2005 "Yoga in
America" survey, conducted by Yoga Journal,
shows that the number of practitioners in the US
increased to 16.5 million with the 18-24 age
group, showing a 46% increase in one year. Many
celebrities and fitness experts have brought
yoga into the spotlight by incorporating it into
their regular fitness routines.
Now yoga has been added to mainstream workouts
for stress relief, increased flexibility, and
strength training. Highly successful commercial
fitness programs often include “power” yoga for
fat-burning and weight loss. Televised yoga
sequences are available to run beginners through
basic sets of poses. Many primary and secondary
schools use yoga poses in their physical
education curricula.
Libraries and bookstores are filled with yoga
books for practitioners of all skill levels,
including young children. Almost every fitness
center offers some type of yoga class. There is
Ashtanga yoga for meditation and visualization;
Hatha yoga for physical strength and well-being;
and Raja yoga for stress-relief and clarity of
thought.
Some of the latest yoga trends include “hot”
yoga, which is performed in a sauna or other
humid atmosphere, and nude yoga, which is
performed without clothing of any kind. Fans of
hot yoga believe that the increased output of
sweat helps to cleanse the body from the inside
out. Nude yoga practitioners are quick to defend
their unusual discipline, insisting that it is a
legitimate way to forge a connection between the
body and spirit, and does not involve voyeurism
or sex of any sort.
Ashtanga yoga, also known as “Eight Limbed
Yoga”, is the basis for every Raja yoga
variation taught today. The Eight Limbs are:
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Yama (The five "abstentions"): non-violence,
non-lying, non-covetousness, non-sensuality,
and non-possessiveness.
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Niyama (The five "observances"): purity,
contentment, austerity, study, and surrender
to god.
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Asana: Literally means "seat", and in
Patanjali's Sutras refers to the seated
position used for meditation.
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Pranayama ("Suspending Breath"): Prāna,
breath, "āyāma", to restrain or stop. Also
interpreted as control of the life force.
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Pratyahara ("Abstraction"): Withdrawal of
the sense organs from external objects
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Dharana ("Concentration"): Fixing the
attention on a single object.
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Dhyana ("Meditation"): Intense contemplation
of the nature of the object of meditation.
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Samādhi ("Liberation"): merging
consciousness with the object of meditation.
In the view of this school, the highest
attainment does not reveal the experienced
diversity of the world to be illusion. The
everyday world is real. Furthermore, the highest
attainment is the event of one of many
individual selves discovering itself; there is
no single universal self shared by all persons.
Hatha Yoga is a particular system of Yoga
described by Yogi Swatmarama, compiler of the
Hatha Yoga Pradipika in 15th century India.
Hatha Yoga differs substantially from the Raja
Yoga of Patanjali in that it focuses on
shatkarma, the purification of the physical body
as leading to the purification of the mind (ha),
and prana, or vital energy (tha). Compared to
the seated asana, or sitting meditation posture,
of Patanjali's Raja yoga, it marks the
development of asanas (plural) into the full
body 'postures' now in popular usage and, in its
many modern variations, is the style that many
people associate with the word "Yoga" today.
Traditional Hatha Yoga is a holistic yogic path,
including moral disciplines, physical postures
(asana), purification procedures (shatkriya),
poses (mudra), yogic breathing (pranayama), and
meditation. The Hatha yoga predominantly
practiced in the West consists of mostly asanas
understood as physical exercises. It is also
recognized as a stress-reducing practice.
Hatha Yoga is one of the two branches of Yoga
that focuses on the physical culture, the other
one being Raja Yoga. Both of these are commonly
referred to as Sadanga Yoga, i.e., Yoga of six
parts ('sad' meaning six and 'anga' meaning
limbs). Svatmarama emphasizes many times in his
Hathapradipika text that there is no Raja Yoga
without Hatha Yoga and no Hatha Yoga without
Raja Yoga.
The main difference is that Raja Yoga uses
asanas mainly to get the body ready for
prolonged meditation, and hence focuses more on
the meditative asana poses: Lotus Posture (padmasana),
Accomplished Posture (siddhasana), Easy Posture
(sukhasana) and Pelvic Posture (vajrasana).
Hatha Yoga utilizes not only meditative postures
but also cultural postures.
Hatha represents opposing energies: hot and cold
(fire and water, following similar concept as
yin-yang), male and female, positive and
negative. Hatha yoga attempts to balance mind
and body via physical postures or "asanas",
purification practices, controlled breathing,
and the calming of the mind through relaxation
and meditation. Asanas teach poise, balance and
strength and are practiced to improve the body's
physical health and clear the mind in
preparation for meditation in the pursuit of
enlightenment.
Rāja Yoga ("royal yoga", "royal union", also
known as Classical Yoga) is concerned
principally with the cultivation of the mind
using meditation (dhyana) to further one's
acquaintance with reality and finally achieve
liberation.
Raja Yoga is so-called because it is primarily
concerned with the mind. The mind is
traditionally conceived as the "king" of the
psycho-physical structure which does its bidding
(whether or not one has realized this). Because
of the relationship between the mind and the
body, the body must be first "tamed" through
self-discipline and purified by various means
(see Hatha Yoga). A good level of overall health
and psychological integration must be attained
before the deeper aspects of yoga can be
pursued.
Humans have all sorts of addictions and
obsessions and these preclude the attainment of
tranquil abiding (meditation). Through restraint
(yama) such as celibacy, abstaining from
intoxicants, and careful attention to one's
actions of body, speech and mind, the human
being becomes fit to practice meditation. This
yoke that one puts upon oneself (discipline) is
another meaning of the word yoga.
“Every thought, feeling, perception, or memory
you may have causes a modification, or ripple,
in the mind. It distorts and colors the mental
mirror. If you can restrain the mind from
forming into modifications, there will be no
distortion, and you will experience your true
Self. - Swami Satchidananda”
Patañjali's Yoga Sutras begin with the statement
"Yoga limits the oscillations of the mind". They
go on to detail the ways in which mind can
create false ideations, and advocate meditation
on real objects. This process, it is said, will
lead to a spontaneous state of quiet mind, the "Nirbija"
or "seedless state", in which there is no mental
object of focus.
Practices that serve to maintain for the
individual the ability to access this state may
be considered Raja Yoga practices. Thus Raja
Yoga encompasses and differentiates itself from
other forms of Yoga by encouraging the mind to
avoid the sort of absorption in obsessional
practice (including other traditional yogic
practices) that can create false mental objects.
In this sense Raja Yoga is called the "king
among yogas": all yogic practices are seen as
potential tools for obtaining the seedless
state, itself considered to be the starting
point in the quest to cleanse Karma and obtain
Moksha or Nirvana. Historically, schools of yoga
that label themselves "Raja" offer students a
mix of yogic practices and (hopefully or
ideally) this philosophical viewpoint.
Raja Yoga aims at controlling all thought-waves
or mental modifications. While a Hatha Yogi
starts his Sadhana, or spiritual practice, with
Asanas (postures) and Pranayama, a Raja Yogi
starts his Sadhana with the mind, although a
certain minimum of asanas and pranayamas are
usually included as a preparation for the
meditation and concentration. In Samadhi Pada
I,27 says Pantanjali that the word of Ishvara is
OM, the Pranava. Through the sounding of the
Word and through reflection upon its meaning,
the Way is found.
In the Jangama dhyana technique of Raja Yoga,
the yogi concentrates the mind and sight between
the eyebrows. According to Patanjali, this is
one method of achieving the initial
concentration (dharana: Yoga Sutras, III: 1)
necessary for the mind to go introverted in
meditation (dhyana: Yoga Sutras, III: 2). In
deeper practice of the Jangama dhyana technique,
the mind concentrated between the eyebrows
begins to automatically lose all location and
focus on the watching itself. Eventually, the
meditator experiences only the consciousness of
existence and achieves Self Realization. In his
classic Raja Yoga, Swami Vivekananda describes
the process in the following way:
“When the mind has been trained to remain fixed
on a certain internal or external location,
there comes to it the power of flowing in an
unbroken current, as it were, towards that
point. This state is called dhyana. When one has
so intensified the power of dhyana as to be able
to reject the external part of perception and
remain meditating only on the internal part, the
meaning, that state is called Samadhi.”
Different asanas are recommended by
practitioners to cure or prevent problems
ranging from constipation to cancer. Yoga is
known to reduce stress and other mental worries.
It can be most helpful for people who find it
difficult to focus their thoughts, or those who
are plagued with depression or anxiety.
Different poses focus on different areas of the
body, so it is easy to design a personalized
yoga sequence to address your medical concerns.
Yoga teaches us the valuable lessons of stepping
away from everyday stresses and taking a moment
to look inward. It encourages us to be mindful
of our bodies and what we put into them. Rather
than engaging in mindless eating or using
chemicals to numb emotional pain, yoga
practitioners learn to pay attention to the true
needs of their bodies and souls.
Chronic stress can lead to obesity, heart
disease, and depression. It can worsen the
symptoms of certain diseases, such as diabetes,
lupus, and multiple sclerosis. Yoga, being a
very calming art, has a beneficial effect on
stress levels. The breathing and meditative
techniques are especially prized for their
ability to induce a relaxed state of being. This
relaxation translates into tangible medical
benefits such as lower pulse and blood pressure,
improved circulation, a fortified immune system,
and increased pain tolerance.
Because many of the yoga postures require you to
flex your limbs or torso in new ways, or to hold
the position for a number of breaths, they
cultivate joint flexibility, good posture, and
improved muscle strength. Strong joints and
muscles can ward off conditions such as
arthritis and even osteoporosis. Persons
suffering from chronic pain often experience a
marked improvement after practicing yoga.
Yoga has many “invisible” health benefits as
well. Studies have credited yoga with lowering
cholesterol and triglyceride levels, thus
lowering the risk of heart disease. Patients
with gastrointestinal problems are frequently
advised to begin practicing yoga for its
soothing effects. Some patients find that yoga
helps regulate their blood glucose levels as
well.
Yoga has earned a reputation as an effective
weight loss aid. Because it stimulates the
metabolism, yoga helps practitioners burn fat at
a faster rate. Its mindful approach to the body
helps you differentiate between true hunger and
stress-induced cravings. Some speculate that
yoga stretches the muscles in a way that
prevents the accumulation of cellulite. Yoga
also promotes heightened energy levels. This is
especially helpful for those who are normally
too tired to exercise.
Because yoga carries a very low risk of injury,
it is appropriate for people of all ages and
fitness levels. Children can use yoga to improve
their balance, core strength, mental focus, and
awareness of their bodies. Elderly individuals
can use yoga to improve and maintain muscle
tone, keep their joints supple, and improve
their balance to prevent fall-related injuries.
Athletes commonly add yoga to their workouts to
develop greater strength and flexibility.
Swimmers, runners, and other athletes use yoga
to help them tone their bodies and visualize
success. Wrestlers, boxers, and martial artists
strengthen their cores and develop a deeper
awareness of their bodies through yoga
exercises. Dancers use yoga to become much more
flexible, and to learn flowing, graceful
movements.
Couples yoga has gained popularity for the
intimacy it brings to relationships. Couples who
practice yoga together report increased energy,
better awareness of their bodies, and an overall
improvement in the quality of their lovemaking.
Yoga is also beneficial for pregnant women, who
often experience back and hip pain due to the
extra weight in their abdomen. Poses that flex
the spine can prevent this sort of pain from
happening, or decrease existing pain
dramatically.
A yoga session begins well before you start the
actual exercise. Some yoga practitioners start
their preparations early. They avoid eating
heavy foods, preferring to practice on an empty
or mostly empty stomach. Some use neti pots to
clear their sinuses so that they can perform
their breathing exercises unhindered.
Yoga sessions typically begin with a warm-up
phase. This is a series of stretches and gentle
poses which prepare the joints for more rigorous
postures. A proper warm-up will stretch the
spine, shoulders, limbs, and core. This is an
important step which should never be
disregarded, because pulls and sprains can
result from practicing yoga with stiff joints
and muscles.
Next come the standing poses. These poses are
designed to continue warming up the body while
building muscle strength and improving your
balance. Many involve stretching the arms above
the head, or bending at the waist. These are
some of the best poses for weight loss.
After the standing poses come the sitting poses.
The seated poses help you focus on your
breathing. They also stretch the legs and hips,
and many of the poses stretch the spine as well.
Seated poses are highly adaptable for all skill
levels. You can start out with basic poses, then
move on to intermediate or advanced as your
strength and balance improve.
Next come the twist poses. They build on the
spine stretches that began in seated posture,
flexing the spine even more and relieving muscle
tension that causes backaches. By twisting the
body to each side in a variety of ways, you
increase your blood flow and circulation, both
of which are important for vertebral health and
overall rejuvenation.
Supine poses are done while lying on your back.
They primarily strengthen the core muscles,
including the back and abdominals. A strong core
improves your balance and helps you move more
easily and efficiently. These poses are
wonderful for relieving tension in the stomach
area as well.
Inverted poses and balance poses help the
experienced practitioner build their strength
and balance. These poses build on the skills
learned in simpler postures. Good coordination
is required for most of these poses. Because
they require intense concentration, inverted and
balance poses also give the practitioner a
mental workout that sharpens the mind by
teaching them to drown out distractions.
Backbend poses are advanced spine stretches that
relieve tension throughout the front of the
body, hips, and pelvic region. They are also
believed to have a beneficial effect on the
adrenal glands and the kidneys.
The session winds down with relaxing finishing
poses. These poses cool down the body and slow
the heart rate. Some practitioners follow this
up with meditation. An entire yoga session takes
about 30 minutes, but health benefits can come
from as few as 15 minutes of yoga daily.
Yoga is an excellent exercise for beginners.
There is no need to purchase special equipment,
and yoga routines can be done at home or in any
comfortable, relaxed environment. There is a
wide variety of postures, many of which are easy
for beginners. There are also enough challenging
poses to keep the practitioner from becoming
bored over time.
While no special gear is required, you will need
to have loose, comfortable clothing that allow
you to move freely. Yoga is often practiced
barefoot, but you can use soft shoes or non-slip
socks as well. A yoga mat can be helpful, but a
thick towel or blanket can work, too. If you
have limited range of motion due to age or
injury, you might want to invest in some foam
yoga blocks. These blocks help you assume poses
that might otherwise be too difficult at first.
Next, you will need to decide where you will
practice yoga. Most gyms and health clubs offer
yoga classes in a group setting. These are
useful for familiarizing yourself with the basic
principles of yoga, and offer you the
opportunity to ask questions if you are
uncertain about a technique. Such classes can
become expensive; if you want to try a group
yoga class for a more affordable price, consider
community, senior, or recreational centers. Many
college campuses offer quality yoga programs at
a reduce cost.
If you prefer to practice alone, you have many
options. You can check out instructional yoga
books and DVDs from your local library. That
will give you the chance to try yoga and decide
if you want to make it a part of your life,
without any cost whatsoever. You can purchase
yoga tutorials and DVDs at book stores or
online. There are literally thousands of titles
to choose from, so look for ones that have
received numerous positive buyer reviews.
A Web search for “yoga tutorial” will turn up
hundreds of sites featuring pictures and video
clips that teach you basic poses. Many of these
sites have communities of yoga fans who can
answer your questions and give you advice.
Next, consider the location where you will
practice. If you plan to take a group class at a
gym or recreation center, this problem is
already solved for you. If you opted to do yoga
at home, you will need to find a quiet spot free
of noise and visual distractions. This could be
your bedroom, living room, or even outdoors in
your back yard. If noise is a problem, invest in
some comfortable foam ear plugs, or an MP3
player and headphones. Soothing music could make
your home yoga sessions even more fulfilling.
Finally, you can decide whether to follow a
pre-recorded yoga session or design your own.
Again, this is not an issue if you are taking a
group class with an instructor. They will help
you follow the routine they designed. But if
you’re practicing at home, you can use a book or
DVD, or create your own routine.
Instructional materials are very useful for
beginners. Become acquainted with the theory and
practice of yoga before you create your own
routine. This will ensure a balanced regimen and
proper form, both of which are important for
overall health.
Like many yoga practitioners, you might want to
modify your eating habits by avoiding heavy food
for 2 to 3 hours before your yoga session. If
you grow hungry, eat something light and easily
digestible, like fruit. If necessary, use a
gentle salt water rinse to clear your throat and
nostrils. This will make it easier to perform
the deep, relaxing breathing techniques.
Begin your sequence with attunement exercises.
Practice your breathing while lying in a supine
position. Then flow through Child Pose and Cat
Pose to give your back a gentle stretch. After a
few minutes, rise to your feet and begin your
warm-up poses. Stretch your limbs and perform
forward bends to warm up and loosen your back
and spine.
You can create a sequence of standing poses for
yourself, or go through the traditional sun
salutation sequence. The sun salutations are a
series of 12 postures that stretch and
strengthen. The poses are performed as one
graceful sequence, with one pose flowing into
the next as you breathe deeply and regularly.
Most beginner yoga guides contain instructions
for the sun salutations, and you can also find
illustrated guides online.
After you’ve finished the standing poses, move
on to a balance pose. Choose one or two to focus
on during your routine. As your balance
improves, you can run through several of these
poses in one sequence. Choose poses that require
you to stand on one foot, such as Tree Pose, or
those which allow you to remain near the ground,
such as Balancing Cat. You will be holding these
poses for quite some time, so choose the ones
most comfortable to you.
Next, add an inverted pose like Dead Bug. While
it has a funny name, this posture is useful for
stretching the groin and toning the abdominal
muscles. Boat Pose is another good posture for
developing balance, core strength, and toned
abs. After you’ve gained some experience, you
can add advanced twists and backbends to your
routine.
Finish up with gentle stretches and cool-down
postures. Choose supine poses that help you
focus on your breathing, such as Knee-to-Chest
Pose. Do these for at least 3 minutes at the end
of your sequence.
After you have designed your sequence, run
through it a few times to make sure it suits
your needs. Remember, yoga is a flowing art.
Each pose should flow easily into the next, with
transitional poses in between if needed. The
entire sequence should be between 15 and 30
minutes long. As you become more skilled, you
can extend your routine to 45 or 60 minutes.
Always check with your doctor before beginning a
yoga routine. You will probably get the
go-ahead, since yoga has so many health
benefits. But your doctor might advise you to
avoid putting stress on certain parts of your
body. There are plenty of poses to choose from,
so even if you are advised to avoid some of
them, you will still be able to do more than
enough poses to get serious benefits.
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start; finding a teacher in your area to
take lessons or like most people starting
yoga in the privacy of your own home.
Although no equipment is 100% necessary, a
great yoga mat can really help (and only
costs $32). Below there are many great free
lessons on starting out by yourself. When
you feel you are ready to advance more there
are great videos and books.
