Yoga can seem like a complicated concept - or, at the least, a
dizzying array of physical manipulations that turn seemingly
happy-looking human beings into happy looking human pretzels.
Even more disconcerting, a stereotype does exist in places where
the term yoga is synonymous with cult, or some kind of archaic
spiritual belief that compels one to quit their job, sell their
house, and go live in the middle of nowhere.
In actual fact, Yoga is a very basic "thing". If you've had the
opportunity to visit a country where it has been established for
generations - India, Japan, China, and others - it's really
rather, well, "ordinary".
The practice of yoga came to the west back in 1893 when one of
India's celebrated gurus, Swami Vivekananda, was welcomed at the
World Fair in Chicago. He is now known for having sparked the
West's interest in yoga.
Literally, the word yoga comes from the Sanskrit term Yug, which
means: "to yoke, bind, join, or direct one's attention". At the
same time, yoga can also imply concepts such as fusion, union,
and discipline.
The sacred scriptures of Hinduism (an ancient belief system from
India that has a global presence) also defines yoga as "unitive
discipline"; the kind of discipline that, according to experts
Georg Feuerstein and Stephan Bodian in their book Living Yoga,
leads to inner and outer union, harmony and joy.
In essence, yoga is most commonly understood as conscious
living; of tapping into one's inner potential for happiness
(what Sankrit refers to as ananda). What Yoga Isn't:
Sometimes it's helpful to understand things by what they aren't;
especially when dealing with a topic, like Yoga, that is quite
easily misunderstood.
Authors and yoga scholars Feuerstein and Bodian help us
understand yoga by telling us what it is NOT:
Yoga is NOT calisthenics (marked by the headstand, the lotus
posture or some pretzel-like pose). While it is true that yoga
involves many postures - especially in hatha yoga - these are
only intended to make people get in touch with their inner
feelings.
Yoga is NOT a system of meditation - or a religion - the way
many people are misled to believe. Meditation is only part of
the whole process of bringing ourselves into the realm of the
spiritual.
What is the essence of Yoga?
Virtually all yogic science and philosophy states that a human
being is but a fragment of an enormous universe, and when this
human being learns to "communion" with this vastness, then
he/she attains union with something that is bigger than him/her.
This attachment or tapping into something bigger thus enables
one to walk the true path of happiness. By flowing along with
the force, the individual is able to discover truth.
And with truth comes realization; but to attain realization, our
words, thoughts and deeds must be based on truth. People attend
courses on yoga and go to studios to learn new techniques in
yoga, but yoga teacher Tim Miller said that "True yoga begins
when leave the studio; it's all about being awake and being
mindful of your actions".
About the author:
It doesn't matter if you've never exercised a day in your life,
or if you are the most fit person in the world. Free information
online - on every "style" of Yoga - is pretty hard to come
across. Tired of looking and searching all over the place, the
author decided to create a free Yoga Information Portal at:
http://www.free-yoga-online.info
Written by: Sheila Easton
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