What is Yoga Exactly?
By John Dunbar 15 July 2008 09:14:00
What is Yoga Exactly?
Yoga is a Sanskrit word that basically means a union. Union of what you ask? It is the union that exists between your Mind and Body. What does this mean?
We practice yoga with the intention of bringing about a natural balance between the mind and body. Basically, we unite the two to create harmony in our lives. When we have harmony within us we manifest an overall state of internal health and well-being.
Even though yoga was originally a Hindu practice and dates back over 4000 years, it is not in itself a religion. It is often confused as such, but really it is just a combination of physical and mental disciplines that work together to bring more harmony into our lives.
The majority of Western yoga today focuses mostly on the physical aspects of the practice. In reality, yoga is a combination of five disciplines that together help to create peace and harmony in our lives.
Postures (Asanas)
This is the core of yoga practice. When most people think of yoga, they think only of the postures. There are various styles of yoga posture being practiced around the world today but the most common is Hatha yoga.
The practice of asanas act as a lubricating routine for the joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons and other parts of the body by increasing circulation and flexibility. Your body is only as young as it is flexible. Consistent practice quickly leads to greater flexibility.
Breathing (Pranayana)
Pranayana or breathing exercises are designed to increase the flow of oxygen to the body and balance energy in the mind. Most of us use only a fraction of our potential lung capacity when we breathe. Yogis breathe with their diaphragm, filling areas of the lungs that normally do not get used.
These breathing exercises strengthen the diaphragm and help us to relax. Control of one's breath can aid in control of one's body and mind. Prana means subtle energy. When we control the prana, we can control the entire body.
Relaxation
One of the goals of yoga is to provide deep relaxation to both the body and mind. After the asanas and breathing have been preformed, the instructor will lead the class into a state of deep relaxation. This is done through auto-suggestion and tensioning exercises.
Diet
A well-balanced diet is an important aspect of yoga for it allows the body to obtain the greatest benefit from the other four elements of the yoga practice.
The American Medical Journal recently stated that, "A vegetarian diet can prevent 90% of our thromboembolic disease (blood clotting) and 97% of our coronary occlusions (arterial blockage)". Any opportunity to prevent these diseases sounds like a good thing! The list of ailments associated with eating meat is very extensive. Here are a few examples: strokes, cancer, migraine, kidney stones and bad body odor (This last one is quite important as far as I am concerned!).
Also, there is the entire meat issue concerning drugs, hormones and the conditions the animals are raised in. And, of course, there is the actual killing of an animal and the karma associated with that.
Meditation
We basically do all of the above to have good meditation. Asana lubricates everything to allow us to sit for long periods of time. Pranayama increases our oxygen levels, allowing us to concentrate more. Relaxation prepares us for meditation by slowing down the system. Lastly, a proper diet will be beneficial by preparing the body for the previous activities. Certain foods can be too active for meditation.
Meditation is a very powerful nerve tonic. The practice of meditation can bring great peace to our minds. Your intellect is purified.
When most people think of meditation they have a vision of a guru perched high in the Himalayas chanting OM for a couple of years. Sitting meditation is just one of the forms of meditation. You can meditate in almost any state or condition in your life.
I will go into greater detail on all five of these points of yoga in future blogs. For now, I just wanted to give you a general outline of yoga and explain how there is more to it all than just the actual posture.
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