About Yoga
Yoga means "to unite", "to yoke" or "to be whole".
Yoga is an ancient practise of developing, strengthening & balancing the mind, body & spirit.
It's origins date back to around 500bc - 200bc from ancient Indian Vedic & Brahmanic cultures & philosophies.There are 2 main strands of Yoga ~ one which comes down through the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita & the Upanishads, these were thought to be the forest dwellers who would sit at the foot of the Guru to learn & be guided by him. They follow the path of the Atman (spirit or soul within) being part of the greater divine being the Brahman ~ we are all part of a Oneness. The other strand follows that of Patanjali & the Yoga Sutras whose path is that we are each individual beings & the greater being is Ishwara. The Yoga Sutras are also better known as the 8 limbs of Yoga & these are the disciplines through which to live a more Spiritual life.
The 8 limbs of Yoga are :~
- Yama ~ Moral Principles
- Niyama ~ Personal Disciplines
- Asana ~ Physical Yoga Postures
- Pranayama ~ Breath Control
- Pratyahara ~ Withdrawal of the Senses
- Dharana ~ Focused Attention
- Dhyana ~ Meditation
- Samadhi ~ Enlightenment & Self-Realisation
Through learning about yourself & following these principles you are working towards living a more peaceful & harmonious way of life . . . beginning a journey that takes you deeper & deeper into your sense of Spiritual Self.
Yoga is an ancient philosophy which many great modern day philosophers & pschyologists have taken their roots of practise & principles from. It's as important & relevant now, as it always has been.
Some great reads (which are my personal favourites!) that I would recommend, should you wish to delve deeper into the philosophy of the Yogic Mind are :~
- The Bhagavad Gita by Eknath Easwaran
- The Upanishads by Eknath Easwaran
- To Know Yourself by Swami Satchidananda
- The Living Gita by Swami Satchidananda
- Meditation by Eknath Easwaran
It is never too late to learn Yoga, I fully believe that everyone can take something from it & it can truely enrich your life!
If you are looking for a Yoga teacher, then I fully recommend that you try different styles of yoga with different yoga teachers until you find the one that resonates with you.
