Yoga - The state of liberation
Introduction
In our everyday life, we are rushing so fast that we don’t have a moment to relax and think about ourselves.
"Eating healthy is important for a good digestive system and,
practicing yoga is essential for avoiding unwanted symptoms."
For developing a healthy body and mind it is crucial to practice yoga daily. Forty-five minutes from our life for ourselves will be mesmerizingly beneficial for us. Exercising yoga doesn’t need sophisticated arrangements and extensive equipment. It requires a commitment for blessing your life with more peace and making it blissful.
We can practice yoga at our home and the first step to begin is, waking up early in the morning. Waking early has many health benefits. We also get the opportunity to witness the beautiful sunrise. Yoga should always begin with the right frame of mind by calming it and chanting om for 2-3 minutes. Chanting om vibration helps you to concentrate and breathe properly. The next step for yoga is corpse posture or Shavasana. You can practice this by lying on the ground on your back. In this posture you resemble a corpse, thus it is called corpse posture. Remember to smoothly transpose from one posture to another and not hurt your muscles.
The second posture you can practice is Chakrasana, the wheel pose. It gives a great stretch to all the muscles of the body.
Then rise and perform the next asana, forward bending, and backward bending. In forward bending, bend your body from the waist and try touching your toes with your fingers. Remember to not bend your knees.
Then come back to a normal position and keep your hands on your waist and bend back as much as comfortable. Forward bending and backward bending helps to ease the lower back pain and tension and stress in the waist area.
You can perform several asanas or yoga for your neck and shoulders. Most of our time today is spent sitting in front of the phone or laptop. Our neck and shoulders are strained and we don’t pay careful attention to it.
Practice shoulder rotation and Lord Brahma's pose for reducing tension and stress in neck and shoulder areas. You should always remember to end the yoga the way you begin it, that is by breathing correctly and chanting Om. Give yourself 5 minutes for meditating after performing yoga. This will help magically in calming your mind and enhancing concentration.
Yoga has several unbelievable medical benefits if practiced regularly. Self-love is very important for each one of us and self-care comes from yoga. Taking care of your body, mind, and soul should never be neglected.
Digging in the history of yoga
In the early days of yoga, scriptures and manuscripts were not found. Due to its oral transmission, its history has uncertain records. Writing of yoga took place on the flimsy palm leaves during ancient times. It was easily damaged and lost. Thus there is little or no proof and records of yoga during ancient history.
5000 years ago yoga came into existence. It's debatable between researchers that yoga's discovery took place 10,000 years ago. Yoga history has four main periods; Pre-Classical, Classical, Post Classical and Modern history.
Pre Classical
5000 years ago, yoga originated in Indus Sarasvati Civilization, Northern India. The word yoga was first written in Rig Veda. With time yoga kept refining and developing my brahmans and rishis. Bhagwat Gita is one of the holiest books representing the theme of yoga in 500 B.C.E. . We know Upanishad for its values and ideas of self-realization. It also portrays the idea of sacrifice, sacrificing ego by understanding ourselves. It tells us the importance of actions (karma-yoga) and wisdom (jnana yoga).
Classical Yoga - Patanjali
Classical yoga is primarily known as Patanjali’s yoga sutra. This represented a systematic form of yoga. Patanjali yoga portrayed the path of Raja yoga, thus being classical yoga. Besides doing yoga for keeping body fit, it also helped in learning to get samadhi. This type of yoga has 8 steps that guide us through the way of enlightenment and samadhi. This is the oldest form of yoga and is known as "Father of Yoga."
Post-Classical Yoga
Post-classical yoga didn't accept the teachings of Vedas. It says that the body is a medium to achieve enlightenment. This yoga is a practice to rejuvenate the body and show us a prolonged life. Tantra yoga made us realize the importance of separation from physical existence. This yoga helped in cleansing the body, mind, and soul and making us realize the purpose of our existence. It taught body is only the medium of connecting with the world. This led to the emergence of hatha yoga west.
Modern Period
Yoga masters were traveling to the different corners of the world, 1800-1900. Countries were showering flowers and respect on them. They were becoming the center of attraction for everyone. The promotion of hatha yoga begins in 1920-30 in India. India was under the embrace of yoga. Yogis such as Krishnamacharya and Sivananda inspired others to practice Hatha yoga. In 1924 Krishnamacharya opened the first known yoga school in Mysore. Sivananda initiated a divine life society on the banks of the holy Ganga river. Hatha yoga which was not known by many has many schools and training centers now.
Though yoga was popularizing at the time, Yoga sutras weren’t accepted universally. Women also practiced yoga but their names remain unsung. They were sexually objectified or invisible. There is no picture of women practicing yoga before the modern period. Yogis believed that women's companies should not be included by men in yoga.
Yoga and its types
Hatha Yoga
It is the type of yoga that deepens the learning of balance in us. It enhances a balanced state of mind as well as body. "ha" means sun and "ta" means moon, Hatha is thus the art of balancing the sun and moon in you. Hatha yoga helps in preparing the body physically and consciously practicing the postures. It is the art of manipulating energy and moving the system in a particular direction.
Ashtanga Yoga
It is the art of moving the body smoothly and gracefully. Maintaining the force of breath is essential in this yoga. This is the second oldest system of yoga. It is the form of modern classical yoga. It is known as the eight-limb path of yoga attributed to Patanjali. This represents the guidelines to live life gracefully. They are the methods practiced by different practitioners to see what works for them. This yoga helps in achieving full self-realization.
Yin Yoga
Ancient Chinese philosophy talks about yin and yang. it intends towards discovering the negative and positive side of ourselves. Yin is for the dark side and yang for the lighter side. It signifies that we have both negative and positive sides us and both need to be found. Yin yoga is the slow form of yoga. The practice of yoga takes place slowly transforming from one posture to another. Yin means feminine form of yoga, which portrays gentleness and patience. Yang is the more masculine form of yoga teaching us forces. It is necessary for the body to be smooth and gentle as well as applying force. It tells that both feminine, as well as masculine aspects of life, is necessary for growth. Intimacy with ourselves is an important aspect of life. Yin yoga rejuvenates that intimacy within us.
Acro Yoga
Acro yoga is a combination of aerobics and yoga. The sublime combination of these two brings kindness towards others. It builds trust in others as well as ourselves. It involves a group of partners. One partner lifts another and this builds trust among them. It teaches us self-control and aware us of our body. It also teaches us how to make quick decisions. Acro yoga isn’t necessarily sexual, it is more of building trust in your partner. Trust deepens and strengthens the bond between you and your partner. This yoga is also known as couple yoga.
Kundalini Yoga
Kundalini Yoga brings energy in our spine into awareness. There is the divine energy that lies in the base of the spine. It involves various forms of asanas, meditations, and chanting om. This form of yoga increases energy in our body. An increase in energy can make our body hot, thus needs to practice with care arises. This yoga enlightens your spiritual self. People believe it as the power associated with the divine feminine. If not practiced with caution, the great energy created by this yoga can damage your physical body. It can result in physical as well as mental illness. It helps in reducing stress and anxieties, thus calms our mind. It is the form of yoga that helps in appreciating and appraising ourselves.
Throwing light on false beliefs
For a long time, the culture of yoga is entrapped in a lot of myths. A lot of false beliefs are occupying people's minds. There are many stigmas related to yoga that slows the spreading of a beautiful culture.
Yoga does not belong to one religion
People from ancient history believe that yoga belongs to a specific religion. The taboo is set that no other religion than specified can practice yoga. It is wrong to say that yoga is for only one religion or restricts to some people. Yoga is for everyone and contributes equal benefits for all. Everyone should enjoy and feel the immense befits of yoga. No one denies no one to practice yoga and stops them to grow. Yoga is very important for self-actualization and the realization of each one of us.
Yoga is not only bodily posture
People believe that yoga only means to transform from one body posture to another. Yoga is more than just postures. Breathing techniques play a crucial role in practicing yoga. Yoga also involves stillness and sitting quietly. It emphasizes focusing our mind inward and enlightening with self-awareness.
We can not learn yoga through books
Yoga is a broad topic and requires specialized training. Books can not help you a lot in learning the true essence of yoga. Though it can tell you the benefits of practicing particular types of yoga, it can not convey the right manner to practice it. Even the minute details are necessary for practicing yoga perfectly. If you are keen to learn the correct forms of yoga, you should always learn from professionals.
You need not be flexible
Flexibility comes from yoga itself. You need not be flexible before practicing yoga. Regular practice will bring flexibility to your body. We all are blessed with different types of bodies. We should always appreciate it and adore them. Yoga is done for bringing flexibility to your body. If you are not flexible at the beginning of yoga that does not mean you are not good.
Yoga does not mean being vegan
It is not true that for practicing yoga you need to change your complete lifestyle. Eating healthy is important for yoga but it doesn't point towards complete change. It does not mean to sacrifice everything. You can eat junk (sometimes), drink milk, and your favorite things. Yoga does not point towards changing yourself into a yogi and making sacrifices. You can practice yoga as who you are, and change into the best version of yourself.
Yoga is for asthmatic patients
It is one of those taboos that yoga is not practiced by patients with asthma. Yoga teaches you different forms of breathing which increases the flow of oxygen. It is more beneficial for asthma patients than anyone. Your medical problems can also resolve by practicing yoga. It is a medication in itself.
Yoga practices in different countries
Different type of yoga is popular in different regions. A single type of yoga has a variety of forms. Different countries explore a particular type of yoga completely and become famous.
Mysore and Kerala are popular for Hatha yoga, the type of yoga that deepens the learning of balance in us.
Mysore in India and Melbourne in Australia is popular for another type of yoga. Ashtanga Yoga, the eight-limb path of yoga is popular in these places.
Yin Yoga is a popular form of yoga in Bali. Bali is famous as a yoga destination.
Vancouver in Canada is famous for Acro Yoga.
Other Popular yoga destinations
Goa in India
Rishikesh, India
Ibiza in Spain
Koh Phangan, Thailand.
Koh Samui, Thailand.
Algarve, Portugal.
Costa Rica.
Benefits of yoga
Yoga is a habit that can change us and our lives. It can have a great impact on us. It can change us into different people and help us to realize our true potential. Yoga has benefits for everyone, whether it’s a student, young adult, or old age people.
Benefits of yoga for students
Reduction in stress and anxiety
Yoga helps students to live in the moment. It calms their mind and diverts them from daily problems. The mind of a student is always working and learning new things. They are at the age when they shape their lives. And the pressure of shaping their life into the best brings a lot of anxiety and stress. Meditation and yoga postures help them to deal graciously with them.
Improves memory and attention
Meditation practiced in yoga helps in concentrating the mind in one direction. It helps students in paying attention in class. It increases the elaborative rehearsal power and techniques in students which strengthens memory. Yoga also helps to aid ADHD ( Attention deficit hyper disorder ) thus reducing impulsiveness. Increased concentration reduces the absence of mind in school.
Manage weight
Students have a lot of pressure of studies on them. They are not able to pay attention to their daily routine. This is also an age when they are developing taste and interested in tasting varieties of food. Eating more junk food can hamper their health. Yoga thus helps them to curb health problems.
Benefits of yoga for old age people
Flexibility and core balance
Yoga helps in strengthening the core of old age people. With the growing age, their bones become weaker. They are unable to follow daily routines and walk properly. Most old-age people suffer from pain in knee joints. Regular practice of yoga helps in healing pain and increasing flexibility. It makes their bones stronger. It makes them fit to do their work.
Deeper breathing
Old age people have breathing problems. Different pranayama and breathing techniques help them to breathe properly. Rapid exhalation and other forms of breathing help to increase the flow of oxygen in the lungs. It also increases blood circulation in the body. It is also helpful in curbing the blood pressure problems faced by old age people.
Conclusion
For developing a healthy body and mind it is crucial to practice yoga daily.
5000 years ago yoga came into existence. It's debatable between researchers that yoga's discovery took place 10,000 years ago. Yoga history has four main periods; Pre-Classical, Classical, Post Classical and Modern history.
There are various types of yoga:-
1. Hatha Yoga
2. Ashtanga Yoga
3. Yin Yoga
4. Acro Yoga
5. Kundalini Yoga
Yoga can change us into different people and help us to realize our true potential. Yoga has benefits for everyone, whether it’s a student, young adult, or old age people.
