Why Practice Yoga?
Yoga: yui, or yoke; to bring together or unite
When many of us think of yoga we think of elaborate physical postures that require vast amounts of strength
and flexibility. However, the roots of yoga promote personal transformation through transcendence of the ego. The original practitioners were more interested in becoming in touch to their connection to a divine power than putting both legs behind their head. According to the Yoga Sutras, the original yogic texts, it is through the practice of yoga that we are able to unite the mind, body, and soul and therefor reach a state of enlightenment or oneness with the divine. The physical practice, the asanas, do have a purpose. As we practice the postures, we gain control over the body and are better able to bring unity within by linking the breathe and movement.
There are actually eight limbs in yoga (think of these as branches coming off of the same 'yoga tree'):
1. Yamas: ethical values
2. Niyamas: Personal Observances
3. Asana: physical postures
4. Pranayama: breathe work, the life force
5. Pratyahara: withdrawal of the senses, drawing the self inwards
6. Dharana: concentration
7. Dhyana: meditation
8. Samadhi: state of bliss or enlightenment
Yoga: yui, or yoke; to bring together or unite
When many of us think of yoga we think of elaborate physical postures that require vast amounts of strength
and flexibility. However, the roots of yoga promote personal transformation through transcendence of the ego. The original practitioners were more interested in becoming in touch to their connection to a divine power than putting both legs behind their head. According to the Yoga Sutras, the original yogic texts, it is through the practice of yoga that we are able to unite the mind, body, and soul and therefor reach a state of enlightenment or oneness with the divine. The physical practice, the asanas, do have a purpose. As we practice the postures, we gain control over the body and are better able to bring unity within by linking the breathe and movement.
There are actually eight limbs in yoga (think of these as branches coming off of the same 'yoga tree'):
1. Yamas: ethical values
2. Niyamas: Personal Observances
3. Asana: physical postures
4. Pranayama: breathe work, the life force
5. Pratyahara: withdrawal of the senses, drawing the self inwards
6. Dharana: concentration
7. Dhyana: meditation
8. Samadhi: state of bliss or enlightenment