What is Yoga?
The first thing that comes to mind when we hear the word yoga is a person standing upside down or doing a complicated posture. But is that what Yoga really is?
When I was growing up I thought yoga was done just to improve flexibility. If you want to bend forward and be able to touch your palms all the way on the floor and make people be in awe of you, then go to yoga classes.
Fortunately for me, through my yoga teacher training program I learnt that there is much more to yoga than I ever imagined. It is far more spiritually enriching and physically gratifying to put in simple words.
Yoga is more than that.
The word yoga was found in the ancient Indian scriptures called the Vedas. Now, you must understand that Vedas were quoted by people called Rishis, who have mastered themselves. Which means they had complete control over their mind or chitta, body or deha and breath or prana.
So the Vedic texts reveal that yoga was followed centuries ago.
Vedic texts are very deep and difficult to be understood by a common man. That is why a series of stories were formed to explain the content of the Vedas to common people like us.
Here is one story that explains about yoga...
The picture above is of a snake named Adishesha floating on the ocean with his body coiled to make a seat for Lord Vishnu who is having a conversation with Garuda (an eagle), the Lord's vehicle (Yes he traveled on an eagle how cool is that?)
Adishesha has this massive body steadily floating in the ocean. He has to find an equal balance between steady and comfort. If he is stiff with steadiness the Lord cannot sit restfully and if he is too comfortable he would probably sink. In addition to this dilemma his natural enemy Garuda is sitting in front of him. And still he his calm.
Hence Adishesha is in Yoga.
Can you imagine having a state of mind where you are not affected by Anything. Just a calm countenance amidst the madness of the world around you. This does not mean your indifferent and don't have feelings or emotions, you are just not affected by other people or by any situation.
Your calm in the middle of crazy traffic, when your kids are throwing tantrums at the grocery store, when you are about to give a big presentation at work, when going through the toughest phases of life.
Because this is life. Instead of letting it all affect you. Yoga brings in a state of peace and calmness into your life.
When I was growing up I thought yoga was done just to improve flexibility. If you want to bend forward and be able to touch your palms all the way on the floor and make people be in awe of you, then go to yoga classes.
Fortunately for me, through my yoga teacher training program I learnt that there is much more to yoga than I ever imagined. It is far more spiritually enriching and physically gratifying to put in simple words.
Yoga is more than that.
The word yoga was found in the ancient Indian scriptures called the Vedas. Now, you must understand that Vedas were quoted by people called Rishis, who have mastered themselves. Which means they had complete control over their mind or chitta, body or deha and breath or prana.
So the Vedic texts reveal that yoga was followed centuries ago.
Vedic texts are very deep and difficult to be understood by a common man. That is why a series of stories were formed to explain the content of the Vedas to common people like us.
Here is one story that explains about yoga...
The picture above is of a snake named Adishesha floating on the ocean with his body coiled to make a seat for Lord Vishnu who is having a conversation with Garuda (an eagle), the Lord's vehicle (Yes he traveled on an eagle how cool is that?)
Adishesha has this massive body steadily floating in the ocean. He has to find an equal balance between steady and comfort. If he is stiff with steadiness the Lord cannot sit restfully and if he is too comfortable he would probably sink. In addition to this dilemma his natural enemy Garuda is sitting in front of him. And still he his calm.
Hence Adishesha is in Yoga.
Can you imagine having a state of mind where you are not affected by Anything. Just a calm countenance amidst the madness of the world around you. This does not mean your indifferent and don't have feelings or emotions, you are just not affected by other people or by any situation.
Your calm in the middle of crazy traffic, when your kids are throwing tantrums at the grocery store, when you are about to give a big presentation at work, when going through the toughest phases of life.
Because this is life. Instead of letting it all affect you. Yoga brings in a state of peace and calmness into your life.
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