Yoga: A journey to your soul

The Surya Namaskar

Almost all of us have heard of the word ‘yoga’, many of us have seen yoga being practiced, and a few of us even perform yoga exercises on a regular basis, but how many of you out there actually know what yoga is?

The word ‘yoga’ in Sanskrit, the ancient language of sages and scholars, means ‘union’. Yoga is believed to be an union between the mind, body and soul. What we informally call as yoga can be more precisely referred to as ‘asana’ which is the actual practice of yogic postures and poses. However, in the west, yoga and asana are wrongly construed as the same.

The amazing thing about yoga is that anyone can start practicing it even if you do not feel you are very flexible or strong. As a matter of fact, the very purpose of yoga is to make a person flexible as well as strong- mentally and physically. One of the most difficult aspects of yoga is not actually in the exercises but letting go of the ego and accepting that no one is better than anyone else.

Yoga, in its complete form, is an entire world by itself, so it is realistically not possible to use words to explain the process. However the different types of yoga are-

1) Bikram yoga- It involves practicing yoga in 105 degree heat and 40% humidity. There are 26 poses involved here.

2) Hatha yoga- This is a more relaxed and slow type of yoga preferably to wind down with before hitting the bed.

3) Kundalini yoga- ‘Kundalini’ refers to the energy of the Root Chakra, which surrounds the area around your lower spine.

4) Ashtanga yoga- This is a more rigorous version of yoga best suited for sportsmen or those who want to push their bodies to the limit. It is commonly called power yoga.

5) Vinyasa yoga- Starting with the Sun salutation, this version will ensure you flow from one pose to the next. Hence, it is commonly termed as ‘flow’ and is the most popular style of yoga in the US.

6) Prenatal yoga- For those ladies who are soon-to-be mothers, this yoga was invented for you. It involves a lot of core work and breathing exercises.

Benefits of yoga

Your mind and body will benefit from yoga more than from any chemical or artificial source in the world. It is a proven fact that people who dedicate themselves to yoga are immune to any illness in the world.

Physical benefits- Flexibility, strength, muscle tone, pain reduction and effective breathing.

Mental benefits- Mental calmness, stress reduction and increased body awareness.

For those couch potatoes, turn off that idiot box and go enroll yourselves in a nearby yoga class.