What is yoga? - Yogvetta.com

Yoga is currently practiced as a form of physical exercise, and even physical exercise itself has become synonymous with yoga. But in reality, yoga is not limited to physical exercise. Rather, it is a holistic lifestyle for human life, which originated in ancient India.

The sages and saints of ancient India were practitioners of yoga and lived a life of yoga. Yoga is not only associated with the sages and saints of ancient times, but is also considered a knowledge revealed by the gods and goddesses of Hinduism.

Yoga not only benefits physical health, but its practice also has mental and spiritual benefits. So, let's learn in detail what yoga is.

What is Yoga?

Generally speaking, yoga is a daily routine, and only a practitioner of yoga follows this yogic routine. The meaning of the word yoga is understood to mean union. According to some yogic texts, yoga is the union of the soul with the Supreme Being and the consciousness with universal consciousness.

You likely already know that yoga is India's gift to the world, but the answer to this question, "What is yoga?", is also contained in ancient Indian texts, which we are about to tell you about.

According to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras - योगश्चितवृतिनिरोधः (1/2)

In simple terms, yoga is the cessation of the mind's movements. But what is this mind and what are its tendencies? This question must have come to your mind.

So, let me tell you that the mind can be understood as the memory of the mind where the impressions of our actions or future actions are stored, and "vritti" means rotation.

Overall, Maharishi Patanjali's sutras mean that yoga is about stopping the thoughts of past and future actions from lingering in the mind.

Note - However, according to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the mental states are described in detail, which are of five types: complex and simple. To learn more about this, you can study the Patanjali Yoga Sutras.

According to the Bhagavad Gita -

                                              योगस्थ कुरु कर्माणि संगम त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय

                                              सिध्यसिध्यो समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते (2/48)

Simple Meaning - In this, Lord Krishna preaches yoga to Arjuna, saying, "O Dhananjaya! Relinquish your attachment to your actions and perform your duties with equal respect to the success and failure of every task. Yoga is about maintaining an even state in every task and action."

For example, it can be understood this way: a human being should have an equal mind in all his joys and sorrows, victories and defeats, gains and losses. This means that one should neither be overjoyed when faced with great happiness nor overly saddened when faced with sorrow. Instead, one should live his life with an equal attitude in every situation. This equanimity is called yoga.

Similarly, many other texts also provide different information about yoga. While each text may define yoga differently, the purpose of yoga can be considered the same in all texts.

Benefits of Yoga

• Practicing yoga brings discipline to life, a happy mind, positive thoughts, and mastery in tasks.
• Yoga is considered the best practice for physical health.
• In the medical field, yoga can also provide relief from many diseases that cannot be treated with other medical systems.
• Practicing yoga brings concentration, calms emotions, relieves anxiety and restlessness, and alleviates depression. Therefore, practicing yoga is extremely beneficial for maintaining good mental health.
• Spirituality is essential for knowing and connecting with the ultimate truth (God) beyond oneself, and spiritual practice is incomplete without yoga.
• If children are introduced to yoga from childhood, it promotes their all-round development (physical, mental, emotional, and social development).
• Practicing yoga keeps the body fresh and energetic, and brings a sense of lightness.

Conclusion

Yoga is a divine legacy for human life. Yoga is known not only as a physical exercise, but it is also an excellent practice for the physical, mental, emotional, and social development of a person. If a person lives a life of yoga with complete discipline, they will surely achieve their goals.

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