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Namaste!!
Welcome to the wonderful world of YOGA!
Here you can learn all about the history of Yoga,
the various types of Yoga, the difference between them, which type would suit you
the most, where you can learn it, links to other sites on Yoga... Infact just about
everything you would want to or need to know on Yoga!
Let's begin at the beginning...
The History and Origin Of Yoga
YOGA is an ancient form of physical movement that has its roots
in INDIAN culture and philosophy. The practice of YOGA employs the use of various physical
motions that are believed to be essential to achieve a sense of both physical and mental
well being. YOGA is not a religion, but rather it has developed over many centuries as a
means of strengthening and energizing the physical body. The Indian 'darsana' or
"sight; way of seeing" has six fundamental systems - one of them is Yoga.
The Yoga path is a precise &
accurate method for developing a greater clarity in helping us "see" &
"know our inner-selves. The word Yoga means "unite". Yoga
includes physical exercises to make you reach the ultimate goal of uniting your soul with
the universe. Yoga is regarded as a divine science of life, revealed to enlightened
sages in Meditation. Stone seals in the Indus Valley which date back to around 3000BC show
Yogic postures and this is the earliest archaeological evidence of Yoga's origin.
These Yogic postures, resemble Lord Shiva and Parvathi performing various Asians and
practicing meditation. Mythical tradition, suggests that Lord Shiva is said to be the
founder of Yoga and Paravathi his first disciple. The Vedas - huge collection of
ancient INDIAN scriptures - dating back to 2500 BC first mention Yoga. Yoga
was also mentioned in the Upanishads. Infact the Upanishads provide the main foundation of
Yoga teachings. Even the 'Mahabharat' - an epic about INDIAN mythology which
contains the Bhagwad Gita has instructions from Lord Krishna to Arjuna in Yoga to
help him to achieve liberation by fulfilling one's duties in Life. The Yogic
science arose at the beginning of human civilization was slowly evolved and developed by
ancient sages all over the world. There are some traditions, which believe that Yoga
was a divine gift that was given to mankind to help realize it's divine nature.
Now that we know how Yoga
originated let's take a look at the various types of Yoga. Medical science has
begun to pay attention to the effects of yoga as a therapy in recent times. Studies have
shown, the relaxation in the corpse pose effectively relieves high blood pressure and that
regular practice of the poses or postures (Asanas) and breathing exercises (Pranayama )
can help such a variety of ailments like arthritis, sclerosis, chronic fatigue, asthma,
varicose veins, cardiac conditions, and women's health problems. Laboratory tests have
also confirmed yoga's ability to allow one to consciously control autonomic (involuntary)
functions of the body such as temperature, heart rate and blood pressure. But before you
start the practice of YOGA it is essential to know which type of YOGA would be best suited
to you. You should make this decision keeping your own nature in mind. Decide which form
appeals to you the most. YOGA can be broadly classified into 8 main categories. They are Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Raja Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Laya Yoga, Tantra Yoga, Hatha Yoga.
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