Yoga History and Benefits
By Patience Moses Chat
The history of Yoga is indeed very old. Nothing can be said firmly about the origin of yoga, only it has been suggested that yoga started first in India before spreading to other countries of the world. Yoga is over 5000 years old which makes it one of the oldest physical disciplines in the world.
The word Yoga has its origin from a Sanskrit word “Yug” which means to join or to unite.
It is a major part of the Indian culture. It was developed by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in Northern India. The word Yoga was first mentioned in the oldest sacred texts, the Rig Veda which were a collection of texts containing songs, mantras and rituals to be used by Brahmans, the Vedic priests.
Lord Shiva is considered the Adi Yogi, that is the father and founder of Yoga. He is the first Yogi and the first teacher of the science of Yoga.
From when it began till date, yoga has developed from the Vedic period to the Pre-classical, Classical period to Yoga in Medieval times and finally modern yoga which is practiced around the world. Today, more than 200 million people in over 200 countries practise Yoga.
Yoga has an all-encompassing approach to wellness and helps in coping with daily issues, constant worries and health problems from an aware and positive state of mind. Through Yoga, a person is able to develop mindfulness, improve brain power and capacity, emotional healing, improvement in body movement and flexibility as well as improved breathing.
Yoga is extremely significant for people who aim to achieve mastery of the mind, healthily manage their emotions and have a healthy and flexible body. Yoga offers innumerable benefits for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.
Yoga is not only important for attaining physical and mental health but it also helps in improving relationships as it makes one more kind, mindful, compassionate and calm. It creates harmony and boosts love among people.
It is also believed that regular practice of Yoga can help a person to develop better control of their emotions and lead a disciplined and happy life. Yoga improves strength, and stamina, tones muscles, builds immunity and teaches one how to live a Yogic life.
Yoga has proven over the years to Improved flexibility and balance of the human body. It also helps to strengthen the muscles as well as improve the functioning of the heart and lungs. The practice of Yoga improves heart health, and oxygenation in the body and reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. When one regularly practises yoga asanas and pranayamas, it reduces heart rate, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Yoga can help improve the seating, standing and walking posture of an individual. It can also help to boost body immunity and resistance to several diseases. Yoga also helps to reduce stress, symptoms of depression and anxiety.
It helps in improving the quality of sleep an individual gets by aiding the release of ‘melatonin’ – a hormone that helps in falling asleep and getting good quality sleep. Yoga can also help to increase an individual’s ability to remain focussed and aware on things happening around him or her.
Different Yoga anasas can help boost self-acceptance, love and esteem. Yoga also helps in anger management and calmness.
There are also more than 100 styles of Yoga. These types include Iyengar and Hatha, as well as other styles rising in popularity such as Aerial and Hot Yoga.
Hot Yoga, which is held in a room that can reach temperatures of 105 Fahrenheit, has so many physical and mental health benefits like increasing physical fitness.
Hatha Yoga encompasses several types of Yoga, including ashtanga, vinyasa, and power Yoga. Poses are typically held for several breaths before another pose begins. What is consistent across different types of hatha Yoga is that the physical poses and postures are meant to be linked to your breathing patterns.
Ashtanga Yoga is a physically demanding type of Yoga. It employs the use of quick moves to change from pose to pose. Kundalini Yoga on the other hand combines postures, breathing, meditation, and the chanting of mantras. Traditionally, kundalini Yoga is meant to “awaken” the different energies inside each of us and heighten consciousness.
Yin Yoga is a style in which there’s no flowing from pose to pose. You stay mostly seated on the floor or lying on your back or belly.
Yoga nidra is more of a meditation than a pose-filled Yoga practice. Students lie on their backs (a blanket or bolster can be used to add comfort) as the teacher guides them through focusing on and relaxing different parts of the body.
The practice of Yoga involves the use of different “āsanas”. Ansana is the Sanskrit word for “seat”. It refers to a body posture. It is originally and still remains the general term for a sitting meditation pose in the practice of Yoga. Asanas are also called yoga poses or yoga postures in English.Traditional Yoga has 84 basic Asanas or poses.
There are different types of asanas in yoga including Parsvakonasana, Siddhasana, Shavasana, sirsasana, kukkutasana, paschimottasana, Dhanurasana, Mrdhaatsyendrasana, Gomukhasana and Navasana ansa.
The largest Yoga class was held in India and involved 100,984 participants.
While male Yoga practitioners are called ‘yogis’ the female practitioners are called ‘yoginis’. Research has also revealed that 72% of Yoga practitioners are women and that Yoga is mostly practised by people between age 30 and 49.
There are now over 18,000 registered Yoga schools in the world and the 21st day of June every year is International Yoga Day.
It therefore is important that individuals create a balance, develop awareness and follow healthy habits while going about their daily endeavors and this can be achieved by including Yoga in their life routine. Unlike the common misconception about yoga being a religion, Amit Ray, a yoga guru, said that “Yoga is not a religion but a science of well-being, science of youthfulness, science of integrating body, mind and soul.”
