What is Yoga? Definition of Yoga, meaning of Yoga:
The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word “Yuj” meaning to yoke, join or unite. This implies joining or integrating all aspects of the individual – body with mind and mind with soul – to achieve a happy, balanced and useful life, and spiritually, uniting the individual with the supreme power.
Yoga originated in ancient India and is one of the longest surviving philosophical systems in the world. Some scholars have estimated that yoga is as old as 5,000 years; artifacts detailing yoga postures have been found in India from over 3000 B.C. Yoga masters (yogis) claim that it is a highly developed science of healthy living that has been tested and perfected for all these years.
In India, yoga is considered one of the six branches of classical philosophy and is referred to throughout the Vedas – ancient Indian scriptures and amongst the
oldest texts in existence. The Upanishads are also broadly philosophical treatises
which postdate the Vedas and deal with the nature of the “soul” and universe. However, the origins of yoga are believed to be much older than that, stemming from the oral traditions of Yogies, where knowledge of Yoga was handed down from Guru (spiritual teacher) to Sisya (spiritual student) all the way back to the originators of Yoga, “the Rishis” who first began. Legend has it that knowledge
of Yoga was first passed by Lord Shiva to his wife Parvati and from there into the lives of men.
AIM OF YOGA:
The main aim of yoga is control over the mind. A happy man is who knows how to distinguish the real from the unreal, the eternal from the transient and the good from the bad by his discrimination and wisdom. A man who cannot control his mind will find it difficult to attain this divine communion; but the self-
controlled man can attain it if he tries hard and directs his energy by the right means.
EIGHT STAGES OF YOGA:
* Yama
* Yama
* Niyama
* Asana
* Pranayama
* Notes
* Pratyahara
* Dharana
* Dhyana
* Smadhi
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