How Yoga is different from just exercise!
The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word 'use'. Yoga is the merging of the soul into the Supreme Spirit. Yoga is a 5,000-year-old discipline. Many people believe that yoga is just a physical exercise, in which the body is stretched and breathed in a certain way. In fact, it was only a superficial introduction to the science of the infinite development of a very large human mind and soul.
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Some people call it 'asana' or 'yogasana' because they think of putting the head down on the legs or twisting the body in different ways. In this article, I want to share with you some common misconceptions about yoga.
Yoga takes you to the higher dimensions of life or gives you a higher grasp of life. Asana is a position of the body. A condition that leads you to a higher probability of life. That state is called 'Yogasana'. There are 84 basic yogasanas. The yogasanas that take your consciousness to a higher level. When we say 84 asanas, don't take it to mean only 84 physical positions. There are 84 methods, there are 84 types of self-realization. But a yogi dominates only one asana, which is called asana siddhi.
There are times we all have, when, no matter what position you put your body in right now, it will not be comfortable. If you are sitting, it will not be comfortable. If you are standing, it will not be comfortable. Even if you are lying down, it will not be comfortable. So what to do? If you learn yoga, gradually you will find that your body is light and in a state of natural relaxation. If you sit in a position, it will be completely relaxed. Then you won’t try to sit the other way.
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The way Hatha Yoga is practiced in many places, I am scared. There is all sorts of crazy, awkward yoga practices. You have to remember that yoga is not an exercise. Yoga is a delicate process that activates your energy in a certain direction. The reason I say this on purpose is because exercise is usually said to have an attitude of 'the harder I work, the stronger I am'.
Asanas or yoga do not have to be hard work. This is not a competition. You should give up this attitude immediately. It is very important to do yoga with full awareness, easily and consciously.
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A great post, and I think you raise an interesting point; yoga is not about the poses, competing or pushing your physical boundaries. I think different teachers and different studios encourage a different atmosphere that promotes or dissuades from this type of practice and it can often take some time to find a studio that practices the type of yoga that you resonate with. I guess social media certainly adds to the 'competitive side' of yoga too...
Thanks for the feedback @laurawilli. That's true, Yoga needs to be done with perfection (in coordination of our breath) to get most of benefit out of it.
You got a 100.00% upvote from @whalepromobot courtesy of @murliwala!