Yoga: History, Types and Benefits of Yoga

1. Yoga: History, Types, And Benefits Of Yoga In the previous article about maintaining health, I mentioned an important aspect– Yoga. In this article, I will be discussing the benefits and importance of it. Also, this article will provide information on the benefits and importance of yoga. What is Yoga? It can be defined as the perfect harmony between mind and body. With this, we can synchronize ourselves with the consciousness of the universe. Firstly, let’s discuss the real meaning of yoga. In recent years, its meaning was centralized around only physical postures. However, it is not just about physical exercise. But, it also includes Pranayama, Dhyana, Samadhi, Yama, Niyama, Pratyahara, Dharana and Asana. We will discuss all these eight types in this article. In addition, it is a practice of synchronizing our nature with the world around us. It facilitates us to match our abilities with the consciousness of the universe. To clarify, it is about the skill of living in harmony with all the aspects of life. And remaining centralized during the adverse conditions in life. Similarly, it also deals with how to communicate and treat others.

2. Yoga History The history of yoga is very interesting and we should know this. It has emerged from the old literature of India. Let’s talk about it and understand yoga history. The history starts like this. There were darkness and emptiness. After that, there came light and sound like “OHM”. The sound of ohm thought to be generated knowledge. The oldest literature of human history included all this knowledge.

3. That knowledge from sound ohm gave rise to Vedas. Those are Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda. The sub-components or sub-Vedas were Ayur Veda, Dhanur Veda, Gandharva Veda, and Artha Veda. Furthermore, it was included in six limbs like Shiksha, Kalpa, Vyakarana, Nirukta, Chandas, and Jyotisha. Again, These six limbs were divided into six subordinate limbs– Nyay, Vaisheshika, Sankhya, Vedanta, Mimansa, and Yoga. We will be talking about Yoga out of the six subordinate limbs. The Rig Veda is one of the four most secret and powerful books of human history. The Rig Veda is about 8-10 thousand years old. Yoga is a part of this Vedic literature. Five thousand years back, Maharishi Patanjali was the one who put forward the concept of yoga. The authority of yoga is Maharishi Patanjali. He propounded it. The Bhagavad Gita says, “Yogah Karmasu Koushalam” which means that it is the skill of action and expression. Gurukul students learned yoga during the middle ages. But, learning yoga was allowed to royal students only. However, the doors of this concept were opened for each and every human being in recent years. It had a positive effect on western countries and people of western culture have started to adopt the yoga culture. Eight limbs of Yoga: Maharishi Patanjali elucidated eight limbs of yoga as follows: 1) Yama: In this component, Maharishi pointed out the aspects of social ethics. It tells us about how yoga can improve our social life. And deals with communication with our neighbors, relatives, and co-workers. It emphasizes social health. 2) Niyama: It deals with an individual’s personal ethics and talks about how to deal with self. Niyama affects our mental health and connects our soul to the mind. This helps in calming our anger and controlling the mind.

4. 3) Asana: It deals with physical postures and exercises. Yet, it is not limited to doing yoga in the morning. Moreover, the sitting and standing postures are also involved. We should maintain our asana throughout the day. 4) Pranayama: The oxygen keeps us alive. Pranayama discusses directing the life forces. It puts the body to rest and manages the organs to function properly. The oxygen flowing in our blood vessels directs the organs to function for a long time. There are many saints who claim to live for a long time using this technique.

5. 5) Pratyahara: The practice of turning our senses inwards and controlling them. These are the senses which motivate us to do something good or bad. By turning those inwards we can control our senses to protect ourselves from doing something bad.

6. 6) Dharna: It is about the one-pointed focus. Meanwhile work or study, our concentration hangs about and we cannot focus on one thing. Dharna deals with distraction which helps in focusing at one point, that is, our goal. 7) Dhyana:

7. Dhyana and meditation are similar concepts. This calms our minds. It helps in discovering ourselves. It let us realize our hidden abilities and talents. 8) Samadhi: This is an upgraded version of Dhyana. It deals with merging with self. Samadhi lasts for a long time. Practiced by saints and rishis. Rishis do Samadhi to worship God. Importance and Benefits of Yoga: There are many benefits of yoga. It enables our physical and mental system to work at its best. Here are some of the importance and benefits of yoga.

8. First of all, yoga calms our minds and takes care of the mental health of an individual. It can be used to get rid of depression and stress problems. Secondly, it helps in maintaining physical health by practicing Asana (postures) every morning. It directly affects our living. Practicing it will give positive results for sure. Furthermore, yoga increases concentration and focusing ability. This enhances work efficiency and helps in studying without forgetting the concepts. benefits of yoga There are many benefits of yoga. It enables our physical and mental system to work at its best. Here are some of the importance and benefits of yoga. In addition, yoga can keep our social life very healthy. The calmness of mind imparts the skill of communication. Conclusion: In conclusion, yoga is the union of body, mind, and spirit. It is about the realization of connections between humans and nature and not just physical postures. It brings harmony between thoughts, words, and actions. Remaining centered and focused during adverse conditions or expressing love towards everyone can be considered yoga.