OM
Yoga
Yoga
for
the
body
mind
and
spirit
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OM Yoga
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Contact Beth at 541-992-0638
Email: info@omyogastudio.org
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What is Yoga?
Yoga, most simply means, "to join" or "to unite" with God or Brahman. Most people in the United States practice what is called Hatha yoga. Hatha yoga consists of various asanas or poses in combination with pranayama or breathing. This type of yoga is excellant for not only the physical body, but also the spiritual, emotional and mental parts as well. With regular practice, a peace of mind is attained as well as great focus and concentration. The physical assets are numerous. What most westerners do not know about Hatha yoga is that it is just one of Eight Limbs of Raja yoga. Raja yoga is one of four of the Four Main Paths of yoga. The Paths of yoga are all different approaches to life. They all lead to union with God. The lessons of each path need to be integrated in order for true wisdom to be attained. Many people have a feeling of loneliness or separation inside. Yoga is said to liberate the spirit from the sense of separation and to free the spirit from the illusion of time, space, and causation.
Four Paths of Yoga
1. Karma Yoga is the yoga of action. This path helps to sublimate the ego.
2. Bhakti Yoga is a path of devotion. This path helps to obtain conditional love.
3. Jnana Yoga is the yoga of knowledge or wisdom. This path is the most difficult, and will show ones strengh and will. One can not obtain Jnana without Karma or Bhakti yoga.
4. Raja Yoga is the science of the physical and mental control. This path helps to turn mental and physical energy into spiritual.
There are Eight Limbs of Raja yoga written by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras that purify the body and mind leading to enlightenment.
yamas are divided into five moral injunctions
nonviolence
truthfulness in word, thought, and deed
nonstealing
moderation in all things
nonpossesiveness
niyamas are divided into five observances
purity
contentment
austerity
study of sacred texts
aware of divine presence at all times
asanas (postures) and pranayama (breathing) form the subdivision of Raja yoga known as Hatha yoga
pratyahara-drawing senses inward to still the mind in preparation for....
dharana-concentration, which leads to....
dhyana or meditation, which leads to....
samadhi-superconsciousness
The History of Yoga
Yoga dates back as far as 3000 B.C. in the Indus Valley (now Pakistan), where seals of statues in the Lotus posture were found. Yoga wasn't written about until 2500 B.C. in the Upanishads, which provides the main foundation of yogic teaching and philosophy called Vedanta. There have been many commentaries and interpretations of the Bhagavad Gita (the most well known yogic scripture) which was written in the 6th century B.C. The Bhagavad Gita is an epic poem which describes the philosophy of yoga in the form of a dialogue between the god Krishna and the warrior Prince Arjuna. In the 3rd century B.C., one of the most famous yoga texts, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras was written. This text describes the different asanas and pranayama, which is where Hatha yoga is derived.
Benefits of Yoga
Today with our busy lifestyles and hectic schedules, we don't set any time aside for ourselves. We often forget who we are and what our life purpose may be. We have poor diets and no exercise routines. We put un-necessary stresses on our bodies mentally, emotionally, and physically that eventually leads to desease. I have found that practicing yoga a few times a week (even if only 20 minutes a day) helps to relieve my built up tension and stress. The asanas exercise every part of the body. Asanas stretch and tone the muscles and joints, the spine, and the entire skeletal system. Practicing hatha yoga also massages the internal organs, glands and nerves, keeping your whole body healthy. The majority of people are attracted to yoga for the physical aspects of it, which is great. The more you practice, the better you will feel physically, emotionally and spiritually. Through yogic breathing and exercising, you exercise the mind as well because your focus is on the breath and how the stretches feel. This focus, which is similar to a meditative state, brings a feeling of inner peace. Regular practice can help arthritis sufferers, arteriosclerosis, chronic fatigue, asthma, varicose veins and heart conditions. Other benefits include: increase of lung capacity and respiration, loss of body weight, improvement of ability to resist stress, and decrease in cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Yoga can benefit you emotionally as well. As you learn to observe the ebb and flow of your breathing and the release of tension in your body, you will find that your attention turns inward and allows you to experience and become more aware of your feelings. Yoga teaches you to let your breathing flow naturally and normally, and to be aware of its rhythm. This rhythmic breathing allows you to release tension, to cleanse and purify your body with every exhalation and nourish and invigorate yourself with every inhalation.
Yoga Is Not Competitive
Anyone can practice yoga. A lot of people are afraid to try yoga because of the advanced poses they have seen in books or on television. I think it is important to realize that it is not realistic for people to put expectations on themselves to be able to "fold themselves into a pretzel" when they are a beginning student. Yoga is not about competition with others or yourself. It is important to listen to your body while in a pose. By listening to your body, I mean if a pose hurts, don't do it! It will only result in injury. Yogi's that have been practicing for years first started out with the simplest poses, which eventually increased their flexibility, strength and concentration. In a beginning yoga class, the main focus is on the breath and light stretching. Every class is different because some people may be more flexible than others.
OM Yoga Studio est. 2005
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