What are the health benefits of yoga?
What is Yoga? Do I really need to practice Yoga?
“YOGA is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self”
–The Bhagavad Gita
The word Yoga literally means “union” or “to merge”. Rooted in Indian philosophy, Yoga is an expression of who we are meant to be, who we want to become. Yoga is a spiritual system that allows us to merge our body, mind, heart & spirit. This system is based on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali “The eight limbs of Yoga”. A sutra is the Sanskrit word for thread and this system is composed by eight threads that will lead us to “Moksha”, liberation or freedom.
- What are the eight limbs of Yoga?
- Yamas (Restraints, moral vows)
- Niyamas (Positive duties, observances)
- Asanas (Postures)
- Pranayama (Breathing techniques)
- Pratyahara (Sense withdrawal)
- Dharana (Focused concentration)
- Dhyana (Meditative absorption)
- Samadhi (Bliss or Enlightenment)
We will cover each limb of this system in future articles.
What are the health benefits of yoga?
- Yoga makes you feel good!
- Yoga increases your flexibility
- Yoga improves your strengths
- Yoga boosts your immune system
- Yoga helps you focus
- Yoga positively changes your energy
- Yoga boosts your metabolism
- Yoga reduces anxiety
- Yoga helps you to be more mindful
- Yoga improves your balance (body & mind)
- Yoga helps to clear the toxins
- Yoga helps you to enter a state of Gratitude
- Yoga allows us to know ourselves
- Yoga allows us to connect to our Prana, Life force
- Yoga is a lifetime teacher
“Yoga does not just change the way we see things, it transforms the person who sees”
-B.K.S IYENGAR
