The Benifits of Yoga and Yoga Sutra

The Benifits of Yoga and Yoga Sutra

Over recent years, Yoga has become more and more popular in Western society. I first learned about Yoga while I was in high school. One of my best friends, Ashley, began suffering from anxiety. She had a tough time coping with her panic attacks so her doctor suggested that she in role in yoga classes for relaxation purposes. She took classes once a week in addition to medication and counseling. She really enjoyed her classes and in joking around she would show me the stretches she had learned in class. After about a month of classes she noticed that she was becoming more flexible and calmer in her daily life. At first I though it was a bit funny because you have to hold awkward and strange stretching positions for long periods of time, but I also found it interesting that such small exercises could have such a large impact on one’s body and mind. The positive benefits of practicing Yoga are widely recognized by those who practice it.

The principles of Yoga have been around since the second century BC. The word yoga comes fro the Sanskrit root “yuj” meaning to bind, join, attach, and yoke, to direct and concentrate one’s attention to, and to use and apply. The word also means to union or communion. Some people believe that it is the true union of one’s spirit with God. Mahadev Desai talks of yoga in his introduction to the Gita. He says that yoga is, “the yoking of all the powers of the body, mind, and soul to God; it means the disciplining of the intellect, the mind, the emotions, the will, which that Yoga presupposes; it means a poise of the soul which enables one to look at life in all aspects evenly.” The Kathopanishad describes yoga as, “When the senses are stilled, when the mind ...

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... and digestion. Yoga is known to also improve circulation and memory in some people. It can also be used as a supplementary therapy to help patients suffering form cancer, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, migraine, and AIDS. It has also been said that it can help fight additions such as smoking. Although there are already some unquestionable benefits to practicing Yoga, a lot is still unknown about it so there will be more research in the future.

Overall, I think the practice of Yoga is great. The breathing, meditation and stretching provide for healthy improvement in one’s lifestyle. I know that meditation is beneficial to get centered and be best prepared for each day and I also believe that physical exercise is important as well. Yoga seems to provide both of these at once. No matter what type of Yoga you practice, each is a great addition to a healthy lifestyle.