About Yoga
What is Yoga?
Yoga can be beneficial to all of us, regardless of our various states of fitness. Yoga is an ancient practice that originated in India. It consists of physical and mental disciplines which make us healthy, alert, and receptive. A general program of yoga not only keeps the body supple while strengthening the muscles, it also improves all the bodily functions, including respiration, digestion, elimination, and circulation. Through its many positions & postures (or "asanas"), yoga tends to the needs of the whole body. If a certain muscle needs to be stretched or strengthened, or if an organ needs to be stimulated or sedated, there is a yoga position to serve that purpose.
Although yoga is not a religion, it can be a way of life. Our experiences in yoga transform our perception of the world and the way we live in it. The increased awareness of the body and breath attained through practicing yoga extends into every aspect of our lives - such as the way we eat, and the way we relate to others.
Body & mind
Mindful execution of yoga postures, however, involves more than physical positioning. A yoga posture is brought alive by focusing the mind not only on the position of the limbs, by also on the flow of breath and the flow of energy throughout the body, extending the awareness into every cell. Through integrating these aspects of ourselves, we allow the body to be as it was meant to be. The blood flows freely throughout the body, toxins are released and eliminated, and the proper hormonal balance is maintained. The joints become open, mobile and aligned – particularly the vertebral joints. When you start your day with yoga, your body and mind are more alive, more focused, more centered and ready for the challenges of every day life.
Expand Awareness of Your Self
Yoga techniques help you to achieve your full potential as a human being. By allowing no part of the body to escape your attention, by reaching into areas of which you are unaware, and by attempting to move in difficult or unfamiliar ways, you come to recognize the aspects of yourself which have been hidden, blocked, or previously unawakened.
In short, yoga addresses the body as the physical part of the personality and recognizes that we, as human beings, cannot separate the way we move from who we are.
