Yoga - A Way of Life

Class 06 English

Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual practice that originated in ancient India. The word ‘Yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit root ‘yuj’, which means ‘to join’ or ‘to unite’. This symbolises the unity of mind and body; thought and action; harmony between human and nature. It is a holistic approach to health and well-being.

Sage Patanjali presented the ancient tradition of yoga in a systematic way in ‘Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’. He described yoga as the means to make the mind quiet and free from all distractions.

Yoga has become increasingly popular around the world due to its many health benefits.

Here are some of the benefits of yoga:

  • Yoga postures (asanas) help to stretch and strengthen the muscles, increase flexibility, endurance and balance. This can improve overall physical fitness. This can also help to reduce body pains, such as lower back pain.
  • Yoga involves breathing techniques and meditation, which can help to calm the mind and reduce stress and anxiety. It relaxes the mind, improves the quality of sleep and increases concentration.
  • Yoga has been shown to boost the immune system. It can improve heart health by lowering blood pressure and improving circulation.
  • Yoga can aid in weight loss by burning calories, and maintaining health.

Yoga promotes a sense of overall well-being. This is the reason why the benefits of practising yoga are internationally recognised. The World Health Organisation (WHO) on 20 June 2021, launched an App called WHO mYoga. The app contains a collection of videos and audio files to teach and support yoga practice. The aim was to have an easy-to-use and free tool for people across the world to encourage them to practise yoga.

We can start practising yoga at any given moment of time. We must remember that when we practise yoga asanas (postures), we do not just stretch the body. The mind has to be with the body. This is the reason why it should be practised without distractions. If each stretch is coordinated with the breath and awareness, our practice will become a yogic practise.