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The Complate Yoga Sytem
1. What is yoga?
The word yoga, from the Sanskrit word yuj means to yoke or
bind and is often interpreted as "union" or a method of
discipline. A male who practices yoga is called a yogi, a female
practitioner, a yogini. The Indian sage Patanjali is believed to
have collated the practice of yoga into the Yoga Sutra an
estimated 2,000 years ago. The Sutra is a collection of 195
statements that serves as a philosophical guidebook for most of
the yoga that is practiced today. It also outlines eight limbs of
yoga: the yamas (restraints), niyamas (observances),
asana (postures), pranayama (breathing),
pratyahara (withdrawal of senses), dharana
(concentration), dhyani (meditation), and samadhi
(absorption). As we explore these eight limbs, we begin by
refining our behavior in the outer world, and then we focus
inwardly until we reach samadhi (liberation, enlightenment).
2. What does Hatha mean?
The word hatha means willful or forceful. Hatha yoga refers to a
set of physical exercises (known as asanas or postures), and
sequences of asanas, designed to align your skin, muscles, and
bones. The postures are also designed to open the many channels of
the bodyespecially the main channel, the spineso that energy can
flow freely. Hatha is also translated as ha meaning "sun"
and tha meaning "moon." This refers to the balance of
masculine aspectsactive, hot, sunand feminine aspectsreceptive,
cool, moonwithin all of us. Hatha yoga is a path toward creating
balance and uniting opposites. In our physical bodies we develop a
balance of strength and flexibility. We also learn to balance our
effort and surrender in each pose. Hatha yoga is a powerful tool
for self-transformation. It asks us to bring our attention to our
breath, which helps us to still the fluctuations of the mind and
be more present in the unfolding of each moment.
3. What does Om mean?
Om is a mantra, or vibration, that is traditionally chanted at the
beginning and end of yoga sessions. It is said to be the sound of
the universe. What does that mean?
Somehow the ancient yogis knew what scientists today are telling
usthat the entire universe is moving. Nothing is ever solid or
still. Everything that exists pulsates, creating a rhythmic
vibration that the ancient yogis acknowledged with the sound of Om.
We may not always be aware of this sound in our daily lives, but
we can hear it in the rustling of the autumn leaves, the waves on
the shore, the inside of a seashell.
Chanting Om allows us to recognize our experience as a reflection
of how the whole universe movesthe setting sun, the rising moon,
the ebb and flow of the tides, the beating of our hearts. As we
chant Om, it takes us for a ride on this universal movement,
through our breath, our awareness, and our physical energy, and we
begin to sense a bigger connection that is both uplifting and
soothing.
4. Do I have to be vegetarian to practice yoga?
The first principle of yoga philosophy is ahimsa, which
means nonharming to self and others. Some people interpret this to
include not eating animal products. There is debate about this in
the yoga communityI believe that it is a personal decision that
everyone has to make for themselves. If you are considering
becoming a vegetarian, be sure to take into account your personal
health issues as well how your choices will affect those with whom
you live. Being a vegetarian should not be something that you
impose on othersthat kind of aggressive action in itself is not an
expression of ahimsa.
5. How many times per week should I practice?
Yoga is amazingeven if you only practice for one hour a week, you
will experience the benefits of the practice. If you can do more
than that, you will certainly experience more benefits. I suggest
starting with two or three times a week, for an hour or an hour
and a half each time. If you can only do 20 minutes per session,
that's fine too. Dont let time constraints or unrealistic goals be
an obstacledo what you can and dont worry about it. You will
likely find that after awhile your desire to practice expands
naturally and you will find yourself doing more and more.
6. How is yoga different from stretching or other
kinds of fitness?
Unlike stretching or fitness, yoga is more than just physical
postures. Patanjali's eight-fold path illustrates how the physical
practice is just one aspect of yoga. Even within the physical
practice, yoga is unique because we connect the movement of the
body and the fluctuations of the mind to the rhythm of our breath.
Connecting the mind, body, and breath helps us to direct our
attention inward. Through this process of inward attention, we
learn to recognize our habitual thought patterns without labeling
them, judging them, or trying to change them. We become more aware
of our experiences from moment to moment. The awareness that we
cultivate is what makes yoga a practice, rather than a task or a
goal to be completed. Your body will most likely become much more
flexible by doing yoga, and so will your mind
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