Yoga refers to be the traditional physical and mental disciplines with healing power originating in India. It balances body, mind, and spirit, so considered as Holistic therapy.
Before applying any alternative medicine’s therapy, you should be aware that many of these therapies have not evaluated in scientific studies. Often, only limited information is available about their safety and effectiveness.
Yoga Meaning
Sanskrit word yoga has many meanings, and it is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning, "to control,” "to yoke," or "to unite.” Translations include "joining,” "uniting,” "union,” "conjunction,” and "means.”
Yoga is an art of the rightful way of living, or a mental physical system for the benefit of the body, mind, and the inner spirit.
The word Yoga literally means union that is merging of the atma (individual soul) with the paramatma (Universal Soul). According to Yoga philosophy, one by cleansing their mind and controlling their thoughts can back to that primeval state, also the individual self was nothing but a part of the divine self.
It is believed that Hiranyagarbha (The Cosmic Womb) had originally advocated the traditional yoga system, from which all other yoga systems have evolved. The entire credit goes to Maharishi Patanjali for his knowledge of yoga practices, such as yogasanas and pranayama.
Yoga is an ancient system of exercises that encourages the union of mind, body, and spirit. Yoga is a mental and physical discipline; it uses the body and breathing to develop self-awareness and mental clarity.
Patanjali's Yoga Sutra
Patanjali systematized the various yogic practices in his work "Yoga Sutra.” He describes the aim of yoga as self-knowledge, and he described eight fundamental things to achieving it. These are:
- Yama (five refraining): non-violence, non-lying, non-covetousness (do not be an extreme desire to acquire), non-sensuality (do not excessively indulgence in sexual desire), and non-possessiveness.
- Niyama (five observances): purity, contentment (happiness with one's situation in life), austerity (trait of practicing Self-discipline), study (pursuit of knowledge), and surrender to god.
- Asana (means seat): Yoga sutras refers to the seated position used for meditation.
- Pranayama (stopped breathing): Prana means breath, ayama means stop. It is also interpreting as control of the life force.
- Pratyahara (Abstract): Detachment of the sense organs from external objects.
- Dharana (Concentration): Concentrate attention on a single object.
- Dhyana (Meditation): continuous and profound contemplation (thoughtful observation) on a subject of a deep or difficult to understand nature.
- Samadhi ("Liberation"): Is merging of the consciousness with the object of meditation.
Yoga Traditional view
Yoga is a complete system, of which the postures or asanas is a small quite useful part. The word "Yoga" referred to the whole, not merely one part, which is the postures, or Asanas. The entire purpose of Yoga is spiritual in nature, according to the ancient sages.
Goal of Yoga is Yoga
The goal or purpose of Yoga is Yoga itself; union itself, of the little self and the true self, a step to awakening the preexisting union called Yoga. The term Yoga is the preexisting union between Atman and Brahman, Jivatman and Paramatman, and Shiva and Shakti, or the realization of Purusha standing alone as separate from Prakriti.