The Spiritual Side - Yoga As A Religion And Philosophy
Yoga is an excellent vehicle for slowing the mind and getting in touch with the true nature of things.
Yoga is a family of ancient spiritual practices originating in India. It is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy. In India and across the World, is seen as a means to both physical health and spiritual mastery. Outside India, has become primarily associated with the practice of asanas or postures of Hatha Yoga.
In the United States the American Fitness Professionals & Associates offers Certification for intructors.
Yoga is a great form of exercise, especially for beginning students. However, many people in the Western world overlook the fact that has a deeper spiritual use for many traditional practitioners. is an integral part of many Eastern religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism. If you practice the exercise we know as "yoga," you are only just scratching to surface to the deeper meaning. By learning the philosophy of yoga, you can improve your practice, even if you do not wish to convert to a different religion.
Yoga teaches that there is nothing existent beyond our own mind. There are five states of mind--disturbed, stupefied, distracted, concentrated, and the absolutely balanced state of mind. The last two are the most peaceful states of mind and can be found through meditation and yoga. Most of the time, our minds are in one of the lesser states, because the outside world seeks to disturb, stupefy, and distract the mind, preventing inner tranquility.
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Did you know?
Buddha, who is estimated to have lived 563 to 483 BC, is believed to have studied what was known of at that time as part of an extensive education in Hindu philosophy. It is also very likely, given the rapid growth of Buddhism after his death and before the Bhagavad Gita was composed, that Buddhism had some influence on that work.
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