Yoga Darshana (योगदर्शनम्)
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AN INTRODUCTION TO YOGA
Yoga is an ancient spiritual science that seeks to bring the mind, body and spirit in balance. The word 'Yoga' is derived from the sanskrit root 'Yuj' which means to attach, join, harness or yoke. By practicing the differentyoga techniques you will achieve good health, relaxation, and inner fulfillment. These will also help you to meet the different challenges of life with greater ease and confidence. Yoga at an early age encourages confidence and awareness to undertake life's activities in a noncompetitive manner.Yoga is observed to nurture cooperation and compassioninstead of opposition. This is a great gift to give to our children. The purpose of yoga is an inner cleaning of the individuals thoughts, emotions and feelings.
Yoga lays claim to many benefits. Physically, it enhances your flexibility, strength, coordination, and body awareness. In addition it promotes concentration and a sense of calmness and relaxation. While doing yoga, children exercise, play, connect more deeply with the inner self, and develop an enriching relationship with their natural surrounding.
Yoga helps builds inner strength that helps children to suceed in life.Yogic activities energize the body, giving it vitality and improve individuals capacity. It additionally helps in expanding adaptability, muscle quality and body tone. Overall it improves breathing and vitality.
After studying this lesson you will be able to:
• explain the importance of yoga;
• trace the history of yoga;
• list different techniques of yoga; and
• describe the basics of yoga.
1.1 IMPORTANCE OF YOGA
Thousands of years ago, the ancient Rishis (sages) lived in the forest, mountains, and the caves of India. They observed their environment, and saw how the animals and nature moved in perfect harmony. They imitated the movements of the animals, the trees, the mountains, and even the movements of the stars, and created a wonderful technique called Yoga, which helps to inculcate healthy habits and adoption of a healthy lifestyle to achieve good health.
Teaching of yoga at the school level, will help to encourage a positive and healthy lifestyle for better physical, mental and emotional health of children. Practice of yoga will help in the development of strength, stamina, endurance and high energy at the physical level in the children. Besides, yoga empowers one with increased concentration, calm, peace and contentment at the mental level, leading to inner and outer harmony. Yoga is not a part of any religion, it is a way of living that aims towards a healthy mind in a healthy body.Other forms of physical exercises, like aerobics, assure only physical well-being. They have little to do with the development of the spiritual or astral body.
Yogic exercises are important in :
• Attainment of perfect equilibrium and harmony
• Self-healing
• Removing negative blocks from the mind and toxins from the body
• Enhancing personal power
• Living with greater awareness
• Developing attention, focus and concentration, especially
for children
• Reducing stress and tension
• Improving your posture and flexibility
• Building better relationships
• Improving your self-confidence
• Improving your memory and concentration
• Helping you sleep better
• Aiding good digestion
1.2 HISTORY OF YOGA
The development of yoga can be traced back to over 5,000 years ago, but some researchers think that yoga may be up to 10,000 years old.The science of Yoga has its origin thousands of years ago, long before the first religions or belief systems were born. In the yogic tradition, Shiva is seen as the first Yogi or Adiyogi, and the first Guru or Adi Guru. The Number of seals and fossil remains discovered in Indus Saraswati valley civilization show yogic activities and figures performing Yoga, suggesting the presence of Yoga in ancient India.
The above pictures are the seals excavated from the Mohenjodaro site show Pashupati ( Lord Shiva) in yogic posture (Bhadrasana). They were sitting cross-legged with arms outstretched. The pose was of meditative state. We can say that the history of Yoga is approximately over 5000 years old, starting from the pre-vedic era and continuing till date.
The History of Yoga can be divided into five main periods :
i. Vedic Age
ii. The Pre-classical Age or Epic Age
iii.The Classical Age
iv. The Post Classical Age
v. Modern Age