Yoga is a discipline involving breathing techniques and postures called asanas. Asanas is a Sanskrit word that literally means, 'to sit in a particular position'. The word yoga means 'union'. More than an exercise program, yoga seeks to create balance in life through the asanas, proper diet, rest, meditation, good thoughts and action. The result is an optimum health, wisdom, creativity and peace of mind.
Meditation is another proven alternative therapies broadly classified under the mind-body medicine. More and more doctors are prescribing meditation as a way to lower blood pressure, relieve insomnia and generally relax the everyday stresses of life. Meditation also helps people with asthma to breathe easily.
Meditation is a safe way to have a balance in physical, emotional, and mental states of people. Meditation lessens suffering and promotes healing and has been practiced for thousands of years now.
Yoga is radically different from more conventional exercises, such as aerobics and weight training. Rather than building muscular strength or cardiovascular fitness, yoga brings the mind and body into a mutual state of well-being, balance, ease and vibrant alertness.
The purpose and use of Yoga has undergone changes through out its history. Today Yoga is looked upon as a set of techniques useful for achieving fitness in daily life and prevention and cure of some specific diseases.
Many different varieties of yoga came to be practiced for different purposes.
The main varieties of yoga include:
Bhaktiyoga (Yoga of Devotion)
Karamayoga (Yoga of duty or action)
Jnyanayoga (Yoga of Knowledge)
Hathayoga (Yoga of bodily performance)
The History of Yoga can be divided into the following four broad categories:
Vedic Yoga
Preclassical Yoga
Classical Yoga
Postclassical Yoga
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