Yoga - An Introduction

Everyone today knows Yoga means union. It is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj meaning to unite, to join or to connect. Yoga is in fact the union between the individual self and the universal spirit. Yoga is both a philosophy and a science that joins a healthy body and a disciplined mind for spiritual development. Yoga is the oneness between the finite and the infinite, between the microcosm and the macrocosm, between the inner being and the supreme being.

Yoga is not just a philosophical theory of the ancient sages of India, but a practical discipline based on personal spiritual experiences. It is a perfect science with exact methods and techniques. However, Yoga is not a religion. Yoga is not part of any other religious system. On the other hand, all religions developed around the practice of yoga, be it Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Taoism, or any other religion. As we read through any and all of these religions we can see that the Great Persons of all these religions have obtained several glimpses of spiritual experiences through disciplined training that resembles the basics of yoga. No wonder we have such commonality between the world's religions!

Yoga is universal. Yogi may belong to any religions of his/her choice or choose no religious faith. Yoga deals with body, mind and spirit. Yoga starts with physical ability, moves to psychological aspects and finally to spirituality. Pathanjali devised the well known eight steps of Raja Yoga in his Yoga Sutra.

The path of yoga is indeed very difficult. One should be very careful in selecting a goal to achieve. As we see from the Yoga Sutra of Pathanjali, there are already 8 major steps. Following the same principle one should further subdivide to set realistic mini moving goals. In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says "One should raise himself by his own self; he should not cause his self to degrade. For the self alone is the benefactor of the self and the self is the enemy of the self." (VI:5) .

Click here to learn more about yoga as a philosophy and other ancient philosophies of India.

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