I thought since this was going to be my first official blog, that I should take care of the obvious; what is yoga?
Yes, yoga is a Sanskrit term that means 'union' or 'to yoke' and in the very early days (second millennium BCE) was applied as 'a spiritual endeavor' in means of controlling the mind (manas ) and senses (indriya). After that is was referred to as a Hindu spiritual tradition that encompassed different approaches to 'enlightenment' and 'self-realization.' And then after that...I'm kidding.
Lets take the mysticism out of the term for a moment.
With all respect to the traditional definition, yoga can be anything you want it to be. It is a way of living your best life. For some people this means going to a studio everyday and practicing the postures and sun salutations, for some it is meditation and stillness, it is the offering of service, for others its a place of community, self observance, a state of joy, a way of eating and for some, it is all of the above and more.
For me, yoga is a physical activity that I love to practice and teach because it encompasses a little bit of every sport/hobby that I love to do. It has the element of strength that is required for running, skating and swimming, it has balance and stretching components that I get from dance, it requires breath control vital for any physical activity that involves movement and endurance. It has a chanting element that compliments my efforts at singing. But, the thing I love most is the way it makes me feel. After I have completed a yoga session I feel grounded, balanced, calm, motivated, happy, open-minded, content, grateful, generous; all platforms of which describe how I like to live my life.
If you are reading this and you have never done yoga and have been thinking about it, check it out for your self. Go to www.mypypeline.com/yoga and try it out. You have nothing to lose just a whole new world to discover.
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As a Triathlete and a Triathlon Coach I highly recommend all Endurance athletes incorporate Yoga into their training routine. It not only gives the mind a break from the training, but will develop mobility, flexibility and strength not easily obtained in any other form of training
ReplyDeleteIn the western world, the most basic and most practiced yoga is Hatha yoga. The Hatha yoga originates from the Asian country India for more than two thousand years back. Yoga helps to purify mind as well as soul, its fills a wisdom of calmness and helps maintaining strength and litheness in the human body. Hatha is derived from two words HA meaning the sun and THA refers to the moon. The Hatha yoga defines how opposite things can effort as one in human life due to the duality and flexibility of our minds and body. Hatha yoga helps to discover the dualities of meditation and workouts. Hathayoga
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