Welcome to a five-part series of Why Yoga Matters. Each day you will learn about yoga, its health benefits and how the practice of yoga can enrich your life. In this part, we are going to talk briefly about the history of yoga as well as its physical and emotional benefits.

​According to the World English Dictionary the definition of yoga is:
 
“Any method by which such awareness and tranquility are attained, esp. course of related exercises and postures designed to promote physical and spiritual wellbeing.”
 
Ultimately, the practice of Yoga is meant to connect body, breath, and mind to create balance and energy. It includes physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation to improve overall health and well-being. While there is still some debate about the actual origins of Yoga, the majority consensus concludes that it began in India three to four thousand years ago. The word yoga originates from Sanskrit which literally means of "yoke" or to join. While yoga is often considered a spiritual practice, it has never actually been viewed as a religion.
 
Approximately 5 million people in the United States alone practice some type of yoga, whether it be in the form of dance, stretching exercise or even martial arts classes which usually have postures and poses that come originate from yoga.
 
There are many types of yoga, including; Integral, Bhakti, Ananda, Hatha and many more that we will discuss in Part 2 tomorrow.
 
Hatha Yoga is the one of the most practiced forms of yoga. It emphasizes physical postures known as asanas. During these exercises, flexing is followed by extension, a rounded back is followed by an arched back, and physical exercise is then followed by some form of meditation.
 
Benefits of Yoga
The practice of Yoga has numerous benefits including increased flexibility, strength, and balance. Combined with breathing exercises and meditation it works remarkably well to help promote overall physical and mental well-being. As well as the physical and emotional benefits of yoga it has also been proven as an excellent way to reduce stress, ease panic attacks, lower blood pressure, help alleviate back pain, arthritis pain, depression, mental fog and reduce the risk of many other common health problems.
 
Here is a quick list of yoga benefits:
 
- It is known to increase flexibility with postures that trigger the different joints of the body that are not normally affected in most regular exercises routines.
 
- It can improve the function and lubrication of joints, ligaments and tendons, helping to alleviate pain and increase flexibility.
 
- Yoga is perhaps the only exercise that can be beneficial to your internal organs which hardly ever get externally stimulated during other forms of exercise. This stimulation and massage of the organs can even help prevent disease.
 
- Yoga increases circulation and offers a complete detoxification of the body. As it gently stretches the muscles, joints as well as well as massaging the various organs of the body it is ensuring optimum blood supply and good health.
 
This helps in by flushing out of toxins from every nook and cranny of your body as well as providing proper nourishment to yourselves, which can promote optimum energy and a sense of well-being. it can also help delay the aging process.
 
These are just a few of the physical benefits associated with yoga. Yoga combined with meditation harmonizes the body and mind in a way that can only be fully understood by people who practice it. So, what are you waiting for? Why not start taking part in this age-old practice and enjoy the benefits for yourself. There's no better day, than today!
 
Tomorrow I will be talking about some of the more common types of yoga and their benefits.

Hatha Yoga is mainly practiced for health and vitality. Hatha Yoga was introduced in the 15th century by Yogi Swatmarama. Hatha yoga focuses on the purification of the physical being which leads to the purification of the mind or vital energy. The exploration of these physical-spiritual connections and body centered practices led to the creation of Hatha Yoga. Today in the West, hatha yoga has become wildly popular as a purely physical exercise regimen divorced of its original purpose.

Whatever the historical details, Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (an Indian yoga teacher, ayurvedic healer and scholar) has become the undisputed father of modern-day hatha yoga. Krishnamacharya’s first lessons in yoga were from his father and his grandmother and passed on through generations of practice.

Hatha Yoga follows in that vein and thus successfully transcends being particularly grounded in any one religion. This exploration of these physical and spiritual connections and body centered practices led to the creation of Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga has been included in the life style of these traditions. Hatha Yoga classes tend, among other things, to emphasize physical mastery.
Hatha also means a force or determined effort, and yoga, of course, translates as yoke or joining together. The very name hatha yoga, a combination of “ha,” meaning sun, and “tha,” meaning moon, denotes the union of opposites. Through the practice of yoga an individual can gain information about physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being.

Hatha Yoga represents opposing energies: hot and cold, fire and water following the theme of ying and yang, male and female, positive and negative. Hatha yoga attempts to balance the mind and body. The balancing of the mind and body is brought about via physical exercises (also known as asanas), controlled breathing (pranayama) and relaxation or meditation.

Pranayama refers to breath control in yoga. In this yoga is defined as a means of binding or controlling the breath and the mind using the syllable “Om”. In this case yoga has extremes, practices of fasting, breath control, and postures to transcend the body, and not cultivate it. Asana body postures that are contemplative in nature and are designed to align the body and bring about the optimum situation for relaxation.

Traditional yoga is a holistic yogic path and is becoming wildly popular.

The term yoga іѕ generally used in the west to mean hatha-yoga practices of asanas (postures), ѕоmеtіmеѕ including pranayama (breathing exercises) and dhyana (meditation). The word yoga derives frоm the Sanskrit word (yuj) meaning union оr tо join. In thе west, yoga іѕ often taken tо mean а union bеtwееn thе body аnd thе mind; whіlе іt originally signifies thе union bеtwееn thе individual self-Atman wіth thе universal soul Paramatma оr Bramhan, аlthоugh different terminologies mау bе used іn different texts.
 
Yoga and Indian philosophy
Yoga іѕ one оf thе six schools оf ancient Indian Hindu philosophy. Thе оthеr five Darshanas, аѕ thеу аrе called, аrе Samkhya, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Purva Mimamsa аnd Uttara Mimamsa оr Vedanta. Yoga has arisen frоm thе epistemology оf thе Samkhya philosophy, but іѕ more practice oriented. Its primary text іѕ thе Bhagavad Gita. Among оthеr major texts establishing thе basis fоr yoga аrе Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Upanishads and Hatha Yoga Pradapika.
 
The goal of yoga
Whіle thе history оf yoga strongly connects іt tо Hinduism іtѕ essence саn bе found іn thе spiritual/esoteric practices оf аll religions аnd оf thоѕе whо do nоt consider thеmѕеlvеѕ аѕ being religious. Thе goal оf yoga, enlightenment оr liberation (moksha) frоm thе cycle оf birth-death-rebirth (samsara) comes frоm thе Hindu tradition. Othеr goals have bееn claimed bу оthеr cultures, аѕ fоr example, аn increase іn wisdom, insight аnd compassion.

For the average person, who considers themselves being far from enlightenment, yoga саn offer а way of increasing spiritual awareness, emotional wall-being, mental clarity and of course physical health. Given that our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual ѕеlvеѕ are one integrated whоlе - оurѕеlvеѕ аnd nоt disparate beings, іt ѕhоuld nоt bе а surprise. An integration оf thе different aspects оf being оr а search fоr thе meaning оf thе self іѕ again а western interpretation of the goal.
 
Thеrе аrе four main branches аѕ specified іn thе Bhagavad Gita аnd аn array оf combinations. Thе four main systems аrе:
 
1. Karma yoga аѕ thе path оf selfless work оr action іn thе world
2. Jnana оr Buddhi yoga аѕ thе path оf discernment, knowledge аnd intellectual endeavor
3. Bhakti yoga аѕ thе path оf love, devotion оr surrender
4. Raja оr Dhyana yoga аѕ аn eight limbed path оf discipline emphasizing meditation.
 
Thе eight limbs оf raja yoga (8 limbs) include:
1. Yama thе five abstentions оf violence, untruth, theft, illicit sex аnd possessiveness.
2. Niyama оf thе five observances оf purity, contentment, austerities, study аnd surrender tо God.
3. Asana means 'seat' аnd originally referred оnlу tо seated postures but have come tо include thе whоlе array.
4. Pranayama the control of breath through various breathing exercises
5. Pratyahara а reversal of the sense organs by turning them inwards rather than outwards
6. Dharana concentration or fixing the attention on а single object
7. Dhyana meditation
8. Samadhi super conscious state or trance
 
Therefore, asana, whісh іѕ what Hatha Yoga primarily concerns іtѕеlf with, іѕ а small fragment of the enormous content of Yoga.

Today, there are several types of yoga depending on the interpretation of the teacher or the lineage of the specific type of yoga such as Ashtanga Yoga as taught by Shri K. Pattabhi Jois, Iyengar Yoga as taught by B.K.S. Iyengar, or Ananda yoga: a gentle hatha style that comes from the lineage of Parmahamsa Yogananda (the author of the classic book, Autobiography of a Yogi); just to name a few. The various styles of yoga is a never-ending list. The style of yoga you choose is your personal decision; so long as you make it a part of your life!

Knowledge (Jnana) does not come about from the practice of yoga alone. Perfection in knowledge is in fact only for those who begin by practice of virtue (dharma). Yet, without yoga as a means, knowledge does not come about. The practice of yogic methods is not the means by itself, yet it is only out of that practice of yoga that the perfection in knowledge comes about. “Yoga is for the purpose of knowledge of truth,” said Shankara. 

All things rest upon something else-that is, all things are supported by one another. This is because a foundation is needed for anything to exist. Being Himself the Ultimate Support of all things, God alone is free from this necessity. Yoga, then, also requires support. As Trevor Leggett said in his introduction to Shankara’s commentary on the Yoga Sutras: “This is yoga presented for the man of the world, who must first clear, and then steady, his mind against the fury of illusory passions, and free his life from entanglements.” Patanjali very carefully and fully outlines the elements of the support needed by the practitioner, giving invaluable information on how to assure success in yoga.

The first Yoga Sutra says: “Now the exposition of yoga,” implying that there must be something leading up to yoga in the form of necessary developments of consciousness and personality. These prerequisites may be thought of as the Pillars of Yoga, and are known as Yama and Niyama.

Yama and Niyama

Yama and Niyama are often called “the Ten Commandments of Yoga.” Each one of these Five Don’ts (Yama) and Five Do’s (Niyama) is a supporting, liberating Pillar of Yoga. Yama means self-restraint in the sense of self-mastery, or abstention, and consists of five elements. Niyama means observances, of which there are also five. Here is the complete list of the ten Pillars as stated in the Yoga Sutras 2:30,32:

1) Ahimsa: non-violence, non-injury, harmlessness

2) Satya: truthfulness, honesty

3) Asteya: non-stealing, honesty, non-misappropriativeness

4) Brahmacharya: sexual continence in thought, word and deed as well as control of all the senses

5) Aparigraha: non-possessiveness, non-greed, non-selfishness, non-acquisitiveness

6) Shaucha: purity, cleanliness

7) Santosha: contentment, peacefulness

8) Tapas: austerity, practical (i.e., result-producing) spiritual discipline

9) Swadhyaya: introspective self-study, spiritual study

10) Ishwarapranidhana: offering of one’s life to God

All of these deal with the innate powers of the human being-or rather with the abstinence and observance that will develop and release those powers to be used toward our spiritual perfection, to our self-realization and liberation.

These ten restraints (yama) and observances (niyama) are not optional for the aspiring yogi-or for the most advanced yogi, either. Shankara states that “following yama and niyama is the basic qualification to practice yoga.” Mere desire and aspiration for the goal of yoga is not enough, so he continues: “The qualification is not simply that one wants to practice yoga, for the sacred text says: ‘But he who has not first turned away from his wickedness, who is not tranquil and subdued, or whose mind is not at rest, he can never obtain the Self by knowledge.’ (Katha Upanishad 1.2.24) And in the Atharva text: ‘It is in those who have tapas [strong discipline] and brahmacharya [chastity] that truth is established.’ (Prashna Upanishad 1:15)And in the Gita: ‘Firm in their vow of brahmacharya.’ (Bhagavad Gita 6:14) So yama and niyama are methods of yoga” in themselves and are not mere adjuncts or aids that can be optional.

The practice of yoga assists the aspiring yogi to follow the yamas and niyamas, not be discouraged from practicing yoga in the present, believing you must wait until you are “ready” to begin yoga. One should should practice yama, niyama, and yoga simultaneously. Success will follow.