Yoga has become a trendy buzzword lately, with a large population across the world embracing yogic practices to reconstitute a healthy life. What was once looked down upon as an infra-dig practice, a preserve of ashrams and temple complexes, now finds its position on the pedestal it deserves as a thriving multibillion-dollar industry
Understanding yoga depends on learning about your own self. Without that, you cannot truly relate with the benefit it offers. According to ancient Indian wisdom, human beings exist in four distinct dimensions:
- The Physical
- The Mental
- The emotional
- The spiritual
Life throws us challenges in all these dimensions and we take recourse to many remedies. Yoga as a lifestyle, deals with all dimensions simultaneously in a very effective manner – that is what sets it apart from every other solution.
For a long time, it was believed that yoga is only oriented towards improving flexibility and is not very suitable for men who focus on strength and endurance. Au contraire! Yoga not only works on flexibility and balance but also helps build strength (consider holding plank for 3 minutes) and endurance (fabled 108 Suryanamaskars). It is no surprise that leading men and women from a variety of sports like soccer, tennis and cricket are showing an affinity towards yoga to enhance their performance.
There are also substantial research findings to show that yoga improves mental faculties by improving concentration and awareness. Regular practice of yoga, with emphasis on deep breathing, helps in decluttering the mind and improving overall mental health.
What about dealing with emotions? Life is full of travails and tribulations. Loneliness, attachment, loss of a relationship are some emotional challenges people face. As the body and mind become healthier with the practice of yoga, there is a growth in your conscious response to such life situations. As a result, changes in external situations will affect you less. With a calmer mind, healthier body and a better understanding regarding the dynamic nature of life, you can deal with emotional challenges from a space of greater control and calm.
It is true that the spiritual dimension does not find resonance with most people, but those who are spiritually oriented have a lot to benefit from yoga. Yoga helps immensely when it comes to understanding your own ending. A continued practice of yoga allows you to reflect deeply on the question “who am I”. You start to unravel the deepest mysteries within and begin to understand your existence beyond the body, breath, emotions and mind.
We will embark on our journey to understand and explore yoga in its entirety through more articles, however, it is important to understand that a yogi is not just a mat-carrying, back-bending contortionist. A yogi is rather an individual, supreme in physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health and available to all moments of life with awareness – living a conscious life with harmony. And thus, yoga is not a Hatha or vinyasa class, but a conscious lifestyle.
