Understanding the True Meaning of Yoga

A common misconception that has rooted itself in people’s minds is that Yoga is only about physical fitness. Over the past few decades, people have moved towards practicing Yoga, but not really with its true meaning in their minds. It is not only a mere movement of body in different postures, but something far more complex and noteworthy than that. Yogasanas are not simply body movements and poses that are used to make body supple. They are so much more than just random fitness tricks.

Somewhere around in the early 19th century and the 20th century, Yoga was introduced to the western countries. The demand, as expected rose day by day and Yoga became a huge success. But, with increasing demand, what started was commercialization of Yoga, in order to make it appealing to the public. Yoga in itself went from being an art form, to only a business. It is not true that all Yoga teachers and preachers are only in the market to monetize the opportunity but, what is important is to understand who is actually willing to teach with the right intentions.

There is a need to understand that Yoga should not be performed with the wrong intentions or ideas. There are consequences of it own. It is not just a ritual to be performed but it is a way of life. It is a habit that one develops with time and makes it a part of life. The ultimate goal of Yoga is to achieve liberation or Moksha.

There are five basic principles of Yoga

• Asanna (postures)

When performing Yoga, the one thing that has to be correct without any compromises is the postures. The postures define how well coordinated the body is and what will be the impact of Yoga on the body. Not only while performing Yoga, but also when doing any other work during the day, it is important to maintain the right posture.

• Pranayama (breathing control)

Breathing is the source of life, whatever we do in our entire day’s schedule, is possible because we breathe. The energy that we gain from the food we eat is also due to the breathing. It is the breathing that helps burn the food and derives energy from it.

• Shavasana (Relaxation)

Keeping the body and mind relaxed is a part of practicing Yoga. The art form itself preaches relaxation and thus attaining it is very important. Only when the mind and body are relaxed, can a man’s soul relax as well.

• Sattvic (Right diet)

What we eat is what we become. Eating the right food helps we generate more positivity whereas eating the food harmful for the body creates a circle of negative energies and thus the sole purpose of Yoga is defeated.

• Dhyana (Meditation)

Focusing and creating a center of attention is what meditation is aimed at. When one performs Yoga, it is important to learn and understand the relevance of meditation. Keeping all the thoughts at one single point and learning to control them is what creates control and helps one elevate above all the earthly matters.

It is only when these five basic principles are performed and followed with utmost respect, can one call them a true practitioner of Yoga. Get more information on Yoga Teacher Training certification courses online at Yogasadhanaindia.com