The History, Types, and Benefits of Yoga By Jessie McTrusty, Lindsay Gauger, Kailey Leach

History There is no clear beginning to yoga. Carvings depicting yoga positions were found on stones from the ancient Indus Valley civilization circa 3,000 bc. A common misconception about yoga is that yoga stems from the Hinduism religion. The reality is that the practice of yoga was around before Hinduism and both Hinduism, Buddhism, and other world religions incorporated some of the practices of yoga. Yoga is a system of techniques that can be used for a number of goals, from simply managing stress better, learning to relax, and increasing limberness all the way to becoming more self-aware and acquiring the deepest knowledge of one’s own self. Common translations of the word yoga are to yoke, join, concentrate, and discipline.

Yoga’s Beginnings: Sanskrit Sanskrit: Indo-European language of the Vedas India’s ancient religions texts Teachings transmitted from teacher to student Sanskrit means “well-formed, refined, perfect, polished”

Yama: non- injury, truthfulness, non theft, spiritual conduct, non greed basically the 7 deadly sins which are Lust, Envy, Greed, Pride, Gluttony, Laziness, Wrath 2. Niyama has to do with self-discipline and one’s spiritual practices. Saucha means cleanliness. Santosa means contentment. Tapas means spiritual austerities. Svadhyaya is the study of sacred scriptures and of one’s self. Isvara pranidhana means to surrender to God. 3. Asana is the physical exercises. These are the postures practiced in yoga. The body is the temple of the spirit; a strong, healthy body is the best for spiritual growth. 4. Pranayama is the breathing techniques that are associated with yoga. The literal meaning of pranayama is “life force extension”. By pranayama one can recognize the connection between the breath, mind, and emotions. The first four stages concentrate on the physical aspects of a person. They concentrate on refining our personalities, gaining mastery over the body, and developing an energetic awareness of ourselves. They prepare us for the next four stages which deal with the senses, the mind, and attaining a higher state of consciousness. 5. Pratyahara is the preparation for meditation. This is known as withdrawing the mind from the senses. One should direct their attention internally. 6. Dharana means to concentrate, to hold the mind on one object for a specified time. At this time, one must focus on quieting the mind. One should focus their attention on a single object or sound. 7. Dhyana is meditation or contemplation. This differs from dharana because dhyana is about being keenly aware without focus. The stillness of the mind should produce few or no thoughts at all. 8. Samadhi means to realize the essential nature of one’s self. One might feel a profound connection to God and interconnectedness with all living things. The completition of the yoga path is joy, fulfillment, and freedom.   Niyama:

History of Yoga in the USA: Swami Vivekananda Parliament of World Religions Chicago in 1893 Swami Vivekananda addressed the people as “Brothers and sisters of America” PY wrote the Autobiography of a Yogi

Paramahansa Yogananda arrived in Boston in 1920 settled in Las Angeles in 1925 started the Self Realization Fellowship Wrote The Autobiography of a Yogi

Indra Devi Russian woman “First Lady of Yoga” Popularized Hatha yoga in the US Opened studios in Hollywood, CA Mother was a member of the Russian nobility. During the revolution she moved to Germany and became and actress. First visited India in 1927 and lived there for 12 years. Married a Czech ambassador and became a movie start in Indian films. When she started practicing yoga, it was known as a masculine pursuit. This differs from today because not only 27% of people practicing yoga are men. Died in 2002 in Buenos Aries at the age of 102.

Selvarajan Yesudian wrote Sport and Yoga in the 1950s. the reason many athletes have incorporated yoga into their workouts

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi guru of The Beatles popularized Transcendental Meditation stems from the same roots as yoga Transcendental Meditation allows the mind to simple, naturally, and effortlessly transcend thinking and to experience a state of restfully alert consciousness.

1960s and 1970s Social and political climate Free spirited individualism Question and explore values; physically and materially Beatle’s visit to India Aerobics Celebrities became fans of yoga Ananda Village in Nevada, City CA. Founded in 1968 Aerobics found to be the most successful form of exercise. “No pain no gain” mentality. Rise of exercise related injuries

Most Popular: Hatha Yoga “Ha” means sun, “tha” means moon Opposites work together Balancing the mind and body It is known as the yoga that develops strength and determination in order to unify the body and the mind. Hatha mainly consists of balancing the mind and body through “asanas”, controlled breathing, purification practices, and calming of the mind through meditation and relaxation Most accepted translation today is that ha means son and than means moon. Like I said before, Hatha is mainly about balance and opposites working together.

Hatha: Important Opposites Expansion/ Contraction Pose/Counterpose Dynamic/Static Steady/Comfortable Expansion/Contraction: Paying attention to when you inhale and when you exhale in yoga gives you the maximum benefits in yoga. Pose/Counterpose: When you do one pose, you do another pose to balance it out and to equally work your muscles. Dynamic/Static: Some of the poses your moving, while others just allow you to stay still. Steady/Comfortable: Just like Dynamic and static, some poses are steady and keep you moving, while others are comfortable and just allow you to sit.

Sun Salutation The sun salutation is a great example of these opposites. It is a commonly used pose in Hatha Yoga and is done slow and steady.

HATHA YOGA: benefits Increase flexibility Better muscle tone Better posture Rid of aches and pains Develop inner peace, better attitude

Ashtanga Yoga Commonly called “Power Yoga” Strength, Flexibility, and Stamina Higher ratio of men A kind of yoga that is like Hatha, but is more fast paced is Ashtanga yoga. Ashtanga contains rigorous practice and intensity comparable to the training of an elite athlete. Most physically demanding of all the yoga styles. While hatha yoga and most yoga styles are slow-paced, power yoga goes through the same poses faster. The sun salutation is also popular in Ashtanga yoga, but is done faster and more upbeat. Unlike other types of yoga, Ashtanga yoga places equal emphasis on strength, flexibility, and stamina. Because of these reasons, there are a higher ratio of men than women in Ashtanga yoga. There is always that stereotype that yoga is aimed toward girls, but Ashtanga yoga is a perfect way for males and females to get involved.

Ashtanga yoga: Benefits Strength, stamina, and flexibility Releases tension and anxiety Muscle Tone Removes bodily toxins through sweat Great training for athletes

Bikram Yoga More commonly know: “Hot” Yoga Torture Chambers, 105 degrees 26 posture sequence Another type of yoga that is vigorous and makes you sweat is Bikram yoga. This is more commonly known today as hot yoga. It is done in 105 degree rooms that are called “Torture Chambers”. The heat of the rooms helps you do your exercises optimally. When your body is warm, you are more flexible. It also flushes away all of the toxins that are inside your body. Hot yoga consists of a 26 posture sequence that is done in the torture chambers. These 26 postures systematically work every part of the body, to give all the internal organs, veins, ligaments, and muscles everything they need to maintain optimum health and maximum function. Each exercise is supposed to work together with the others and contribute to the success of the others.

Bikram Poses Cobra Child’s Pose Tree Pose

Bikram yoga: Benefits Increased Vitality Weight Loss Detoxification Increased Mental Clarity Reduced Stress

Other Types of Yoga Iyengar Yoga Prenatal Yoga Restorative Yoga So far, we have talked about three popular types of yoga, but there are many others as well. The first is Iyengar Yoga: This type of yoga involves a lot of props such as blocks, harnesses, straps and cushions. It mainly focuses on alignment, so it will be great for physical therapy and recovering from an injury. Yoga can also be good therapy for pregnant women. Prenatal Yoga is for expecting mothers and focuses a lot on breathing. During the day, you might not have a lot of time to take a breath. This is when Restorative yoga comes in handy. It contains very calm exercises because it’s main focus is on relaxation.

Benefits Physiological Psychological Biochemical The benefits of yoga can be categorized into 3 main groups. Physiological- decreased blood pressure, increased flexibility, increased energy level, sleep improves, and weight can normalize Psychological- decreased anxiety, improved mood, concentration and memory Biochemical- not as noticeable but a decrease in glucose (blood sugar-can be linked to diabetes) and sodium can occur The list of yoga related benefits is exceptionally long and the importance of some benefits vary depending on the person. But, no matter who you are or which type of yoga you choose to do everyone will experience some positive effects.

Asthma & Yoga Yoga can be helpful for those who suffer from asthma. Breathing is a main part of yoga. To focus in on a specific benefit of yoga lets take a look at a study conducted on the relationship between asthma and yoga.

Yoga Class

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