The Essence of Yoga Lies in Right Posture and Meditation Techniques

Yoga means union. It relates to the unification or balancing of the mind, body, and soul. It is this balance that rids the body of diseases of varying types, and helps in controlling thoughts and actions. To achieve this union, yoga primarily involves breathing exercises, asanas or physical poses, and meditation.

The essence of yoga lies in adopting certain physical postures and meditation techniques to transcend one self, and to unite with the Self. When this happens, you feel enlightened and free from worldly desires. In a way, you attain a state of true self-realization.

Yoga - The Basic Types

There are 5 basic types of yoga:

a) Raja yoga: Also called ashtanga yoga, this primarily involves meditation to achieve self-realization and liberation from worldly desires.

b) Karma yoga: This primarily involves concentrating completely on one's duties in life, at the same time being selfless with no expectations. To find solace in working for the welfare of the world is the primary focus of karma yoga.

c) Jnana yoga: Also called gyana yoga, this is practiced to attain true knowledge of the relationship between the body and the spirit. Knowledge of the self provides answers to questions like - who you are, and what are you here for. The practicalities of life are realized to bring about a state of enlightenment.

d) Bhakti yoga: Usually practiced to devote oneself to God completely and render everything else meaningless.

e) Hatha yoga: Usually directed to the achievement of increased physical and mental strength. This involves asanas to improve physical health, and pranayama to rid the body of diseases. Hatha yoga may further be directed to attainment of samadhi to bring about complete control of mind.

Yoga - Synonymous with Wellbeing

Yoga has the potential to treat incurable diseases, such as asthma, heart problems, hyper-tension, and cancer. It does so by balancing the metabolism and the release of hormones. Self control and physical strength are essential measures of one's well being. Yoga comprises meditation and pranayama to increase self control. It further comprises asanas to help improve physical strength.

It releases the toxins from the body to check cell deterioration with time, and slow down the aging process. Yoga asanas, breathing exercises, and meditation work by balancing the nervous system and improving the functioning of the vital organs of the body.

Realizing the Self

How you feel hopeless, sometimes unable to control emotions or that uncanny knack of being selfish? Everybody goes through ups and downs in life, which affects our working ability too. How hopeless you feel when diagnosed with an incurable disease? You are not able to focus because of lack of self control and physical strength. This is where yoga gains significance by providing complete control of the body and mind. There are certain characteristic measures of self-realization, namely knowledge, selflessness, devotion, and self control. What yoga does is provide a path to each one of these to help you attain true self-realization.

Yoga disciplines the mind and the body, if learned properly and practiced with patience and dedication.

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