Benefits of Yoga

At the outset, we must understand what we can gain out of this wonderful practice  

At the physical level, yoga and its cleansing practices have proven to be extremely effective for various disorders.

More importantly, yoga is extremely effective in:  
1. Increasing Flexibility – yoga has positions that act upon the various joints of the body including those joints that are never really on the ‘radar screen’ let alone exercised. 
 
2. Increasing lubrication of the joints, ligaments and tendons – likewise, the well-researched yoga positions exercise the different tendons and ligaments of the body.

Surprisingly it has been found that the body which may have been quite rigid starts experiencing a remarkable flexibility in even those parts which have not been consciously work upon. Why? It is here that the remarkable research behind yoga positions proves its mettle. Seemingly unrelated “non strenuous” yoga positions act upon certain parts of the body in an interrelated manner. When done together, they work in harmony to create a situation where flexibility is attained relatively easily.
 
3. Massaging of ALL Organs of the Body – Yoga is perhaps the only form of activity which massages all the internal glands and organs of the body in a thorough manner, including those – such as the prostate - that hardly get externally stimulated during our entire lifetime. Yoga acts in a wholesome manner on the various body parts. This stimulation and massage of the organs in turn benefits us by keeping away disease and providing a forewarning at the first possible instance of a likely onset of disease or disorder. 
   
4. Complete Detoxification – By gently stretching muscles and joints as well as massaging the various organs, yoga ensures the optimum blood supply to various parts of the body. This helps in the flushing out of toxins from every nook and cranny as well as providing nourishment up to the last point. This leads to benefits such as delayed ageing, energy and a remarkable zest for life. 
 
5. Excellent toning of the muscles – Muscles that have become flaccid, weak or slothy are stimulated repeatedly to shed excess flab and flaccidity.

What Is Yoga?

Yoga means 'Oneness' and constitutes the essence of every possible religion, the gist of every creed and the core of every spiritual path. 

In ancient India, yoga was practised by such sages as Shiva, Rama, Krishna and Vyasa. What Krishna teaches Arjuna is not Krishnaism, but just Yoga! The root of Jainism is Yoga, since Mahavira practised Hatha Yoga. Jesus Christ even carried out a lengthy pilgrimage with the purpose of studying yoga. Gautama Buddha studied Yoga throughout his life. Bodhidharma brought Buddha's raja yoga from India to China. 

In the Middle East countries this practice is known as SUFA or ZUF (hbr).
As the Bible teaches, such men as Samuel or David the prophets, were related to the sufi school (rish).

In Tibet, people do not call themselves the Buddhists but the yoga practitioners. Padmasambhava is a yogi as well. 

Yoga comes from connecting to God, just as the word religion means in a western context. There are many schools or even called sampradajas with different forms of yoga. 
All teachings guide an embodied spirit in a (non)-personal relationship to God. The supreme godhead resides in every being in its heart. 

The native yoga-paths are a part of the vedic-culture we refer to today as hinduism, but the real importance of vedic culture seems to be that it has enabled native yoga-paths to stay in the Indian sub-continent unchanged longer than they have in other locations. It seems as if these philosophies were once known all over the world. 

Eight Stages of Yoga

The following are the eight stages in Yoga, known as 'Ashtanga Yoga'. One needs to practice and master each of these eight stages in order to reunite with the divine energy in the universe.

Yama: These are eternal, universal moral commandments. Perpetual Yama curbs the tendency toward violence and possessiveness. It inspires truthfulness, purity, conscience, trustworthiness, goodness and honesty.

Niyama: This is the restraint of the mind by means of its own rules and regulations. It is self-purification through discipline, self-contentment, self-study and above all, the surrender of the self to God. It is also the study of scripts and holy texts.

Asanas: These are body postures, which develop inner awareness and aid in calming the mind.

Pranayama: This is the rhythmic control, prolongation and restraint of the breath. Its aim is to discover a subtle psychic force or a subtle cosmic element.

Pratyahara: This entails control of the senses of the human body. It is important to give up all emotions, sentiments and pleasures. The mind must be completely withdrawn from external attractions and objects.

Dharana: This is the Sanskrit word for "to hold". It is an intense, deep concentration which enhances the selected mental state. 

Dhyana: This is meditation, contemplation and poised awareness.

Samadhi: Profound Meditation leads to a state of superconsciousness. This state is called Samadhi. It is the union of the individual aspirant (Sadhaka) with the object of his meditation Paramatma or the Supreme Universal Spirit - the all pervasive truth.

This is sometimes referred to as your potential or destiny. Living up to attributes of this number may not be easy, but it is your goal in the here and now. It is your life's purpose, spiritual mission, and your field of opportunity.