"Yoga ( ; Sanskrit: योग, lit. 'yoke' or 'union' pronounced [joːɡɐ]) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India..."
Learn about the benefits of yoga and pranayama (breathing) in Ayurvedic medicine, and how to use these practices to promote health and well-being.
Introduction to Yoga: Overview of what yoga is and how it originated, including its benefits and different forms of practice.
History and Philosophy of Yoga: Understanding the roots of yoga, the different branches of yoga, and the philosophies that underpin it.
Yoga postures (asanas): Detailed study of different postures or asanas to be practiced for overall well-being.
Yogic breathing (pranayama): Understanding of yogic breathing techniques and their effects on various bodily functions.
Meditation and Relaxation: Study of different meditation techniques and relaxation techniques to improve overall mental health.
Anatomy and Physiology of Yoga: Insights into how yoga affects the physical and physiological structure of the body, including the nervous system and endocrine system.
Ayurvedic Principles: Knowledge of Ayurvedic principles and how it can be used to enhance a yoga practice is an important aspect of Ayurvedic medicine.
Doshas: The three fundamental doshas (vata, pitta, kapha) of Ayurveda, their characteristics, and how to keep them in balance.
Ayurvedic Diet: How Ayurvedic principles are are applied to dietary practices, which foods should be eaten in what manner.
Ayurvedic Lifestyle: The adoption of an Ayurvedic lifestyle will help you to maintain good mental and physical health.
Hatha Yoga: This is the most widely practiced type of yoga in the West. It focuses on physical postures (asanas) and breathing techniques (pranayama) to enhance flexibility, strength, and balance.
Kundalini Yoga: This type of yoga focuses on awakening energy within the body and balancing the chakras through a combination of physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation.
Ashtanga Yoga: This is a more structured and physically demanding form of yoga that involves a set sequence of poses, coupled with specific breathing techniques.
Iyengar Yoga: This type of yoga emphasizes precise alignment and the use of props such as straps and blocks to help practitioners achieve correct posture and improve their flexibility and strength.
Vinyasa Yoga: This type of yoga involves linking breath with movement and can range from gentle to physically challenging.
Yin Yoga: This is a slow-paced, meditative style of yoga that focuses on holding poses for prolonged periods to help release tension and improve flexibility.
Bikram Yoga: Also known as hot yoga, this type of yoga is practiced in a heated room and involves a specific series of 26 poses and two breathing techniques.
Ananda Yoga: This type of yoga is based on the teachings of the Indian yogi Paramhansa Yogananda and combines physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation to help achieve inner peace and joy.
Pranayama: This is a breathing technique that involves the manipulation of breath to achieve various physical and mental benefits such as relaxation, increased energy, and improved concentration.
Nadi Shodhana: Also known as alternate nostril breathing, this technique involves inhaling and exhaling through alternate nostrils and is said to help balance the body's energy channels.
Kapalbhati: This is a breathing technique that involves quick, forceful exhalations followed by passive inhalations and is said to help release toxins from the body and improve digestion.
Bhastrika: Also known as bellows breath, this technique involves forceful inhalations and exhalations and is said to increase oxygenation and energy levels in the body.
"...aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciousness untouched by the mind (Chitta) and mundane suffering (Duḥkha)."
"Yoga-like practices were first mentioned in the ancient Hindu text known as Rigveda. Yoga is referred to in a number of the Upanishads."
"The first known appearance of the word 'yoga' with the same meaning as the modern term is in the Katha Upanishad, which was probably composed between the fifth and third centuries BCE."
"Yoga continued to develop as a systematic study and practice during the fifth and sixth centuries BCE in ancient India's ascetic and Śramaṇa movements."
"The most comprehensive text on Yoga, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, date to the early centuries of the Common Era; Yoga philosophy became known as one of the six orthodox philosophical schools (Darśanas) of Hinduism in the second half of the first millennium CE."
"Hatha yoga texts began to emerge between the ninth and 11th centuries, originating in tantra."
"Two general theories exist on the origins of yoga. The linear model holds that yoga originated in the Vedic period, as reflected in the Vedic textual corpus, and influenced Buddhism. According to the synthesis model, yoga is a synthesis of non-Vedic and Vedic elements."
"The term 'yoga' in the Western world often denotes a modern form of Hatha yoga and a posture-based physical fitness, stress-relief and relaxation technique, consisting largely of asanas; this differs from traditional yoga, which focuses on meditation and release from worldly attachments."
"It was introduced by gurus from India after the success of Swami Vivekananda's adaptation of yoga without asanas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries."
"Vivekananda introduced the Yoga Sutras to the West, and they became prominent after the 20th-century success of hatha yoga."
"Yoga ( ; Sanskrit: योग, lit. 'yoke' or 'union' pronounced [joːɡɐ])"
"Yoga is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines."
"...aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciousness untouched by the mind (Chitta) and mundane suffering (Duḥkha)."
"There is a wide variety of schools of yoga, practices, and goals in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism..."
"Yoga-like practices were first mentioned in the ancient Hindu text known as Rigveda."
"Yoga continued to develop as a systematic study and practice during the fifth and sixth centuries BCE in ancient India's ascetic and Śramaṇa movements."
"The most comprehensive text on Yoga, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, date to the early centuries of the Common Era."
"The term 'yoga' in the Western world often denotes a modern form of Hatha yoga and a posture-based physical fitness, stress-relief and relaxation technique, consisting largely of asanas."
"It was introduced by gurus from India after the success of Swami Vivekananda's adaptation of yoga without asanas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries."