“The best things in life ARE NOT THINGS”

The word yoga comes from Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language. It is a derivation of the word yuj, which means yoking, as in a team of oxen. In contemporary practice, this is often interpreted as meaning union. Yoga is said to be for the purpose of uniting the mind, body, and spirit.

How can this union be achieved? Meditation is one way, but sometimes it is necessary to prepare the body for meditation by stretching and building strength. This is the physical practice of yoga, also known as asana.

Most modern yoga practices rely heavily on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, a series of aphorisms composed 400 CE, as the basis for their philosophies. Patanjali classifies asana as one of the eight “limbs” of yoga, the majority of which are more concerned with mental and spiritual well-being than physical activity.

Many people think that yoga is just stretching. But while stretching is certainly involved, yoga is really about creating balance in the body through developing both strength and flexibility. This is done through the performance of poses or postures, each of which has specific physical benefits. The poses can be done quickly in succession, creating heat in the body through movement (vinyasa-style yoga) or more slowly to increase stamina and perfect the alignment of the pose. The poses are a constant, but the approach to them varies depending on the yoga tradition in which the teacher has trained or chose to work.

The beauty of yoga is your individual experience, as it develops over time. It is a forever evolving and changing experience that will never get boring. Although the poses themselves do not change, your relation to them will. Anyone can start a yoga practice, even if you don’t feel like you are very flexible or strong. These things will improve the longer you practice. One of the most difficult, but ultimately most liberating, things about yoga is letting go, not only of the ego but of a lot of things that don’t serve us.