assignment on yoga

• Essay On Yoga

Essay on Yoga

500+ words essay on yoga.

Yoga is an Art and Science of healthy living. It is a spiritual discipline based on an extremely subtle science, which focuses on bringing harmony between mind and body. The holistic approach of Yoga brings harmony to all walks of life. Yoga is also known for disease prevention, promotion of health and management of many lifestyle-related disorders. Through this Essay on Yoga, students will get to know the importance and benefits of performing yoga. By going through this essay , students will get different ideas on how to write an effective Essay on Yoga in English to score full marks in the writing section.

Meaning of Yoga

The word yoga literally means “to yoke” or “union”. More than just a practice of physical exercises, Yoga is the coming together of the individual self or consciousness, with the infinite universal consciousness or spirit. Yoga is a method of inquiry into the nature of the mind, which emphasises practice and direct experience. Yoga is an ancient art based on a harmonising system for development of the body, mind, and spirit. Yoga signifies the ‘integration of personality at the highest level. It includes various practices and techniques mentioned in the yogic literature and is collectively referred to as ‘Yoga’.

Importance of Yoga

Yoga encourages a positive and healthy lifestyle for the physical, mental and emotional health of children. Yoga helps in the development of strength, stamina, endurance and high energy at the physical level. It also empowers oneself with increased concentration, calm, peace and contentment at a mental level leading to inner and outer harmony. With the help of yoga, you can manage daily stress and its consequences.

Yoga brings stability to the body and the wavering mind. It increases the lubrication of joints, ligaments, and tendons of the body. Studies in the field of medicine suggest that Yoga is the only form of physical activity that provides complete conditioning to the body because it massages all the internal organs and glands. It reduces the risk of many diseases. Yoga can create a permanently positive difference in the lifestyle of anybody practising it on a regular basis.

Benefits of Yoga

Yoga is a perfect way to ensure overall health and physical fitness. The physical building blocks of yoga are posture (asana) and breath. Through meditation, and breathing exercises (called pranayama), you can banish all your stress and lead a healthy life. In fact, it is one of the best remedies known to humankind, for curing chronic ailments that are otherwise difficult to be cured by other medications. People suffering from backaches and arthritis are often suggested to do asanas that concentrate on the exercise of the muscles at strategic locations. Pranayamas are the best breathing exercises to increase the capacity of the lungs.

A series of poses held in time with breathing, helps every part of the body. Yoga increases strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance. It increases the ability to perform activities, provides more energy and gives a restful sleep. Performing yoga daily helps in building muscular strength. The different asanas make the body more flexible. Moreover, yoga prevents cartilage and joint breakdown, increases blood flow, and lowers blood sugar. The most important benefit of yoga are its application in relieving stress, fatigue, invigoration and vitality. Yoga works as an immunity booster and gives peace of mind.

The amazing thing about Yoga is that its positive effects on the health and mind are visible over time. Another speciality about Yoga is its wide choice of asanas. Depending upon your stamina and overall health, you can choose from mild pranayamas and asanas to high-intensity asanas. It is a medication without the actual use of medicines. Moreover, no visible side effects are associated with the practice of Yoga on a regular basis. All you need to know is the most appropriate asanas according to the ability and structure of your body. Also, you need to learn the right way of performing the asanas because any wrong attempt can cause sprains and injuries.

Yoga practice is safe and can bring many health benefits to practitioners. The beauty of Yoga is that it can be practised by anyone. It doesn’t matter how old you are or what shape you are in. Yoga increases an individual’s physical coordination and promotes better posture. It helps stimulate the circulatory system, the digestive process as well as the nervous and endocrine systems. Yoga is dynamite to make you feel younger, refreshed and energetic.

Yoga is the perfect example of holistic health because of its combination of mind and body. It has become more popular than ever, with celebrities, politicians, business people, and people from every walk of life currently practising. Yoga is a multidisciplinary tool extremely useful to purify the mind and body and gain control over our minds and emotions. It is the most popular means for self-transformation and physical well-being.

Frequently Asked Questions on Essay on Yoga

Why is yoga important.

Regular Yoga practice can help in body relaxation and flexibility. Relieves chronic stress and releases mental distress.

What are the benefits of Yoga?

Yoga makes the body flexible and improves breathing patterns. It can help build muscle strength and regulate blood flow. Practising yoga regularly thus helps keep diseases away and improves immunity

Mention a few easy Yoga poses.

Padmasana (sitting pose), tadasana (mountain pose), and balasana (Child’s pose) are three examples of yoga poses.

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Essay on Yoga for Students and Children

Yoga is an ancient art that connects the mind and body. It is an exercise that we perform by balancing the elements of our bodies. In addition, it helps us meditate and relax.

Moreover, yoga helps us keep control of our bodies as well as mind. It is a great channel for releasing our stress and anxiety . Yoga gained popularity gradually and is now spread in all regions of the world. It unites people in harmony and peace.

Origin of Yoga

Yoga essentially originated in the subcontinent of India. It has been around since ancient times and was performed by yogis. The term yoga has been derived from a Sanskrit word which translates to basically union and discipline.

In the earlier days, the followers of Hinduism , Buddhism, and Jainism practiced it. Slowly, it found its way in Western countries. Ever since people from all over the world perform yoga to relax their minds and keep their bodies fit.

Furthermore, after this popularity of yoga, India became known for yoga worldwide. People all over the world have started to realize the benefits of yoga. Several workshops are held and now there are even professional yogis who teach this ancient practice to people so they can learn about it.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Benefits of Yoga

Yoga has numerous benefits if we look at it closely. You will get relief when you practice it regularly. As it keeps away the ailments from our mind and body. In addition, when we practice several asanas and postures, it strengthens our body and gives us a feeling of well-being and healthiness.

Furthermore, yoga helps in sharpening our mind and improving our intelligence . We can achieve a higher level of concentration through yoga and also learn how to steady our emotions. It connects us to nature like never before and enhances our social well-being.

In addition, you can develop self-discipline and self-awareness from yoga if practiced regularly. You will gain a sense of power once you do it consistently and help you lead a healthy life free from any problems. Anyone can practice yoga no matter what your age is or whichever religion you follow.

21st of June is celebrated as International Day of Yoga where people are made aware of the benefits of yoga. Yoga is a great gift to mankind which helps us keep better and maintain our health. You also develop a higher patience level when you practice yoga which also helps in keeping the negative thoughts away. You get great mental clarity and better understanding.

In short, yoga has several benefits. Everyone must practice it to keep their health maintained and also benefit from it. It is the secret to living a healthy and long life without the use of any artificial means like medicines or any other shortcuts of any kind.

FAQs on Yoga

Q.1 Write about the origin of Yoga.

A.1 If we look at the history, we see that Yoga originated in India. This ancient practice began when various yogis started performing yoga. Yoga translates to union and discipline and is derived from the Sanskrit language. The religious followers of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism used to practice it in the earlier days.

Q.2 What are the benefits of Yoga?

A.2 Yoga has not one but many benefits. It helps in keeping our mental and physical health intact. It helps us to connect to nature. Furthermore, your body becomes more flexible after consistent yoga practice and you also develop a great sense of self-discipline and self-awareness. In short, it improves our well-being and gives us better mental clarity.

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Let's Get Physical

Yoga in theory and practice: pedagogical strategies.

by Patton Burchett, College of William and Mary

Introduction

Each year I teach a course entitled Yoga and Tantra that traces the historical developments of traditions of Yoga and Hindu Tantra in South Asia while also looking at modern understandings and practices of Yoga and Tantra in the West. In the class, we examine contemporary debates surrounding modern-day conceptions of Yoga and Tantra, while also investigating the origins of these traditions and how they came to be thought of and practiced in the way they are today. In this article I want to focus specifically on a pedagogical strategy I have found useful in teaching students about the diverse historical tradition of yoga.

When approaching a subject as broad—and a word with as many different connotations—as yoga, it is rather difficult to find a single conceptual framework capable of uniting, and productively considering under its umbrella, the great variety of practices that have been called “yoga” (practices as radically different as the meditation-based yoga of the Upanishads and Patanjali, the subtle-body focused practices of tantric yoga, and the modern day postures of Bikram, Iyengar, and Pattabhis Jois). After some trial and error in how to think about these extremely different phenomena within one frame, I came upon two very productive theoretical frames: (1) asceticism, broadly construed, and (2) Michel Foucault’s “technologies of the self.” In order to teach students these concepts—which will allow them to understand all forms of yoga as a certain type of response to and expression of the human condition—while also stressing the unique features and perspectives of different historical forms of yoga, I give an essay assignment. While in other portions of my class, I use active learning techniques and conduct elaborate class debates, this particular assignment is more traditional. In certain respects it is quite conventional—hardly “cutting edge” pedagogy—but it works very well and accomplishes something very important; thus, it is well worth telling you about it.

A Conceptual Frame for Yoga across Time

In the first two weeks of my class, students trace the early history of yoga via its textual record by reading primary source selections from the Upanishads , the Mahābhārata (including the Bhagavad Gita ), and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra . Once they have this background regarding what early Indian yoga is, we read and discuss the following theoretical pieces: Richard Valantasis’s “A Theory of the Social Function of Asceticism”; the introduction of Gavin Flood’s The Ascetic Self ; excerpts of Marcel Mauss’s “Techniques of the Body”; and excerpts of Michel Foucault’s “Technologies of the Self” and “On the Genealogy of Ethics.” Through these pieces, I present “asceticism” as physical and mental activities that form and transform the self, especially through performance, intentionality, and ritualized techniques of the body and mind. I encourage students to see asceticism operating at the concrete level of behavior: abstract, intangible concepts, values, and goals become purposeful behavioral patterns in and through asceticism. The performance of disciplined intention interiorizes and naturalizes certain types of behavior and emotion.

In class we discuss the core ideas in these theoretical pieces and how they might apply to yoga—whether ancient (which they’ve just gained some familiarity with) or modern (which they already have some level of familiarity with). The students are then given an essay assignment in which they’re asked to use the conceptual framework of Foucault’s “practices of the self”—as well as the theoretical frameworks offered by Valantasis and Flood regarding “asceticism”—to discuss how yoga and yoga practice are conceived in two of the following three primary sources: the Upanishads , the Bhagavad Gita , and the Yoga Sutra . The assignment asks them to consider these questions:

Specifically, what “operations” do these texts advocate one to perform upon oneself? (And specifically what aspect(s) of one’s ordinary “self” are targeted or acted upon?) What sort of transformation is sought and through what means? What is the end goal and what is the larger context of assumed ideas and worldviews within which that end goal makes sense? Do the two source texts you have chosen articulate different conceptions of the practice and goals of yoga? (If yes, then how so?)

Allow me to turn now to the logic for this assignment.

Applying Theory, Comparing Yogas

In his On Teaching Religion , Jonathon Z. Smith (2013) writes that he wants his students to know “that matters are always more complex than they first appear, and that this is liberating rather than paralyzing” (3). He makes a list of “rules” in the service of this end, two of which are directly applicable to the pedagogical strategy and assignment I am discussing. Smith states: “Nothing must stand alone. Comparison opens space for criticism.” He follows this by stating, “A student only knows something well if she can apply it to something else” (3). Comparison and application are at the heart of this assignment’s design.

I conceive the essay assignment I give my students as—to paraphrase John Bean—an opportunity both to do critical thinking and to produce a product communicating the results of that critical thinking. For many students, it is no easy task to translate abstract theoretical ideas to specific material. In this assignment, they come to see not only how “theory” can illuminate specific material “in practice,” but also they often find that the theoretical ideas do not fully make sense to them until they have used those ideas (a) to interpret the primary sources and (b) to serve as the basis for a comparison of those sources’ specific teachings on yoga. In other words, it is in the combination of application (of theoretical concepts to interpret and explain specific material) and analytic comparison (of the primary source teachings on yoga) that this assignment demands that it functions as an especially effective pedagogical tool.

From the Ancient to the Modern: New Applications

It seems to me that one mark of a good, pedagogically effective assignment, particularly one given early on in a course, is that it teaches ideas and skills that students will continue to draw upon and that can provide frameworks for processing and comparing new material in the course. This is certainly the aim of the essay assignment I have been describing. As we proceed in the course into different historical forms of yoga, from medieval to early modern South Asia, and then to the modern West, we continually return in class to the theoretical conceptualizations of “asceticism” and “technologies of the self” at the heart of the assignment I have been describing. Particularly when we get to the end of the course, to readings on and discussions of modern forms of postural yoga, students have found these frameworks invaluable for placing these contemporary styles of yoga—such as Bikram, Iyengar, and Pattabhis Jois’s Ashtanga Yoga—alongside traditional ancient and medieval South Asian forms of yoga and considering them all as techniques of body and mind which form and transform the self; i.e., mental and physical methods for constructing and performing a particular kind of self.

Students usually enter the course with very particular ideas of what yoga is. They also typically enter with very particular ideas about their selves; that is, notions about what “the self” is and, thus, who they are at their core. In the essay assignment that I give early on, and throughout the course, I give students theoretical frames for understanding the constructed nature of selfhood and ask them to apply these frames in comparing and contrasting different historical forms of yoga. In regularly returning to these frames and applying them to specific types of yoga in different time periods and social contexts, students learn—gradually and incrementally—to identify the assumptions embedded in different cultural and historical worldviews and to reflect on how these assumptions (about the nature and relationships of the human being, the natural world, and the Divine) lead to particular visions of and goals for “the self,” and thus to certain disciplined, deliberate patternings of behavior designed to realize those visions and goals. When, at the end of the course, we arrive at the yoga practices of contemporary American society, the students are in a position to successfully deconstruct the assumptions of our own culture and to see how contemporary forms of yoga work toward enacting historically specific notions of the self and the “good life.”

Bain, Ken. 2004. What the Best College Teachers Do. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Bean, John C., and Maryellen Weimer. 2011. Engaging Ideas: The Professor’s Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom . 2nd edition. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Smith, Jonathon Z. 2013. On Teaching Religion . Edited by Christoper Lehrich. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Other References

Flood, Gavin. 2004. The Ascetic Self: Subjectivity, Memory and Tradition . New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

Foucault, Michel. (1983) 1997. “On the Genealogy of Ethics: An Overview of Work in Progress.” In Ethics: Subjectivity and Truth: The Essential Works of Foucault 1954–1984 , ed. Paul Rabinow

———. (1982) 1988. “Technologies of the Self.” In Technologies of the Self: A Seminar with Michel Foucault , eds. Luther H. Martin, Huck Gutman and Patrick H. Hutton. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 16–49. Available online at http://foucault.info/doc/documents/foucault-technologiesofself-en-html

Mauss, Marcel. (1934) 1992. “Techniques of the Body.” Reprinted in (e.g.) Incorporations , edited by Jonathan Crary and Sanford Kwinter. New York: Zone, 455–477.

Valantasis, Richard. 1995. “A Theory of the Social Function of Asceticism.” In Asceticism , eds. Vincent L. Wimbush and Richard Valantasis. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Image: George Wilson, safety for the Buffalo Bills (American football), prays before a game against the New York Jets. By Ed Yourdon (Flickr: NY Jets vs. Buffalo, Oct 2009 - 02), via Wikimedia Commons

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• sacred texts

Let’s Get Physical: Using Sports, Yoga, and Dance to Teach about Religion Fred Glennon, Le Moyne College

From Durkheim to Game Day: Sports as a Bridge for Introducing Religious Studies Arthur Remillard, Saint Francis University

Religion and Sports Philip P. Arnold, Syracuse University

Using Sport to Teaching American Religious History Annie Blazer, College of William and Mary

Using Case Studies to Teach Religion and Sports Rebecca T. Alpert, Temple University

Yoga in Theory and Practice: Pedagogical Strategies Patton Burchett, College of William and Mary

Sensing the Gods: Utilizing Embodied Pedagogy to Understand Hindu Devotion Katherine C. Zubko, University of North Carolina–Asheville

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The Psychology and Philosophy of Yoga

An introduction to the yoga sutra of patanjali..

Updated May 11, 2024 | Reviewed by Ray Parker

• Yoga is one of the six orthodox schools of Indian philosophy.
• Yoga borrows the metaphysics of one of the other schools, Samkhya.
• However, whereas Samkhya emphasizes knowledge as the path to liberation, Yoga emphasizes discipline.

A darshana is an outlook, a philosophy , literally, a “vision.” The term darshana is especially associated with the six orthodox schools of Indian philosophy, the so-called shaddarshana , or “six visions.” What makes them orthodox, and therefore Hindu, is that they accept the authority of the Vedas. With good reason, the shaddarshana are often presented in pairs: Samkhya-Yoga, Nyaya-Vaisheshika, and Mimamsa-Vedanta. In this post, I shall, of course, be focussing on Samkhya-Yoga.

The Samkhya School

The founder of the Samkhya school is held to be Kapila, who lived, perhaps, in the sixth century BCE. Little is known about him. He is sometimes described as an avatar of Vishnu or the grandson of Brahma. He is mentioned by Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita as the greatest of sages: “Amongst the gandharvas I am Chitrath, and among the siddhas, I am sage Kapila.” According to Puranic lore, his meditation produced such intense inner heat that, when they disturbed him, he incinerated the Sagarputras , the 60,001 sons of King Sagara, simply by opening his eyes.

In the Buddhist tradition, the students of Kapila built the Shakya capital of Kapilavastu. The Buddha, who was raised in Kapilavastu, was therefore steeped in Samkhya philosophy, explaining the affinities between Samkhya and Buddhism.

Kapila is held to have authored the Samkhya Sutra , although the extant text appears to be medieval in origin. Instead, the school’s primary text is the Samkhyakarika by Ishvarakrishna, who lived in the third or fourth century CE.

In the first verse, Ishvarakrishna states the aim of Samkhya: to eliminate the three forms of dukkha (suffering): internal, from physical and mental disease; external, from outside threats, especially other people; and divine, that is, from natural disasters.

Samkhya is a radical dualism that holds that the universe is made up of two independent, infinite, and eternal realities: Purusha (souls) and Prakriti (matter or nature). The Purushas are conscious but have no attributes. They are pure ‘witness consciousness.’ Prakriti is composed of the three gunas (qualities or tendencies of matter), sattva (preservation, harmony), rajas (creation, passion), and tamas (destruction, apathy).

Initially, the gunas are in equilibrium. But at its approach, Purusha disturbs this equilibrium in favour of rajas , and this imbalance sets off material creation.

Comparisons With Western Dualism

Unlike Western dualism, which is between mind and matter, Samkhyan dualism is between self and matter—with “matter” encompassing most of what Westerners would consider “mind” (intellect, ego, emotions, etc.)—everything, in fact, except witness consciousness, of which mind is the instrument.

Also, unlike Western dualism, Samkhyan dualism is atheistic or agnostic. Although an orthodox school, Samkhya is remarkably silent about God and the Vedas.

The Samkhyan Account of Creation

At the approach of Purusha, undifferentiated Prakriti evolves 23 tattvas (elements, aspects), first buddhi ( intelligence ), and from buddhi ahamkara (ego or self-consciousness).

Under the influence of sattva guna , ahamkara yields the five organs of sense (eyes, ears, nose, skin, tongue), the five organs of action (arms, legs, speech, organs of elimination, organs of creation), and manas (mind).

Then, under the influence of tamas guna , ahamkara yields the five subtle elements (sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste), from which the five material elements (earth, air, water, fire, ether) emerge.

Notice that the material world is last in the order of creation. Its evolution from the five senses suggests that the world is an illusion, although this is never explicitly stated.

Manas has a special role in mediating between the ten organs, the five senses, and the world without. Being of Prakriti , buddhi , ahamkara , and manas are not conscious. However, they appear to be conscious and are set into motion by proximity with Purusha —functioning, as it were, by reflected consciousness.

The Samkhyan Account of Liberation

Adding Purusha and Prakriti to the 23 tattvas makes a total of 25 tattvas —of which 24 are of Prakriti . Nonetheless, it is for the sake of Purusha that the differentiation occurs, to provide it with experience and, in time, with liberation ( moksha ). By reflecting the consciousness of Purusha , Prakriti is showing Purusha to itself.

Purusha and Prakriti are like a lame man and a blind man, lost in the wilderness. The blind man carries the lame man, who guides his steps. Both are looking for their way home, to moksha , when they will part ways. But having never traveled, the lame man is avid of experience and so enthralled by his adventure that he forgets about his destination.

To be consistent with the universal law of karma, Samkhya assumes that a Purusha that is bonded to Prakriti (that is , a jiva ), has two bodies: a gross, mortal body, and a subtle body made up of the higher functions which transmigrates according to past merit. The continuity of the subtle body enables the Purusha to keep on learning through numerous incarnations.

Final liberation consists in the realization of the separateness of Purusha and Prakriti . This involves a process of involution, or “going back to the womb”—that is, reversing, through intellect and understanding, the process of evolution from the material elements back to undifferentiated Prakriti and beyond.

In short, salvation consists in counting backwards.

The Yoga School

Samkhya exerted such a profound influence on Yoga that the two schools are sometimes merged as Samkhya-Yoga. But whereas Samkhya emphasizes knowledge and discrimination as the path to liberation, Yoga rather emphasizes discipline.

Although Yoga essentially borrows the metaphysics of Samkhya, it introduces a twenty-sixth tattva , namely, Ishvara, or “the Lord”—for which reason it has been called “Theistic Samkhya.” The nature of “Ishvara” is open to interpretation, but it may be regarded as a special Purusha that is unentangled and, therefore, inactive.

The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali

In the second century BCE, or perhaps the fifth century CE, Patanjali collected the ideas around yoga in the Yoga Sutra . These 196 verses became the foundational text of Yoga, which, towards the end of the first millennium, began to be mentioned as a separate school.

Patanjali’s synthesis influenced all other schools of Hindu philosophy, which regard it as authoritative. It is sometimes referred to as Raja Yoga (Royal Yoga) or Ashtanga Yoga (Eight-Limbed Yoga) to distinguish it from the many other forms of yoga, such as Jnana, Karma, Bhakti, Mantra, and Tantra—which are, of course, more complementary than mutually exclusive.

The Yoga Sutra has four sections: Samahdi ( Concentration ), Sadhana (Practice), Vibhuti (Yogic or Magical Powers), and Kaivalya (Isolation or Liberation). In the first section, Patanjali defines yoga as “the cessation of mental fluctuations” ( chitta vritti nirodha )—with chitta (mind) assimilated in the Samkhyan system to buddhi , ahamkara , and manas . In the third section, he warns against practicing yoga for the perverted purpose of acquiring yogic powers—suggesting that this sort of thing may have been common.

Ashtanga or Eight-Limbed Yoga

The eight stages of Patanjali’s Yoga are:

• Yama (abstinence or restraint)
• Niyama (discipline or observances)
• Asana (‘seat’, posture)
• Pranayama (breath control)
• Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses)
• Dharana (concentration of the mind on some object)
• Dhyana (steady meditation on that object) and
• Samadhi (absorption, ecstatic union with the ultimate).

The first two stages are ethical preparations. Yama involves abstinence from injury, falsehood, stealing, lust, and avarice. Niyama involves purity or cleanliness, contentment, austerity, study, and devotion to God.

The next two stages are physical preparations, each involving a series of exercises to remove physical or bodily distractions.

The fifth stage involves taking control of the mind by emptying it of impressions.

The remaining three stages, which may take several lifetimes to perfect, aim at increasingly heightened states of awareness and return.

According to Patanjali, the five kleshas (poisons, obstacles to Yoga and liberation) are ignorance, ego, attachment or desire, aversion to unpleasant things or truths, and fear of death and desire to live.

Final Remarks

The aim of yoga, and ascetic practice in general, is essentially to react against ordinary human habits, which entangle us, or our Purusha , with Prakriti , to the extent that Purusha identifies with Prakriti and more particularly with the restless chitta and its manifold modifications.

This is a far cry from the yoga practised in the West as a form of physical culture, with postures borrowed from Hatha Yoga and optional spiritual sprinkling for stress relief. Even Hatha Yoga is about a lot more than that.

Read more in Indian Mythology and Philosophy .

Bhagavad Gita 10.26.

Neel Burton, M.D. , is a psychiatrist, philosopher, and writer who lives and teaches in Oxford, England.

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A brief history of yoga: Through the ages

Wherever you go today, you hear people talking about the multiple benefits of  yoga  and attesting to its indispensability in daily life. It is no surprise, considering the significance of  yoga  in the resolution of physical and mental problems all over the world today.  When you hear the word  ‘yoga’ , chances are that an image of people twisting in, seemingly, impossible poses may pop into your head. Perhaps you never dreamt that any non-acrobat could bend and twist like that!

While  yoga asanas   are immensely effective and helpful, yoga is more than the  asanas  or poses it is known for today. It is, also, not just a passing modern fad that evolved over the last few decades. The fact is that it dates back as far as a few millenniums! Yes, incredible as it may sound, yoga goes way back to BC times. So, it is no wonder that so many around the world are attracted to such a time-tested practice.

But, let’s start at the beginning with the very meaning of  yoga . What is  yoga?  What do we mean when we say it is more than  asanas?  And from when has it been practiced?

What is  yoga?

The word  yoga  was derived from the Sanskrit word  yuj  which means ‘to join’ or ‘to unite’. This union is not, merely, about your nose touching your knees as you bend to touch your toes! The  union  referred to is that of your mind with your body. You integrating with your surroundings and nature. And, finally, your individual consciousness with the universal consciousness.

Lord Shiva is considered to be the first yogi; it is believed that He disseminated his knowledge and learning to seven learned men known as the Saptarishis. They, in turn, spread this knowledge in seven different directions covering diverse regions – knowledge that humans can evolve beyond their physical limitations.

We can understand more about this once we understand how the practice of  yoga  came about. When did it start, and by whom? Let’s delve into the history of  yoga .

History of yoga

I. pre-vedic and vedic period.

In the hierarchy of  Vedic  knowledge, there are four  Vedas  –  Rigveda, Samveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda . These are followed by four  Upavedas  or sub- Vedas  –  Ayurveda, Arthaveda, Dhanurveda,  and  Gandharvaveda . Further down the line are six  upangas  or components –  Shiksha, Kalpa, Vyakarana, Nirukta, Chandas , and  Jyotisha . These are further classified into six sub-components –  Nyaya, Vaiseshika, Sankhya, Mimansa, Vedanta , and  Yoga .

The earliest recorded mention of the word ‘ yoga ’ is in the ancient Indian text, the  Rig Veda  – this body of knowledge dates back to around 1500 BC! In the  Atharva Veda , again (dating to 1200-1000 BC), there is a mention of the importance of the   control of breath. It is difficult to pinpoint exact dates because in the beginning, the  Vedas  were, only, orally passed on from one generation to another. Written records came much later.

However, even before this, in the Indus-Saraswati civilization (dating to 2700 BC),     several seals and fossils have been found, with figures performing  Yoga Sadhana . This suggests that  yoga  was known and practiced even in those early stages of civilization.

II. Pre-classical period

The  Upanishads  took birth in this era. They explain the meaning hidden in the Vedas, elaborating on the workings of the mind and spirit through personal teachings. They espouse meditation and mantra recitation towards the ultimate goal of attaining enlightenment. Out of the 108  Upanishads , there are 20  yoga Upanishads . These talk about different yogic techniques, like  pranayama   (breathing exercise)  and  pratyahara  (withdrawal of the senses), breathing exercises, sound, and meditation.

III. Classical period (500 BC to 800 AD)

A) Lord  Mahavira  and Lord  Buddha’s  teachings formed the early basis for  Yoga Sadhana . While Lord  Mahavira  spoke of attaining salvation and freedom through meditation, Lord  Buddha  spoke of specific postures and meditation to attain enlightenment.

B) The  Bhagavad Gita  also came into existence in this period. This text is a dialogue between Lord  Krishna  (universal consciousness) and Prince  Arjuna  (human consciousness). Here, the Lord explains the concepts of  Dharma, Karma yoga   (generous actions), Bhakti yoga (dedicated and caring actions)  and  Jnana yoga (knowledge) .

In the  Bhagavad Gita , Lord  Krishna  says,  “Samatvam Yoga Uchyate” – equanimity in  the mind is a sign of  yoga .  Yoga  is that ability to remain centered in adverse situations. Whatever takes us back to our original, joyous and harmonious nature is  yoga .

C) Some verses of the Mahabharata dating to 300-200 BC also mention terms described by Sage  Patanjali , such as  vichara  (subtle reflection), and  viveka  (discrimination). Some of the goals of  yoga  are described as the separation of self from matter, perceiving  Brahman  everywhere, entering into the  Brahman  state and uniting the individual  atman  with the universal  Brahman .

D)  Maharshi Patanjali , considered the Father of  Yoga , was the first one to systematize the practices of  yoga  in, what is believed to be, the second century BC. Through his  Yoga Sutras , he disseminated the meaning of  yoga , and the knowledge it has to offer. This yoga was called  Raja yoga . He formulated the  Astanga yoga  or the eight limbs of  yoga , which included  yamas ,  niyamas , asanas, pranayama, pratyahara,  dharana ,  dhyan , and samadhi.

• Karma yoga – the path of action or activity
• Bhakti yoga – the path of devotion
• Jnana yoga – the path of inquiry
• Raja yoga – the path of introspection
• Hatha yoga – the path of balancing the physical, mental and pranic layer in the body

Elements of  Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras  were used as part of the finger movements in  nata  dances. These were later incorporated in martial arts.

Commentaries on the  Yoga Sutras  by Veda  Vyasa  were also written at this time. Here, he has

explained the relationship between the yoga school of philosophy and the  Samkhya  philosophy, one of the six systems of Indian philosophy.

This period emphasized the importance of the mind in  yoga .

IV. Post-classical period

In this era, many sages and philosophers such as  Adi Shankaracharya  contributed to the development and continuation of  Raja Yoga  and  Jnana yoga , adopting and building upon the teachings and techniques of  yoga . With his teachings, and yogic rituals, like the  Jnana Yoga , one can achieve  Nirvana  or liberation. Additionally, meditation was also considered vital to help clear the mind.

Tulsidasa  and  Purandaradasa  also contributed to the science of yoga.  Hatha yoga  was popularized in this period. Most of the  asanas  that we practice today are part of  Hatha yoga .

V. Modern Period (1700 AD to 1900 AD)

Swami Vivekananda  was largely responsible for the spread of yoga to western societies.

Here, there was much focus on physical well-being.  Raja yoga  was further developed   by  Ramana Maharshi, Ramakrishna Paramahansa, BKS Iyengar, K Pattabhi Jois, Paramhansa Yogananda, and Vivekananda .  Yoga  spread to the West in the mid-nineteenth century.  Vedanta, Bhakti and Hatha yoga  flourished at this time.

Such was the long and illustrious journey that  yoga  undertook to reach the 21st century! It has had various contributors and undergone many changes. Despite all this, the essence of yoga remains becoming one with your  self , spirit and the world around you.

Ancient vs modern perspective

In olden times, people lived lives that were intertwined with nature. They were in their natural state and evolved in that state. There was an understanding of the symbiotic relationship between the body and the mind. That only when both are in communion are bends and twists possible. To achieve this, control of breath and self-realization are important.

The idea of using  yoga  for treatment of diseases, physical fitness and to achieve freedom from stress is a modern, and rather, superficial perspective. In ancient times,  yoga  was not just a means to remove diseases. For instance, the emphasis on hygiene and cleanliness was present in ancient times as well. But, this did not refer to only brushing, washing and general morning ablutions. It included keeping your mind, and by extension, your thought process also, pure and clean. In other words, it led to all-round wellness.

Like a flower bud, human life has the potential to blossom fully. Blossoming of human potential to fullness is yoga. ~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Helping man to flourish completely is  yoga . Helping the individual potential to blossom to its fullest is  yoga . For this, all aspects of the individual – physical, mental, spiritual, intellectual, and emotional aspects have to be addressed. Just treating the body would be a symptomatic approach that will, eventually, lead to other problems not far down the road to recovery.

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More than asanas

Today, our exposure to  yoga  is largely restricted to  yoga asanas . This is why we associate  yoga  with flexibility and fitness.

Remember that people were sitting on the floor in  yoga asanas  as a matter of daily life. Today, we need to work our way into a  padmasana  or lotus pose! Correct posture and meditative state were a way of life that modern living has deprived us of. That is why poses are so popular today. But, now you know that  yoga  was not meant to be  asanas  in isolation.

Asanas  are, undoubtedly, a very essential step in the process of overall enlightenment. However, they are not the be all and end all of all that  yoga  stands for.  Asanas  are simply, ONE of the eight limbs of  yoga . They are a necessary part of the preparatory process to enable the body to enter a meditative state and sustain higher levels of energy.

Yoga  helps you realize that you are one with the universe around you i.e. your existence is not separate from the world around you. Once you attain this state of awareness, you will be liberated from the sufferings of the world, and achieve a control over your body, mind, spirit, and even, your destiny. This path to self-realization and actualization is the true aim of  yoga .

This profound spiritual meaning of  yoga  is now being recognized globally as the United Nations has named June 21st as International  Yoga  Day – a day to assign this ancient practice its rightful place as a way of life that engenders peace, harmony and universal integration.

(Based on inputs from Meena Waghray, faculty, Art of Living)

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My 200-Hour and 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Trainings Each Changed My Life Dramatically—But in Completely Different Ways

A teacher's life-changing learning experience that traversed two continents and 500 hours of education..

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The first time I walked into a yoga studio, I was looking for a different fitness routine. Nothing more.

It was 2018 and I was living in San Francisco. I quickly fell in love with a class at CorePower Yoga called Yoga Sculpt, which was a combination of yoga, weights, and cardio. Appreciating the effect it had on my mind as well as my body, I fell hard enough for it to train as a Yoga Sculpt instructor. By that summer, I was teaching two classes a week.

I’d also fallen for the studio, where I felt a deep sense of community. I began spending all of my free time there, and when I was asked to take a management role , I went all in. I’d just lost my job as a content manager, so the timing couldn’t have been more aligned.

I hadn’t planned on enrolling in another training while I was adjusting to my role at the studio and teaching twice a week, but somehow I found myself enrolling in an eight-week 200-hour yoga teacher training (YTT) through CorePower.

From the moment I made that decision, it seemed like everything in my life started to change at an unprecedented pace. Suddenly my days were consumed by yoga.

My 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training

The training required us to meet three evenings a week for three hours. It was fast-paced, but our two lead trainers and their assistant coaches reassured us that we were exactly where we were supposed to be and encouraged us to trust the process.

My Introduction to 200 YTT

The primary focus of the 200 YTT was to learn how to teach CorePower’s set sequence, which is a “Level 1” power vinyasa yoga class consisting of a series of the same poses taught in the exact same order each time. Our curriculum was designed to help us memorize the set sequence as well as learn cueing and breathing formulas, hands-on adjustments, yoga philosophy, chakras, basic Sanskrit, anatomy, prenatal yoga, and the business of yoga.

With no time to lose, we dove straight into practicing how to teach. The sequence was broken down into 11 sections, each containing several poses. Having learned formulas for cueing and breathwork in my Yoga Sculpt training, I felt confident in my ability to lead students through several of the basic poses, including Sun Salutation A and B. But I needed to practice having a beginner’s mind as we explored teaching less familiar poses and transitions and learned the underlying why behind the order of the sections.

We finished memorizing the sequence in the first three weeks of the training.

By week four, we went deeper into anatomy and adjustments. I was also required to observe classes, which means I sat at the back of the room and took careful notes on the cues, pacing, and overall experience as another teacher led students through their practice. I started to notice subtle things I hadn’t been aware of before I began training, like were the lights too dim or too bright? Was the music too distracting or just right? I found myself being overly critical of certain things.

Later in the training, we practiced teaching in small groups. We received feedback from our trainers on “glows and grows,” or things we did well and things we could improve upon. That feedback was essential for helping us improve, although when it was my turn to teach, I always felt like my heart would beat out of my chest. It’s a feeling that I sometimes still experience when I stand in front of a class, although it dissipates when I remember to focus less on myself and more on my students.

Spiritual Sparks Fly

Given the limitation of 200 hours, we focused primarily on asana, or the physical postures. But we also covered some spiritual and philosophical aspects of yoga in the training, and that is what most captured my attention.

During week five, we learned about the chakras, which are the seven energy points in our body that run along a central channel. And each week, we were expected to turn in homework and reading assignments on yoga philosophy, including the yamas and niyamas . Our exposure to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra came from reading the translations included at the back of our manuals, although we were assigned to read The Inner Tradition of Yoga by Michael Stone, a psychotherapist and teacher of yoga and Buddhism, and that offered some additional insight into yoga philosophy.

There was one lecture that I vividly recall. In it, our trainers referred to “little s and big S.” The “little s” is what we perceive as our self—our self-image or ego. The “big S” is our true nature or pure consciousness, which some of the teachers translated as our spirit or soul. To this day, this is one of the concepts I rely on most for self-reflection.

We applied what we were learning by taking part in a Karma Yoga Project. My fellow trainees and I volunteered at a homeless shelter and helped prepare meals and handed them out, an experience that provided us the opportunity to connect with each other and the larger community while demonstrating that part of living your yoga is being of service to others.

Our training also required us to attend classes at different studios. I hadn’t expected this to be such an integral part of my understanding of yoga philosophy, but l will never forget attending a class at Love Story Yoga in the Mission District of San Francisco where we chanted mantras in Sanskrit before we began moving our bodies. At the time, because it was so different from CorePower’s teachings, the chanting felt very out there for me. Little did I know a seed was being planted in my soul.

Learning to Teach Poses

The eight weeks went quickly. In addition to the lectures and homework, I took around 60 studio classes during that time.

In the last week of our 200-hour training, my classmates and I prepared for final written exams and took part in a “Bring a Beginner” night. As teachers in training, we were expected to facilitate an inclusive and well-rounded class environment for someone who had little to no experience with yoga. We guided the students into poses without any of us messing up our cues or forgetting any sections. Afterward, the newcomers gushed about the class, which we took as a reflection of how well-prepared we were to teach.

The teaching tools were specific to CorePower’s sequence, which I found to be an intelligent way of learning how to safely deliver cues and adapt the practice to the needs of students in a supportive manner.

On the day I received my 200-hour certificate, my classmates and I commemorated the occasion by taking photos in fun poses. I celebrated with headstand, a pose I was proud to practice because I had recently learned how.

But I knew my yoga journey was still at the beginning. My 200 YTT had given me the tools to teach a safe and comprehensive asana class, but I was still largely in the dark and curious about yoga scriptures, philosophy, pranayama (breathwork), and meditation.

A few years later, I moved to South Lake Tahoe, California. As before, I found a community at a yoga studio where I taught some classes. It was a boutique studio, and without the rules and standards of CorePower, I found myself becoming more creative and exploring a different teaching voice.

As my ability to lead others through asana progressed, I knew that I still had so much more to learn. I felt a void. I was also teaching but barely practicing so the voice of imposter syndrome crept in. I constantly asked myself, do my students feel connected with the practice of yoga beyond the physical? Should I be doing more to share that with them? Can I call myself a yoga teacher when I can’t even maintain a consistent personal practice?

At the same time, I knew that I was being pulled elsewhere.

My 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training

The next chapter in my story began with a Google search. One night I typed “birthplace of yoga” on my keyboard and the small town of Rishikesh popped up. I spent hours watching YouTube videos about the place known as the “yoga capital of the world.”

I felt immediately drawn to this destination and began looking for yoga schools that were based there. The Himalayan Yoga Association (HYA) seemed to align with everything I was seeking. Over 27 days, I’d train for 300 hours in hatha, Ashtanga, pranayama, meditation, Ayurveda, anatomy, alignment, and yoga philosophy.

“This is it,” I thought. “I’m finally making it happen.”

My Introduction to 300 YTT

Most of the nervousness I felt about the training was soothed by the fact that another yoga teacher I knew had agreed to join me on the journey to India. On March 1, 2023, the two of us and the remaining students in our 300-hour yoga teacher training were welcomed by our four teachers with a fire ceremony. It ended with kirtan, an act of devotion which involves chanting mantras in Sanskrit. It took a few songs for us newcomers to feel comfortable singing, clapping, dancing, and chanting with each other, since we’d only met a few hours prior. It was a beautiful way to immerse ourselves in the training.

The following day, we were immediately thrown into the deep end with a jam-packed schedule and what felt like information overload. We started just after dawn with nasal cleansing practices, such as jala neti and sutra neti , followed by pranayama, meditation, and hatha yoga. These practices reinforced that yoga isn’t just a physical practice but an entire system of practices that includes physical postures as well as breathing techniques, cleansing practices, and lifestyle adjustments.

By late morning, I was famished. In between philosophy and anatomy classes, we took a break for a strictly vegetarian lunch with lots of lentils, potatoes, veggies, and rice. There was chai, but I missed coffee. I often struggled to focus during the post-lunch class, wishing I could take a nap or sip an espresso.

There were two yoga asana classes a day, and they weren’t exactly a walk in the park, which meant I went through a lot of Tiger Balm. The training ended at 7 p.m. with alignment and Ashtanga, and at night I was physically and mentally exhausted. I was learning what felt like a lifetime’s worth of information and my body was still trying to adjust to the physical practice.

I found myself completely overwhelmed.

My favorite class was the late-morning philosophy lecture. Our teacher had an aura about him that lit up the entire room. He taught concepts about yoga that I had never heard of before and that also applied to several Eastern religions, including Hinduism and Jainism. I was fascinated by samsara, the wheel of life, where we are all continuously experiencing birth, death, and rebirth. I learned about moksha , which is breaking free from the cycle of samsara and attaining the highest form of human life in which our Self or Soul becomes one with the divine. It was another big S moment.

These concepts of divinity and reincarnation opened my eyes to new ways of contemplating life. I couldn’t help but wonder if these concepts would be taken seriously in my classes back home. How would my students respond?

A Completely Different Understanding of Yoga

The training in India exposed me to aspects of yoga I had known nothing about. Perhaps this should have been no surprise, since I came to India with the intention to explore more of the spiritual side of yoga.

First, there was the physical practice of yoga. Most Hatha classes in the West are slower-paced and beginner-friendly. The hatha classes at HYA felt like boot camp. I didn’t know you could do a push-up in Wheel Pose until, well, I did a push-up in Wheel Pose.

I had only practiced Ashtanga a handful of times prior to my training in India. It includes several series of set sequence of poses, beginning the primary series followed by the intermediate series. My 300-hour YTT covered the intermediate series of Ashtanga yoga, which focuses on backbends. But having very little background in the primary series, I confessed to my teacher that I felt completely lost.

Surprised, he asked, “Didn’t you do the primary series in your 200-hour teacher training?” I was embarrassed to admit that I hadn’t. A few others in the 300-hour had the same experience, and luckily our teacher was kind enough to break down the poses in the primary series for the first few weeks before moving on to the intermediate series.

Aside from being pushed to the physical limit with the asana practices, I was blown away by how vital pranayama, meditation, Ayurveda, and yoga philosophy were to the tradition of yoga and those who practiced yoga in India. We learned an entire pranayama sequence, and I witnessed the progression of my breathing as the days went by.

We were also exposed to different meditation techniques and were asked to read a good portion of the Yoga Sutra . Our teacher had us chant each sutra in Sanskrit before diving into its meaning.

Everything seemed so disciplined, from the schedule to the rules. There was how and what and why you should eat, according to Ayurveda, which is the sister science to yoga. There was also what was considered the best times to practice pranayama and meditation.

The yoga lifestyle in India was a complete 180 from the yoga lifestyle I was used to in the U.S.

Learning to Teach Yoga

While we learned countless new skills and a huge amount of information, we didn’t learn how to teach any of it. In fact, we didn’t teach at all. I asked my teacher if we were going to receive feedback or practice teaching. “That’s what your final exam is for,” he said.

Final exams at HYA took an entire week. There were written tests for anatomy and philosophy, and verbal tests for pranayama, meditation, hatha, and Ashtanga. The hatha exam also required us to teach a short class that included joint movements, Sun Salutations , forward bends, twists, and inversions.

For the Ashtanga exam, we were split into groups to teach the entire intermediate series. Luckily, we were allowed to have our notes in front of us. It was our first time teaching since we’d learned the series. I can’t imagine how this would have gone without my notes. With gratitude, I passed.

The Teacher—and Student—I Am Today

My two YTT experiences were equally transformational but in completely different ways. Each has made me not only a better teacher but a much better student.

Yoga in the West has brought me nothing but positive experiences and opened my eyes to mindful living. But during the four weeks I spent expanding my practice in India, I came to understand that yoga is a continuous physical and spiritual practice that is constantly unfolding well beyond the walls of any studio. With that understanding, my practice and I both underwent a true metamorphosis. One in which life itself became the school.

RELATED: I Learned Yoga in India. Then I Did My Yoga Teacher Training at CorePower.

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The history of Yoga is indeed ancient. Nothing can be said firmly about the origin of Yoga. Only it can be noted that Yoga originated in India. The available evidence shows that the history of Yoga is related to Indus valley civilization. At that time, people used to do Yoga based on a secondary source. It can allude that Yoga originated approximately 3000 BC in India. Patanjali wrote the first book on Yoga in 147 BC. Yoga is derived from a Sanskrit word ‘”Yoj’ which means union or join.

• 1. According to Patanjali, yoga means to control the desires of a human being.
• 2. The system of yoga is built on the three main structures: exercise, breathing and meditation.
• 3. The practices of yoga are designed to put pressure on the glandular systems of the body, increase its efficiency and total health. The body is looked upon as the primary instrument that enables us to work, and so a yoga student treats it with great care and respect.
• 4. Breathing techniques are based on the concept that breath is the source of life in the body. The yoga student gently increases breath control to improve health.
• 5. The two systems of exercise and breathing prepare the body and mind for meditation, and the student finds a straightforward approach to a quiet mind that allows silence and healing from day-to-day stress.
• 6. Regular daily practice of all three parts of this structure of yoga produces a clear, bright mind and a healthy, capable body and mind.

The eight steps or elements of classical yoga are:

Asanas are the first and the most important stage of yoga. They are specific body postures practised to keep the body healthy. Asanas help in exercising every muscle, nerve and gland of the body and are thus highly useful in maintaining physical fitness. Mentioned below are the Sanskrit names (along with the English name) of the major asanas.

Some of the asanas are discussed below:

Padmasana means lotus posture. This asana gives the appearance of a lotus. It is the best asana for contemplation.

• Sit on the ground by spreading the legs forward.
• Place the right foot on the left thigh and the left foot on the right thigh.
• Place the hands on the knee joints as shown in the figure.
• Keep the body,back and head hand erect.
• Eyes should be closed.
• It helps in improving concentration and memory.
• It helps to preserve vital fluids in the body.
• It prevents abdominal disease and female disorders.
• It brings peace and longevity

On performing this asana sensation is felt in the body.We should do the movement in relaxed manner. Inhale slowly and exhale slowly. While drawing the abdominal region inwards and expanding the chest, focus the attention on breathing.

1. With knees, ankles and big toes touching the ground, take a kneeling position. 2. One should sit on the heels and place palms on the knees as shown in the figure. 3. Draw the abdominal region inside and expand the chest.

1. The blood pressure patients will benefit from this asana. 2. It also strengthens the spine.

Also known as sun salutation, the Surya Namaskar is one of the best exercises that one can perform.The benefits accruing from these exercises are unique and excellent. The Surya Namaskar is performed usually early in the morning facing the morning rising sun. It is done in 12 steps, each step having its own posture with its own breathing pattern.

• 1. Stand erect facing the sun with palms folded and both the thumbs touching the chest. Breathing: Inhale while raising the hands and exhale as hands are brought down.
• 2. Raise hands upward, with feet firmly on the ground and bend backwards and stretch arms Breathing: Inhale
• 3. Slowly bend forward,hands touching the earth,head touching the knees. Breathing:Exhale
• 4. Set both hands with palms down firmly on the ground, pull the left leg backward, raise the head looking the sun. Breathing: Inhale.
• 5. Bring right leg back close to left leg keeping hands and leg straight.Bend the body at the hip forming an arch. Breathing:Exhale.
• 6. Stretch yourself fully on the ground in the saashtanga Namaskar pose. Feet, knees,thighs, chest and forehead touch the ground with the hands stretched out. Now slowly turn the head to the sides first to left and then to right. Breathing inhale first and then exhale fully.
• 7. Slowly raise the head bend backward as much as possible, hands straight. Breathing Inhale.
• 8. Parvatasana – same as step 5. Breathing: exhale.
• 9. Same as step 4 with the difference that the right leg is brought forward Breathing: inhale
• 10. Same as step 3 – Breathing: exhale
• 11. Same as step 2 – breathing: inhale
• 12. Same as step 1- Breathing, exhale: inhale and exhale.

1. Surya Namaskar improves the physical body prana (breathing) mind, intellect and the bliss components of the entire human personality. It can be used as a personality development tool. 2. It also reduces the extra fat from your body. 3. It improves body posture. 4. It strengthens the body muscles.

Copyright 2024 by Tiwari Academy | A step towards Free Education

26 Yoga Goals to Expand and Deepen Your Practice

Yoga is traditionally associated with only one goal—to attain samadhi or enlightenment . Yet householder yogis find it helpful and beneficial to pursue smaller and easier attainable goals. Yoga goals can be quite diverse, depending on if the focus on yoga’s physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual benefits. Having clear and specific yogic goals can help deepen one’s practice, improve your health, and help you live a life of greater balance, peace, and happiness. If you are looking to expand or deepen your yoga practice, you should consider using one or more yoga goals to lead the way.

Rigid vs Flexible Goals

Rigid goals have a very specific outcome and timeframe in mind. For example, if you want to lose weight, then losing 10 pounds in 60 days would be considered a rigid goal. A flexible goal, on the other hand, is more open-ended and general. It may be something like “I am going to eat healthy foods and take care of myself physically.”

Flexible goals allow you to make slow and small changes in your lifestyle without having to completely overhaul your entire way of living. There are a few downsides to flexible goals. One downside is that they aren’t as motivating because there isn’t a deadline for when you need to reach them. Another downside is that flexible goals don’t give you any immediate feedback about whether or not you are making progress towards reaching your long-term goals. This means that you could spend months working towards a flexible goal and never know if you are actually accomplishing anything.

In order to get the most out of your yoga session, try to incorporate both rigid and flexible goals into your daily routine. Use flexible goals to give you the big picture of what you want to achieve and to help you stay motivated and encouraged. Then use one or more detailed rigid goals with set deadlines to encourage consistent practice to move toward accomplishing your flexible goal.

Yoga goals to expand and deepen your yoga practice

Whether you’re new to yoga or already practicing, taking on one or more of these goals will guide you to improve your practice. For any of the items on this list that you’d like to explore, think about creating both flexible and rigid goals to use. Create and write down a detailed plan to achieve your goals with as many small steps as you can think of.

Increase your flexibility

Many people take up yoga to improve their flexibility and range of motion. Even experienced yogis work on improving flexibility to advance in the practice and be able to perform more challenging asanas. If your goal is to increase your flexibility, then focus on stretching poses that target the major muscle groups that are tightest in your body. Generally, you will want to focus more on seated and floor poses since they allow you to hold the position for a longer time. Yin and gentle yoga classes will focus more on flexibility than other styles. Don’t push, pull or force your way into the stretch—instead, work on relaxing into it.

Improve strength and build endurance

If your goal is to increase strength, then focus on holding poses that activate the muscles you wish to strengthen. If you want to build upper body strength, then incorporate long holds of Downward Facing Dog , Plank Pose , Cobra , Dolphin , Side Plank  and arm balances like Crow Pose . If you want to develop lower body strength, then focus on standing poses such as Tree Pose , Mountain , the 5 Warrior Poses , Chair , and Goddess pose . If you want to develop your core, you can include exercises like Low Plank , Bridge , and Boat . Focus on breathing deeply during each pose and slowly building up to holding the pose for longer periods of time.

As you strengthen your muscles, you build endurance. Endurance refers to how long you can hold a position. Endurance is important as it helps you recover faster after intense workouts. Yoga builds endurance so you can hold the postures with ease and feel great after class.

Get stronger bones

Yoga has been shown to reduce stress fractures and help with osteoporosis . Bone density increases by strengthening bones through weight bearing exercise. To build strong bones, focus less on stretching asanas and incorporate more of the above strength building poses.

Regulate your emotions

Emotional imbalance can lead to poor decision making and unhealthy relationships. To achieve emotional balance, focus on yoga poses that calm the nervous system and open the heart center. Calming poses include forward bends, twists, and hip opening poses like Seated Forward Fold , Bound Angle , Wide-Legged Forward Bend , Child’s Pose , Wind-Relieving Pose , Happy Baby Pose , and Pigeon .

Build balance

If you want to build better physical balance, then start with focusing more on standing poses . Standing poses require you to maintain proper posture and challenge your ability to balance and stabilize yourself in different positions. Once you feel comfortable balancing in a standing pose, move on to balancing poses such as tree pose, dancer and eagle. These poses are great for building balance and strength because they require you to place all of your weight on to one leg.

Reduce stress and anxiety

Stress affects every aspect of our lives. It causes us to lose sleep, eat poorly, and make poor decisions. A regular yoga practice promotes a calm mind and helps to turn off the nervous systems “fight or flight” stress response. If your goal is to create a calmer mind, then focus on practicing meditation, slow deep breathing and soothing and gentle poses like Child’s Pose , Happy Baby Pose , Forward Fold , Bound Angle , and restorative yoga poses .

Strengthen your mind

Yoga and meditation improve concentration, focus, and memory. To give your brain a boost, practice meditation and practice balancing poses and inversions like  Tree , Tiptoe Pose , Dancer , Plow Pose , Shoulder Stand , Downward Dog , and Rabbit Pose . Studying and practicing yogic philosophy is also a great way to stimulate and strengthen the mind.

Promote positive thinking

Excessive negative thought patterns are harmful to both the body and the mind. Positive thinking leads to positive actions, which ultimately creates a happier person. Practicing kindness, gratitude, compassion and forgiveness is an effective antidote for negative thinking. There are also several other yogic techniques you can practice to transform a negative mind .

Learn pranayama

Breathing is an essential component in hatha yoga . If you are ready to move beyond the basic breathing techniques you have learned in class, check out our section on pranayama to learn additional energizing and calming breath exercises. The advanced pranayamas are best learned under the supervision of a qualified and experienced teacher.

Create a healthy diet

Yogis believe that eating healthy foods helps them achieve spiritual goals, promotes inner peace, and helps them practice advanced asanas. A regular yoga practice naturally supports a healthier diet by increasing how aware of your energy level and how you feel after each meal. To improve your diet, try to eat a wide variety of foods. Try to not eat foods with pesticides or chemicals. Minimize your intake of processed food. Balance your diet by eating more fruits and veggies than meat, or eliminate all animal protein from your diet.

Have a consistent yoga practice

Consistency is key to any exercise program. If you want to see benefits and results, you must stick with it. It may take some trial and error to figure out what works best for you, but consistency will always pay off. To increase your consistency, commit to practicing yoga for a set number of days per week. Once you have integrated your practice as a weekly habit, then work on increasing the amount per day or the number of sessions per week.

Try a new class or teacher

The best way to try out a yoga class or teacher is to attend a free trial session. This gives you the opportunity to see if the style of teaching suits you, and whether you like the atmosphere of the studio. Trying out a new class, style of yoga , or teacher is an easy and fun goal that helps you experience new things and expand your horizons.

Increase your meditation time

Meditation is a powerful way to calm the mind, reduce stress, and increase focus. It’s a great tool for helping people achieve personal growth and self-improvement, yet it is difficult to sit for a long period of time. If your goal is to start to meditate, it is best to start with 5-10 minutes and slowly build from there. If you want to increase your meditation time, you can either slowly add a few minutes to each session, or add an additional meditation practice during the day.

Take a workshop or yoga retreat

The best way to learn many of the deeper aspects of yoga is through an immersive hands-on experience. Attending a workshop or retreat is a great goal that will give you the opportunity to explore the deeper physical and mental aspects of the practice. It’s important to note that not all workshops or retreats offer the same level of instruction. Some may focus solely on teaching poses, while others include meditation, pranayama, philosophy , and other topics.

Read one or more yoga books

There are many types of yoga, meditation, and philosophy books available. Some focus on specific topics like anatomy, breathing, or relaxation; others focus on general principles, like mindfulness or self-awareness. The best way to choose which books to read is by considering what you want from them. For example, if you want to gain insight into your mind and body, try reading a book that focuses on meditation or mindfulness. If you want to understand the philosophical underpinnings of yoga, try a book that explores the history of yoga or philosophy.

Tackle a new or challenging pose

A common goal for experienced yoga students is to master a challenging pose. Don’t expect to jump right in and try to master a difficult new pose. Take baby steps. Most advanced asanas require years of practice before they become second nature. Start small. Practice a few preparatory postures first, and gradually add more complexity. When you reach a point where you are comfortable doing the pose, move onto the next step.

Explore non-physical yoga

The most common type of yoga is Hatha, which focuses on postures and breathing exercises. There are many other non physical practices that you can explore that focus on the heart and the mind. Consider practicing Karma Yoga , Bhakti Yoga , Raja Yoga , Mantra Yoga, or Jnana Yoga . Each of these styles has its own unique approach and philosophy to discover and explore.

Take a yoga challenge

A yoga challenge is a great way to focus on and complete rigid and specific goals. These challenges range in time, intensity and duration, so it’s important to choose your challenge wisely. Some people choose to take them at home, while others attend classes at local studios. You can do challenges solo or with friends.

Connect with community

If you want to strengthen your ties with the local yoga community, you will need to attend local yoga classes. Yoga studios are great places to meet new friends and form friendships. Some studios also offer volunteer opportunities, which gives you additional ways to feel part of a community.

Learn about the history of yoga

The history of yoga is ancient, mysterious and fascinating. You can start with online articles on yoga’s history and explore books for deeper knowledge. If your goal is to learn more about the history of yoga, check out Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice by Mark Singleton , The Path of Modern Yoga by Elliott Goldberg , and A History of Modern Yoga by Elizabeth De Michelis .

Start a journal

Journaling can be a great way to track your progress towards achieving your goals. It can also be a fun activity to promote self-reflection, contemplation and mindfulness. If your goal is to start a yoga journal, check out our tips on how to get started .

Establish or expand a home yoga practice

A home yoga practice is ideal for many reasons, including convenience, cost and time. However, establishing a home practice requires discipline and commitment. Make sure you have enough space around your yoga mat to do all the poses comfortably. Books, websites and videos can inform and support a home yoga practice. Practicing at home helps you stay grounded, focused, consistent, and balanced.

Create a home yoga studio

Home yoga studios are great because they allow you to practice in the comfort of your own home with all the accoutrements of a yoga studio. They also provide a safe space where you can focus on yourself without having to worry about interruptions from others. If you want to take your home practice to the next level, make sure you have all the props and essential equipment you may need in your home studio.

Do some self-study

The term Svadhyaya in yoga means “self study.” It can be any type of learning activity that encourages observing what we do and thinking about why we do it. It’s also about reflecting on our experiences and understanding them better. It’s a process of self-discovery—understanding ourselves deeply enough to know when we need to make changes in our life. This can include reading books and sacred yogic scriptures, watching videos, listening to audio recordings, and attending workshops.

Enrol in a yoga teacher training course

While a yoga teacher training program will teach you everything you need to know to become a certified yoga instructor, you can attend without becoming a teacher—to deepen your knowledge and experience. The curriculum includes anatomy, physiology, philosophy, history, meditation, pranayama, alignment, sequencing, teaching techniques, and ethics. If you are not sure if a training course is right for you, check out our quiz to help you decide .

Be part of a study group

A study group is a great way to meet like-minded yogis who share similar interests. It’s also a great opportunity to ask questions and receive feedback from others who may have more experience at the practices, techniques and traditions you are interested in. Meetup.com is a great way to find local groups in your town.

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Watch CBS News

Denver's Auraria Campus says it's dispersing and cleaning up pro-Palestinian encampment

By Austen Erblat

Updated on: May 18, 2024 / 2:54 PM MDT / CBS Colorado

Officials with the Auraria Campus, which has facilities for the University of Colorado at Denver, Metropolitan State University and Community College of Denver, say they've begun dispersing and cleaning up the Palestinian solidarity encampment at the Tivoli Quad on Saturday.

That encampment  has been there since April 25 in support of similar encampments that have been constructed at Columbia University, UCLA and over 150 other campuses around the world.

At the encampments, student and faculty protestors and organizers have issued various demands , calling for their colleges and universities to disclose all their investments with Israel and divest from them .

Auraria Campus said around 12:45 p.m. on Saturday that the encampment has been "abandoned," and that it's already begun dispersing what remains at the encampment.

"Out of an abundance of caution for the safety of all students, staff, faculty, and community members, the Auraria Campus remains on a modified building access restricted to critical personnel and operations," campus spokeswoman Devra Ashby said in a statement.

That statement also called the encampment an "unauthorized occupation that has increasingly escalated into dangerous activities, taken significant time, resources, and dialogue with student protesters to resolve, and has pulled us away from our academic mission and goals."

Organizers have called it an act of civil disobedience and First Amendment-protected activity.

In a joint statement on Saturday from Denver Students for a Democratic Society and the Colorado Palestine Coalition, those organizers say the encampment achieved its goal of getting Metropolitan State University to disclose its investments with and from Israel and though the tents have come down, they won't stop organizing to get each university to divest.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by SDS Denver - End US Aid to & BDS israel (@sds_denver)

The encampment "has achieved significant milestones that have made clear the power of student organizing; have shown the strength of community solidarity, and have strengthened our movements for liberation," the statement says, in part. "Our encampment stands as a testament to the strength and determination of students and community members united in the struggle for Palestinian liberation and broader movements for justice and liberation."

Photos shared by campus officials Saturday show the quad empty when, prior to the weekend, dozens of tents stood and activists chanted, gave speeches, did yoga and more.

Some areas of the quad show yellow patches of grass where tents sat for weeks.

The encampment represented a source of tension between pro-Palestinian students, faculty and community members on the one hand, and campus officials, campus police, pro-Israel Jewish students and organizations and other members of the community on the other.

Some of those students, the executive director of Hillel Colorado and other members of Colorado's Jewish community denounced the encampment as anti-semitic, the left-wing, anti-zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace had a strong presence there, with a number of Jewish members chanting or showing phrases on shirts and posters like "Jews for ceasefire" and "not in our name."

On April 26, the day after the encampment rose, Auraria Police arrested approximately 40 protesters  in the quad, and earlier this month, 10 protesters were issued summons  for refusing to leave one building on the campus.

Friday, the protesters were seen leaving the quad and marching in the streets, some holding their tents, still fully constructed, chanting "Free, free Palestine" and "we want justice, you say 'how?' CU Denver divest now!"

Both MSU and CU Denver have partnerships with Lockheed Martin, one of the largest defense contractors in the world.

The Aerospace and Engineering Sciences Building at MSU on Auraria Campus was built with help from the company and the school serves as a pipeline for employment to York Space Systems, Lockheed Martin, Booze Allen Hamilton, Ball Aerospace and Raytheon, the school says on its website.

Colorado is home to the second-highest number of aerospace industry employees of any state in the country and Lockheed Martin is the state's second-largest employer, second only to Denver International Airport.

"Students will continue to fan the flames of the Popular Palestinian Liberation struggle on this front and on campuses around the world," the protest organizers' statement concluded. "We will continue to organize for divestment and for the end to the occupation; for a Free Palestine; From the River to the Sea!"

Auraria Campus officials say the Tivoli Quad and all other green spaces on the Auraria Campus will be closed until further notice for "property repairs and other work that needs to be done to return to normal operations."

Austen Erblat is a digital producer and assignment editor at CBS News Colorado and is Covering Colorado First. Originally from South Florida, he's been working as a journalist in Denver since 2022.

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