YOGA{a journey towards self-reliance}

YOGA {a journey towards self-reliance}

yoga is the journey of the self ,through the self ,to the self.

(the Bhagwad Gita )

IT is a spiritual discipline as well as a science. it is the heritage of india. the word yoga comes from the from the sanskrit  word 'yug 'which means 'to add ','to join', 'to unite' or 'to attach '. thus yoga is union of mind ,body and soul . it involves physical ,mental and spiritual practices.

the history of yoga dates back to around 5000 years .the indus valley civilization is the suggested origin of yoga as many seals , including the pashupati  seal, depicted figures sitting in yoga positions . the word yoga finds mention in the rigveda for the first time. yoga ,however developed in 5th and 6th century BCE. 

 initially yoga  lessons and teachings were transferred orally. they were compiled by patanjali in 1st century CE in the name of 'yoga sutra' is the most credited source of yoga; therefore patanjali is known as the  father of the yoga.  

there are  various types of yoga:hatha yoga,asthanga yoga ,classical yoga , bikraw yoga, iyengar yoga, power yoga, kundalini yoga etc. yoga has been evolving, therefore many more types of yoga are available today as compared to the past.

yoga today forms an essential part of millions of people' lives. it is practised to keep onself  fit, for meditation and for good living.yoga has been part of the lives of indians since ages. today yoga is one of the most practised forms of exercise(both physical and mental)even in the west.

the west was introduced to yoga by swami vivekanand during his chicago visit in 1893, when he talked of raja yoga. after this, many yoga gurus contributed to spread of yoga in the west is such that about 75% of the fitness centers of america offer yoga in their cources.the credit for increasing the popularity of yoga in india and of making the teachings of yoga available to every person goes to BABA RAMDEV. yoga guru baba ramdev used the medium of television and newspaper to reach out the general public and made his lessons available to them.

mr narendra  modi (prime minister of india) proposed the idea of yoga day in his speech during an address to the united nations general assembly in 2014, which was accepted by the assembly . the proposal of india for international yoga day got a huge support of 177 UN members out of 193. 21st june was chosen as the yoga day.

yoga is a science with many benefits for humanity. it is not related to any particular religion . yoga can be very useful to people who practise it . yoga is seen as a complete workout. it purifies both the mind and the body. yoga through pranayam and meditation provides many psychological benefits. it helps in stress management , better concentration and focus , besides increasing self-awereness , thus helping in bringing inner peace.

yoga includes pranayam and kapal bhati which are one of the best and effective breathing exercises. yoga is a therapy which helps getting rid of illness slowly if practiced on regular basis. it makes some positive  changes to the internal body and regularise the body organs functioning.