This word – YOGA, seems to pop up everywhere nowadays. There are dozens of “Yogas”. Vinyasa, Yin Yoga, Hatha Vinyasa, Restorative Yoga, Soulful Kundalini Yoga, and the list goes on.
Unfortunately, these days, Yoga is used (and abused) to sell cereal breakfast and fashion brands. Some of the classes being promoted today, such as "Beer yoga" or caprine vinyasa, which means "goat yoga," do not really align with the origin and essence of Yoga.
We decided it would be a good idea to go back to the source
and remember the essence of Yoga.
What is Yoga?
Yoga is a set of tools and techniques for bringing one to a state of deep connectivity with life in all its layers.
The word 'Yoga' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Yuj,' meaning To Unite (yoke together). The idea is that through the practice of Yoga, one strives to Unite with the universal consciousness, achieving the state of Nirvana, the end of suffering.
A yogi is a person who has achieved the highest state of existence, in complete harmony with the universal consciousness. There is only love and compassion in that state of unification, a state of bliss.
The world of Yoga is vast. It includes much more than Asana, Pranayama, and Meditation. There is Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Tantra Yoga, and more. Yet, at least in the West, when people say ‘Yoga,’ they almost always mean the practice of Asana.
Asana consists of various Physical exercises that promote the ultimate unification. The general term used for Physical Yoga practices is ‘Hatha Yoga,’ and the word itself means ‘Force,’ suggesting the use of Physical power to reach a state of Yoga.
Hatha Yoga includes all forms of Physical Yoga, including Kundalini, Ashtanga, Yin, Vinyasa, Bikram, etc.
To sum it up – most westerners would practice one form or another of Hatha Yoga, mainly Asanas (body postures). Doing so, while collecting your awareness and concentration inwardly, you will become more and more “Yogi-Like,” developing tranquility and inner peace.
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