what is yoga................
Answers
Answer:
Yoga is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India. Yoga is one of the six Āstika (orthodox) schools of Hindu philosophical traditions.
There is a broad variety of yoga schools, practices, and goals in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.The term "Yoga" in the Western world often denotes a modern form of hatha yoga and yoga as exercise, consisting largely of the postures called asanas.
The origins of yoga have been speculated to date back to pre-vedic Indian traditions; possibly in the Indus valley civilization around 3000 BCE. It is mentioned in the Rigveda, but yoga most likely developed as a systematic study around the 5th and 6th centuries BCE, in ancient India's ascetic and śramaṇa movements.The chronology of earliest texts describing yoga-practices is unclear, varyingly credited to Upanishads.The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali date from the 2nd century BCE, and gained prominence in the west in the 20th century after being first introduced by Swami Vivekananda.Hatha yoga texts emerged sometimes between the 9th and 11th century with origins in tantra.
Yoga gurus from India later introduced yoga to the West, following the success of Swami Vivekananda in the late 19th and early 20th century with his adaptation of yoga tradition, excluding asanas. Outside India, it has developed into a posture-based physical fitness, stress-relief and relaxation technique. Yoga in Indian traditions, however, is more than physical exercise; it has a meditative and spiritual core. One of the six major orthodox schools of Hinduism is also called Yoga, which has its own epistemology, ontology and metaphysics, and is closely related to Hindu Samkhya philosophy.
Explanation:
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.
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.