Yoga is an oriental science that originated in India. It is the integration of the mental, physical, and spiritual disciplines. But It is often interpreted as physical discipline alone. Yoga is both the goal and the process. Hence it is an umbrella term that denotes the target and the individual parts of the process that leads to the target. In that sense, yoga postures are also yoga.

 

In the beginning, yoga might have been started as mind control alone which had been a difficult doctrine to follow. But in the course of time, the adepts could have found that the control of the body could lead to control of the mind.

 

To get a deeper insight into philosophy, the study of history, meaning and the definition of the term is required.

 

The philosophy of Sankhya and yoga have many principles in common. The influence of each other should be known by any yoga aspirant.

 

It is commonly believed that Yoga belongs to Hinduism alone. But Buddhism,  Jainism, Sufism, Sikhism, and Christianity also have their own yoga practices. A study of Yoga and individual religions is also advisable for the yoga student.

 

The goal of yoga is achieved by various means or disciplines like Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and the like. A broad understanding of core concepts is also needed for mastery of the subject.

 

In earlier days, yoga was approached by the aspirants for Spirituality alone. Now things are different. Today, one may approach yoga to have fitness. Someone else may approach it to have a better spiritual discipline. The approaches are many as well as different and the delivery should also be modified to suit the requirements of the approach. Hence, the different approaches to yoga should be rightly understood.

 

What Yoga can deliver? What cannot be expected by doing yoga? What are all the myths and misconceptions? A practitioner must know the answer to these questions.

 

The following topics will help to have a little insight into the points discussed. Click on the topics to read them further.

 

• The history of Yoga.

• The definition.

• The importance of yoga

• The benefits of yoga.

• The Yoga and Sankhya

• The Yoga and Religion.

• The types/disciplines.

• The approaches to yoga.

• The myths and misconceptions.