Benefits of Yoga
Brings down stress and enhances powers of relaxation
Boosts physical strength, stamina and flexibility
Bestows greater powers of concentration and self control
Fosters impulse control
Helps in rehabilitation of old and new injuries
Intensifies tolerance to pain and enhancing mental clarity
Boosts functioning of the immune system
Enhances posture and muscle tone
Improves blood circulation
Results in healthy, glowing skin
Cleanses and improves overall organ functioning
Bestows peace of mind and a more positive outlook to life
Infuses a sense of balance and internal harmony
Is Yoga for me?
Trying to force yourself into a yoga posture your body is not ready for, or not flexible enough for, could prove disastrous. Yoga is meant to be a nurturing form of exercise, not a rigid imitation of poses. You can stretch and strengthen your body without having to touch your nose to your knees, or your feet to your head. Always be mindful of your body and its thresholds, do not attempt anything your body is not ready for, if you are new to yoga start off with a beginners or gentle yoga.
Yoga is a vast collection of spiritual techniques and practices all aimed at integrating mind, body and spirit and achieving a state of enlightenment or oneness with the universe. What is normally thought of as "yoga" in the West is really Hatha Yoga, one of the many paths of yoga. These different paths of yoga are simply different approaches and techniques that all lead to the same goal of unification and enlightenment.
Yoga is not a religion but a spiritual practice or Sadhana, which does not require any specific belief system to participate. The philosophies of yoga are universal and can be incorporated within any belief system.
A little history
Yoga is a 5000 year old science whose teachings were first imparted not in a classroom or Gurukul, but on the battle field. In the epic Mahabharata, the sage, Lord Krishna is first said to have imparted the teachings of Yoga to his despondent student Arjuna. Around 1500 years later, another sage, Patanjali, went on to enunciate, for the benefit of humankind and eternity, the way to reach the summom bonum of life through a series of 195 aphorisms (sutras) in his epic treatise The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
Derived from the Sanskrit root "Yujir Yogey" meaning to unite, to yoke, to join, to put together, Yoga is not about mind over body. On the other hand, Yoga is about developing harmony between them. In Yoga, you use your mind to perceive (diagnose) and guide (heal) your body. Never control, let alone force it!
Yoga is a way of life, a conscious act, not a set or series of learning principles. The dexterity, grace, and poise you cultivate, as a matter of course, is the natural outcome of regular practice. You require no major effort. In fact trying hard will turn your practices into a humdrum, painful, even injurious routine and will eventually slow down your progress. Subsequently, and interestingly, the therapeutic effect of Yoga is the direct result of involving the mind totally in inspiring (breathing) the body to awaken.
Contrary to popular (or unpopular) perception, Yoga positions are not about how far you can reach to touch your toes or how many repetitions you can perform. It is all about paying attention to how your body feels; how it moves without that excruciating pain or agony! Yoga is all about breathing correctly about integrating that breath into your being. Conscious Yoga doesn't call for you to force or strain your never or sinew. Meaning to say, right Yoga is learning how to do things right, do less that gets you more!
Ironically, by doing less (correctly), Yoga enhances your strength, energy, vitality, flexibility and levels of endurance. Accordingly, your body and mind start to become more balanced until, eventually, you find it takes so much less energy to move through the day. Yes, any and everyone can do less and get a lot, lot more!