Yoga and Meditation
Yoga has become an inseparable part of our lives. Either you are practising it or watching others doing the same. Health gurus recommend Yoga as one of the best alternatives to cure many ailments. Community parks today are the popular hubs for Yoga enthusiasts. What is Yoga and from where did it originate? Let’s go on the journey of the ancient philosophy for the healthy coordination of body, mind and soul.
Yoga Origin and History
•Yoga was originated in India. Yes, put a full-stop to your curiosity and remember it once for all🙂
•One of the six orthodox schools of Hindu tradition, Yoga means the physical, mental and spiritual practices to improve the overall health.
•The signs of using Yoga were found in Indus Valley stone carvings.
• Rigveda didn’t mention the practising of Yoga, though Brihadaranyaka Upanishad explains the use of Pranayama (Controlling breath with yoga).
• Bhagwad Geeta and Mahabharata (Religious books of Hindus) also have relevant texts on Yoga.
•Swami Vivekananda introduced Yoga to the western countries in the nineteenth century. After that many yoga gurus started their practice in other countries.
•Buddhism, Jainism and Ajivika schools of thought also followed the yoga directives.
• Yoga means union. Any path that unites/connects you to the superior power is yoga. It can be physical stretching, controlling the breath or meditation.
•Mediation is focusing on the ultimate power (God/ Brahmana) to achieve self-realization. It is a form of Yoga where we calm the wandering mind by concentrating on a single object, real or virtual.
• Modern Yoga came into existence in the 1980s and it was quite different from the ancient Yoga philosophy. While ancient Yoga was more physical exercises and a spiritual connection, Modern yoga blends western gymnastics with ancient ‘Hath Yoga’. Modern Yoga has been used for physical health and fitness only; the spiritual aspect is ignored.
• The number of Yoga- Asanas grew rapidly in the twentieth century.
• People differed in coming to the conclusion that Yoga is only a physical exercise. Many countries banned Yoga because it was linked with Hinduism. But with time everybody is understanding the benefits of Yoga.
Yoga is a blessing for humans. In a stressful life like ours, practising yoga can bring visible results. These scientifically proven health concepts should be adopted for healthy living. What do you think? Please share your views in the comment box:)
This post is a part of Blogchatter A2Z and Global AtoZ blogging challenge. I’m writing 26 posts in the month of April on the theme Glimpse of India. Follow my work on social media platforms with hashtags #AditiWrites, #CelebrateIndiaWithAditi
#BlogchatterA2Z #AtoZChallenge
PANORAMIC RIPPLES 
Very well written and great subject to enlighten fellow bloggers. Something we as Indians should really be proud of.
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Absolutely 😃
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I was quite sure that it is going to be yoga today. It is quite unfortunate that we as Indians have never valued this ancient practice while the rest of the world has been going gaga over it.
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We should be proud to give a natural healing philosophy to the world:)
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Nice Facts… 👍
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Thanks
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Yoga and meditation both are independent of caste and religion. My inlaws follow both these regularly.
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This is great:)
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Thanks for sharing the links. You have compiled yoga basics beautifully.
There’s so much to learn and so little time; the thought makes new generation focus more on visual appeal.
Can we learn these things by coming out of the so-called busy circle?
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Hi good morning!
I hardly doubt if we can learn anything if we come out of our work cycle. The idea to sit and read is flawed. Not even a vedic sage just sat and realized. It is a misconception portrayed by our own lazy mind. I summarise the process of attaining wisdom as follows:
We cultivate the habit of inquiring deep into nature and earnestly search for answers by first understanding out duty towards fellow being/nature. While we perform our duties, and apply every piece of information we obtain (by any source including experience of work, books, gurus,etc) to our acts, our understanding is refined. This refined understanding secretes a joy in us (called Soma in Vedas – bliss of existence). This joy inturn pushes this circle forward. This never ending and ever dynamic circle of action and secretion of joy elevates us in evolution into fine instruments to be attuned to the plan in background (a rhythm). This, step by step, reveals the so called mysteries as normal facts.
So, you need not come out of busy circle to learn. If we still feel its busy and need to take a break, we need a lot to learn!!Time seems to be insufficient, but we have plenty of we organize every day with proper WILL. (I am speaking out of experience and not mere ideal blabbering)
All the very best. Do your lot to the world which needs an untiring effort from dedicated souls like you. Leave the glamour of wisdom aside and truth of wisdom reveals to you when appropriate 🙂 🙂 Tc.
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Haha….not necessarily busy, it’s the grasping power of the mind that varies from person to person and I sometimes feel miserable when it comes to philosophical details of the existing facts😅 though I try to digest the content. I feel it when coming across scholars like you 🙏
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Haha Aditi ji, I am no scholar. I am jist physicist by career and Philosopher by thought. I am no scholar in any of the said fields. Hehe. Thanks though for appreciation.
Just know one thing-if it is hard to grasp, it’s not right. That which is close to truth is never hard. Hardness comes from complex analysis of mind. Here I give fav example of mine. Sugar is a complex molecule. To understand it, if one approaches with mind, they end up reading a big book on sugar and it’s chemistry. But, as a sweet innocent child (of ONE), we just need to put the crystal on tongue and the knowledge of sugar is directly experienced with ease and sweetness. Same is case with truth. The more people discuss/debate, more intellectual they feel but in reality are far from truth. Those who are enjoying the truth may be busy enjoying rather than debating. (I know the logic may loop back to my comments, but it’s ok. Truth is truth. …hehe).
So just observe the life as observer and all the apparent difficulties should collapse into one sweet experience.
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Beautifully explained!
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Thanks 🙂 glad to clarify. Cheers!
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This article briefly gives a gist of yoga to a new eye. True efforts in that respect. There are some points to note but I leave them to you to contempate. In my comment above I gave out an underlying current of thought. Your Audience like your blog for it’s simplicity and I don’t want to change that flow (hence asked you to self read when you have time and thanks for reading).
🙂
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an informative post! loved it
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Thanks😃
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yoga and India are related since ages
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True
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Foreigners have understood the importance of Yoga more than us. They spend a lot to learn Yoga. Recently people are getting to know the importance of yoga & meditation but we need more awareness.
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True Sanjota. They know what’s good to follow but in our country, people are focused on petty issues.
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practicing for last 20yrs, yoga has been transformational. it has opened me to cosmic vision. a blessing
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This is wonderful. Yoga is one of the best natural practices to stay fit and healthy:)
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Thanks:)
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I am a yoga fancier and loved your post as I myself try and motivate and enlighten people on its importance, it’s sad that outside India people are more aware,
very well researched and detailed post
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This is cool Pragun👍
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Even reading this post was healing in a way. 🙂 Yoga can be excellent; I wish I could be more regular with it.
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Thanks 😊
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Thanks
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Fantastic post!!
I also plan to begin with yoga soon.
Rather this Glimpse of India series is rather really good
Keep Writing!!!
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Thanks for the appreciation. A boost to write more:)
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Fantastic post!!
Would rather read the entire Glimpse Of India series.
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Thank you!
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Thank you for the detailed article on Yoga. Yoga has helped me a lot. I used to Gym until I was 49. I suffer from chronic depression and I am on permanent medications for 25 years. Once I started yoga, in 4 to 5 months I stopped taking the relaxants as I was calm and could sleep without them. The other medicines continue but even this was very helpful. You can say that I am addicted to Yoga now!
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Good to know Harjeet! Yoga is the ancient recipe for healthy lifestyle. Happy that people like you keep it alive even today 😊
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Very well written. Looking forward to similar detailed article on Meditation.
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