What Are your view's on yoga?

When most westerners think of yoga they think of doing physical postures (asanas) but yoga is much more than that.

Patanjali's yoga sutras use the word "Ashtanga" to define yoga. The sanskrit word Ashtanga means "eight limbs". The word yoga is commonly defined as "union" or "to yoke with or join with".

So, Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga literally means "Eight Limbs of Union". The eight limbs are defined as Yama (abstinences), Niyama (observances), Asana (postures), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (sense withdrawal), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (contemplation).

So Asana (or the physical practice) is just one part of what yoga is. What Patanjali says is that through the practice of asana that the other limbs naturally and organically start to grow.

Many describe yoga as a "process" although there are many who become overly religious about it, it is not a religion.

The practice of yoga is designed by enlightened men to detoxify a human being on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level. Gradually, over time with discipline and regular practice, this detoxification removes the layers that keep a being from achieving oneness or union with their true nature, Buddha nature, great mind, the Tao, or God - whatever word you want to use.

Ultimately, yoga is a process, a journey, and a way of life. It is only partly related to what people do in a yoga studio on a mat; it starts there for most but if we stick with the physical practice, where it can lead is to the non-physical.

Humility, gratitude, compassion and love are soil from which the eight limbed tree of yoga grows best and the magic of it is that the tree, as it grows, fertilizes it self and these characteristics begin to manifest on their own.

The practice of yoga is a great way to get in shape, stay in shape, get healthy, be stronger and more flexible. It is a great way to improve stamina and reduce stress - all these things. But these are fruits of the tree only and not to be confused with the purpose of the practice as it was intended by it's creators.

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There are different types of yoga. Yoga means union, as in union of body, mind, soul, but many yogas today focus on the body as exercise routines. So my point is that mileage may vary. My preferred yoga style is kundalini yoga.