International Yoga Day was celebrated a few days ago and with that, one needs to know the origins of yoga both cultural and spiritual and how this healthy practice gave rise to a trend that has even taken the west by storm. The advantage about yoga is its universal flexibility of perspective where an individual has the choice of indulging and practicing it from a spiritual point of view or as a healthy form of exercise. Yoga does not propagate religion but seeks to introduce healthy vibrations within a body to maintain ones mental and physical health. Here are 12 interesting facts about Yoga
TThere are 196 yoga sutras said to be compiled by the sage Patanjali in 400 CE. These were the most translated Indian ancient texts which were revived in the 19th century by Swami Vivekananda, the theosophical society and other organizations. Yoga soon gained prominence and is now known all over the world.
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Asana in Sanskrit literally means seat. In Yoga it means a pose or position. Hatha Yoga is one of the more popular forms of yoga. The ancient treatise of Hatha Yoga Pradipika is a compilation of 84 asanas or various Yoga positions. The 8 limbs of yoga as described in Patanjali’s yoga sutras is an eightfold path called ashtanga which literally means “8 limbs”. These are guidelines on how to lead a purposeful and meaningful life based upon an eightfold path. The ashtanga is a guide for moral and ethical conduct and how to maintain self discipline. It also connects you with your own spirituality.
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After his famous address at the Parliament of religions in Chicago in September 1893, Swami Vivekananda founded the Vedanta society in New York. He began giving free private classes in yoga and Vedanta. He spent two years in the city by which time the popularity of Yoga began growing. It was also accepted as a healthy technique for exercise and a mentally liberating spiritual philosophy.
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The Hindu God Shiva is considered as the first Guru (Adi Guru) or first Yogi of Yoga. According to Hindu scriptures regarding yoga, it was the God Shiva who imparted the knowledge of Yoga to the seven saints or saptarishi. These were seven spiritual representatives of various Hindu Gods as mentioned in Vedic literature.
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Maharishi Patanjali is a saint believed to have lived during the 2nd Century BCE. He is regarded as the father of modern yoga. The word Yoga is also attributed to him as it appeared in his first treatise the “Yoga Sutras of Patanjali”. Vedic scholars and history regard Patnajali’s Yoga sutras as the first valid compilation of Yogic Philosophy.
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Paramhansa Yoganada born Mukundalal Ghosh in Bengal was an Indian Yogi and Guru who promoted the philosophy of Kriya Yoga to thousands of westerners through his famous book, “An Autobiography of a Yogi”.
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Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar, better known as B.K.S. Iyengar, founded the style of Iyengar Yoga and was considered one of the foremost yoga teachers in the world. He was also the student of Tirumalai Krishnamacharya regarded as the father of modern Yoga.
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The reason why Lenovo named their tablet “Yoga” was because of its flexible ability to rotate 360 degrees because of its special hinge design.
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Research ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3410202/) has proved that Yoga is a feasible and effective add on therapy in psychosis and schizophrenia. Studies used several forms of asanas and pranayama without meditation which resulted in improved cognitive function, reduction of depressions and psychosis and an improved quality of life. Yoga also increased levels of Oxytocin known as the love hormone and regarded as an antidote for depression.
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According to the Guinness Book of World Records, 85-year-old Bette Calman from Australia is the world’s oldest Yoga teacher.
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A market survey in 2008 conducted by the Yoga Journal showed 16 million Americans practice yoga and spend $5.7 billion a year on gear.
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Among facts about Yoga, ancient yogis believed that humans have limited number of breaths in each life. Through Yoga, one can increase their lifespan by breathing exercises that propagate slow and deep breathing.
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