By Sanjeev Patel, CYT
Recently, one Yoga teacher was cynically talking about students buying Yoga pants for enlightenment. It was stated that most Yoga students have no concept of what Yoga is all about. Whether this is true, or not, we Yoga teachers should mention the purpose, and philosophy of Yoga in each class.
Originally, the main aim of Yoga was to achieve spiritual enlightenment. Some say there are no goals in Yoga. I beg to differ. The Yogic goal is union of mind, body, and spirit. In Hatha Yoga this is manifested by psychological and physical poise, but for many modern yoga students, they may not care so much about spiritual aspect and think more along the lines of physical benefits.
Hatha Yoga is a good means for physical training. Whether you are after physical benefits or spiritual growth, your options should be respected. The philosophy of Patanjali’s (Raja) Yoga is that before you can discipline your mind, you must first discipline your body. As the physical training prepares and conditions the body, the mind will later practice meditation with less obstacles.
The main physical benefits of Hatha Yoga include alignment of core structure, stimulating the nervous systems, toning up muscle, increasing density with the bones, increased flexibility of joints, limbering up spine and ligament, and improvement within the entire circulation system.
To go further, medical studies often mention that a regular Yoga practice enhances an increase in lung volume, activating the elimination system, balancing of the endocrine system, increasing nourishment of tissue and cells, allowing the reduction of stress and improving concentration.
A properly planned Yoga program, and regular practice, will make all of these benefits realized. The outcome can be invigorated body, increased stamina, improved muscle tone, and a feeling of total harmony.
Yoga teacher training courses tend to cover the spiritual and mental aspects of our Yogic lifestyle. With this in mind, most students seek Yoga as a physical exercise, until the deeper aspects of this ancient practice are realized.
© Copyright 2010 – Sanjeev Patel / Aura Publications
Sanjeev Patel is a certified Yoga teacher and an exclusive author for Aura Wellness Center.
http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org
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