History of Yoga - Discussion

[WandererInGray]

Yoga is quite possibly one of the oldest physical and spiritual practices in the world. Dating back to around 2500 BCE, it comes from India and involves a series of poses – asanas – combined with breath work and in some cases meditation.

It was first spoken of in the Hindu religious texts called the Vedas, a collection of works in Hinduism that is still widely read today. A man named Patanjali is the one widely recognized for bringing yoga to the world. A great many years after the Vedas were written this sage collected the yogic teachings from the Vedas in a manner that was easy for the regular person to understand. If you are more interested in reading the Yoga Sutra, here is a link to a good website. http://www.dailyreadings.com/sutras_1.htm (http://www.dailyreadings.com/sutras_1.htm) There are also many translations of the sutras available in print.

Now for me, yoga is a spiritual as well as physical practice; but it is not necessary for everyone to feel the same way. The interest in yoga here in the West has provided those just looking for a new physical activity with access to the teachings of the yoga poses without all the extra. Some people would debate you cannot separate these two things, but I would disagree and say that everyone comes to the gods in their own way. I don’t know how, but I’m sure it’s possible for some people to practice yoga without feeling the spiritual side of it.

I can’t remember exactly how I started doing yoga, or what it was that drew me to it in the first place. I do know I struggled for a few years to do it on a consistent basis, and that it wasn’t really until the last year that I have managed to do so.

It calms me, gives me focus. I really notice when I’m doing yoga if I’m upset or distracted. I’m not paying enough attention to the moves or where my body placement is. My shoulders end up hunched and my balance sucks. *grins* Yoga is all about being mindful. It’s not like a stationary bike or a treadmill where you can let your mind wander. You need to be present to really get the full benefit out of it.

So let’s start this off with some discussion. *smiles* I’ve got four questions for you that I’d like you to think about tonight and then post your answers tomorrow.

Sit yourself down someplace quiet for a few minutes, in Lotus pose (Padmasana), Half-Lotus, or just easy crossed-legged pose. I suggest sitting on a pillow or a folded blanket to tilt your pelvis forward a little and reduce the strain on the back. Concentrate on your breath, the flow of the air moving in and out of your lungs. Then think about these questions:

Why yoga? or What drew you to this practice?
What do you hope to get out of this practice?
What are some of your personal weaknesses?
What are some of your personal strengths?

[SilverClaw]

Why yoga? or What drew you to this practice?
Well I have been doing things that are related to Yoga since I was in grade 1 or so in gym class.

And more recently because 1- my daughter has been doing yoga type exercises in her physiotherpay and 2- I know it will be benficial for me to do.


What do you hope to get out of this practice?
Regain the flexibility I use to have before my last two pregnancies and just improve what I already know by actually being able to do it.

What are some of your personal weaknesses?
3 areas of weakness – stress, bad joints, and being over weight/


What are some of your personal strengths?
Not sure other then I like challenges.

[Kendrah]

Why yoga? or What drew you to this practice?

I've done Yoga in the past. I like how I feel after I do the asana's. I'm also interested in the philosophy of India, so it fits right int.

What do you hope to get out of this practice?

A better understanding of my body and well as a better physic.

What are some of your personal weaknesses?

I'm over weight and my knees are a bit bad.

What are some of your personal strengths?

Tenasity.

[IvyWitch]

Why yoga? or What drew you to this practice?

Originally I became interested in yoga because it was the fad in the workout world at the time, but wanted to try it with the express purpose of making it a part of my Pagan practice and also reap the physical benefits.

What do you hope to get out of this practice?

I believe that practicing yoga on a daily basis will help me achieve the whole body wellness that I want. On the spiritual side of things, I am hoping that it will help me get my practice back to where it should be and help me focus and experience things better. In addition I believe that yoga will help me to uncloud my mind so that I can concentrate on my schoolwork, artwork and other things. Also, the practice of mindfulness I think will come much easier to me through yoga than anything else, and to me this is an important component of wellness. And of course on the physical level, I am not very flexible at all, and I think that it makes the perfect addition to my exercise plan now (weight training and running)

What are some of your personal weaknesses?

I am unfocused (as in flighty, fidgety and unable to concentrate), I procrastinate, and I unfortunately have the motivation of a wet ramen noodle. =/

What are some of your personal strengths?

I am always willing and looking to try something new, I am creative, and I would like to think that my anylitical skills are very good.

[Crow Laylancer]

Why yoga?
I need a streching excercise in the morning because of to tight of tendens and i just decided this is the way to go.
What do you hope to get out of this practice?
see above...felxability and i hear it helps with centering energies and stuff
What are some of your personal weaknesses?
tenden,underweight (yes that is a problem to) and overall muscle appeariance
What are some of your personal strengths?
stubborness (if you can say that), wit and understanding

[Aidron]

Why yoga? or What drew you to this practice? I've always enjoyed being one of those 'bendy' people and regularly stretching my body. That coupled with my love of meditation and enligthenment/spirituality, I would imagine it only seems natural. Overall I tend to be a very calm person, so I think my personality type is also another reason that I am drawn to yoga.
What do you hope to get out of this practice? I'd be lying if I said my reasons were not purely physical. I've seen physical results, and let's face it, none of us are getting any younger so it's my reasoning that it is better to pick up healthy habits now while I am young instead of waking up when I'm 40 in terrible shape and trying to do serious repairs to my physical, mental and emotional health. However, any spiritual side affects I will take as icing on the proverbial cake.
What are some of your personal weaknesses? I can be extremely critical and not very understanding when it comes to other people. Part of it is my nature, part of it is in how I've been nurtured (i.e. how I've been treated). Self-protection tends to be the key phrase for me, which often makes me miss out on some great things sadly.
What are some of your personal strengths? I love the fact that I tend to be an optimist with tempered realism. Also that I am extremely inventive and rarely-if ever-let the bad outweigh the good, learning to poke fun at everything and myself to defuse the stress of life with humor.

Physically, I don't know. I don't have any serious health problems, and I'm only 22 so I'm in pretty good shape I think. I might have more strengths than weaknesses in that area for now, especially since I am so thin and... bendy. :lol:

[Darakash]

1. Why yoga? or What drew you to this practice?
It always seemed like an excellent blend of the spiritual, mental and physical to me. a wonderful way to get one's body attuned to all of the above.

2. What do you hope to get out of this practice?
I don't really have any preconceived notions about what I will get out of this practice; however, if I can accomplish a physical and mental state of calm at will that would be an accomplishment.

3. What are some of your personal weaknesses?
I am a worrier; and I tend to be way too in my head compared to in my body....(example: my root chakra is very underactive; while my throat is over active). I don't pay enough attention to my physical health.

4. What are some of your personal strengths? I am a planner, and thinker and I am fiercely loyal to the one's I love.

[johenn123]

I was drawn to yoga because I cannot meditate, it is an alternative and I have a book, I would like to make my body more uhmmm, flexible nd calm downn and such. I am not very good at balancing asanas but can do good inverted poses and sitting poses. Oh as in personality? I'm quite stubborn and sometimes annoying but I make people laugh and usually cheer someone up. I also give a lot of hugs!

[Caffiend]

1. Why yoga? or What drew you to this practice?
Years ago, in my pre-teens, I started watching this yoga instruction program. I found it very relaxing and enjoyable. I thought that I could use something like this to help my stressful life.

2. What do you hope to get out of this practice?
For one, yoga will hopefully give me more flexibility. But mainly, I want to find ways to center myself that not only helps the body, but the mind and soul as well.

3. What are some of your personal weaknesses?
I'm a work-aholic. I tend to take care of others and worry last about myself.

4. What are some of your personal strengths?
Dedicated, loyal, intelligent, creative.

[Darakash]

Just wondering if anyone else might have noticed this...I reviewed all the posts here and looked at the strength/weakness ones, and saw a lot of similarities to myself.....hmm, anyone else?

[WandererInGray]

Just wondering if anyone else might have noticed this...I reviewed all the posts here and looked at the strength/weakness ones, and saw a lot of similarities to myself.....hmm, anyone else?
:) Yup, there are usually a few common threads that draw people to the practice of Yoga. I also see some very specific things that people are looking for.

I hope those of you who haven't gotten around to answering will do so. I'm taking note of what you're looking for and needing. My plan is to try to point you toward certain asanas or practices that I feel might be most beneficial to you. So feel free to add more as you think of it throughout the class.

[PeleRising]

Why yoga? or What drew you to this practice?

I have never tried Yoga before, but have heard it has great benefits for both the body and the soul.

What do you hope to get out of this practice?

Increased flexability, and improvements to not only my meditation but my practice of mindfulness

What are some of your personal weaknesses?

Physically I am overweight and have troubles with one of my knees. I also have been having difficulty lately with my meditation.

What are some of your personal strengths?

Determination and a strong desire to learn

[Luthian]

Why yoga? or What drew you to this practice?
Someone gave me this book from the 70s on "daily yogic poses" about 5-6 yrs ago...it very much interested me because it was such a relaxed way of making your body feel good! However I'm having problems keeping the discipline I guess to do it everyday so I can't really say I practise it regularly. What draws me to this class is having the motivation of others to keep me focused (I'm so excited!!)


What do you hope to get out of this practice?
To lose the aches & pains in my back, strength in posture, & the ability to focus. I have IBS & some panic issues so this is exactly what the doc ordered!

What are some of your personal weaknesses?
Worrisome sometimes to the point of losing focus, weight gain (slight but it's there ;>) , ability to concentrate when stressed, overload peoples problems/concerns onto my own shoulders.

What are some of your personal strengths?
Ability to listen/empathize, trustworthy, hardworking, I guess just all around nice?! LOL

[Quilana]

Why yoga? or What drew you to this practice?
I saw it on tv once and it looked so relaxing so i had to try, I started doing yoga every morning and instead of being tired like after a workout, when i finished I always felt rejuvinated. When I stopped I found my energy to a nose dive and so did my overall cheeryness


What do you hope to get out of this practice?
Some peace, maybe a bit of structure and dicipline

What are some of your personal weaknesses?
I Procrastinate WAY too much. I'll keep hitting the alarm till I'm supposed to already -be- there -.-' I'm not overweight, but i do want to be smaller, (5'7" 160 lbs [?]) I'm hopeing that if this doesn't help me get smaller, then at least it will make me happy with what I've been given so -abundantly- anyways. lol

What are some of your personal strengths?
I'm loyal, fast, and when i love something I go all out to the point where you just can't beat me.

[Bookgirl83]

Why Yoga? What drew you to this practice?
I've always been interested in yoga. I've tried it before, but I had trouble sticking with it. I'm hoping it will also help me with my meditation.

What do you hope to get out of this practice?
More flexibility. Some peace. Quiet time to focus on myself.

What are some of your personal weaknesses?
Bad shoulders. I tend to lose interest if not stimulated enough. I get bored easily. I also procrastinate, badly.

What are some of your personal strengths?
I'm not afraid to try new things. I'm very stubborn (I consider this a strength). I'm also very understanding of other people's weaknesses; more than I am of my own actually.

[MoonKnight]

Why Yoga? What drew you to this practice?
I'm into martial arts and I've always been interested in learning yoga.

What do you hope to get out of this practice?
A good workout.

What are some of your personal weaknesses?
I'm somewhat of a loner.

What are some of your personal strengths?
I'm open-minded, loyal and honest.

[Crow Laylancer]

Why Yoga? What drew you to this practice?
I'm into martial arts and I've always been interested in learning yoga.

What do you hope to get out of this practice?
A good workout.

What are some of your personal weaknesses?
I'm somewhat of a loner.

What are some of your personal strengths?
I'm open-minded, loyal and honest.

martial arts what kind? id like to get into the hawaiian martial arts

[MoonKnight]

martial arts what kind?
I cross-train in Jeet Kune Do, Wing Chun, Silat, Muay Thai, Kali and Savate.

[Rowan Darkmoon]

1. Why yoga? or What drew you to this practice?

There are a variety of things that drew me to yoga, all stemming from personal interests of mine. From looking at it anthropological as a product of another culture that has been practiced for centuries, to the physical and spiritual benefits that can be derived from it, yoga just sparked my interest. Some of its purely aesthetic as well because I think people look cool when they're doing the poses. :lol: Peaceful and relaxed, yet active.

2. What do you hope to get out of this practice?
I'm pretty flexible, but not as much as I used to be due to a knee surgery in high school. I'm hoping to regain some of that flexibility, and to find another way to meditate and calm my mind.

What are some of your personal weaknesses?
Physically, I'm overweight, and I tend to somatize stress as bodily complaints. I can worry a lot and am perfectionistic, sometimes determentally so.

What are some of your personal strengths?
I am emotional strong, intelligent, tenacious, and loyal. I also love a good challenge,

[Flaire-FireStar]

Why yoga? or What drew you to this practice?
I've had friends take classes and say it's rather peaceful and calming. I need that, since I get in moods where I'm insanely tense and as of yet, other habits only lead to me being more tense.
That, and I'd like to become more flexible, like I was in high school. >_<

What do you hope to get out of this practice?
Flexibility and calmness via peaceful measures.

What are some of your personal weaknesses?
I'm a big-time procrastinator. I'm overweight. I find it hard to deal with my temper. I'm not a people person.

What are some of your personal strengths?
If I find something is worth doing, I do it to the best of my ability. And, if I'm not up to par, I'll keep doing it until I'm on top. I'm persistant.

[Cielamara]

Why yoga? or What drew you to this practice?

It suits me. I am, at times, very high-energy, anxious, fretful, nervous, and generally stressy and high-strung--it's that Gemini in me--, particularly when there's a lot going on. Even if I'm handling things well, I get stressy and strung out. I need to be reminded to stop, breathe, and relax.

What do you hope to get out of this practice?

I need to lose weight, and the yoga I've done has taught me that yoga can provide more a workout than my experience with hard cardio. Also, I have lost my flexibility over the years--when I was studying martial arts, I was fast and I was flexible, and I miss that. Basically, losing weight and getting into yoga is part of my plan for myself this year...getting healthy, dealing with the endo, and making myself happier. :)

What are some of your personal weaknesses?

I'm overweight, and my emotional stability is, more often than not, nonexistent. *laughs* I'm prone to cycles of depression and self-criticism, and when I'm sad, I'm really sad.

What are some of your personal strengths?

I am at heart a die-hard optimist, and I've got a lot of energy. Plus, I'm young, and I'm innately graceful when I'm not feeling self-conscious. If encouraged, I can do anything.

[Aleigh]

1. Why yoga? or What drew you to this practice?I actually first considered learning to do yoga about a year ago, just as a form of exercise. I recently got interested in it again after taking the Buddhism class here in the circle of teaching. Also, a new friend of mine (by best friend's boyfriend) is from India and talks about yoga all the time, and wanted to teach me, but I feel silly trying to do it in front of people! :lol:
2. What do you hope to get out of this practice?First of all, I am hoping that the practice will help me learn how to quiet my mind. Second, I'm turning 30 in a few weeks, and I have noticed that I am no where near as flexible as I used to be, and my joints have been just a little stiff in the morning lately, and I would like to do something about that! It makes me feel old. :p
3. What are some of your personal weaknesses?Procrastination and laziness. I have a horrible time getting motivated sometimes. Especially this time of year (buried in snow with no sunlight for months on end).
4. What are some of your personal strengths?I tend to be pretty optomistic. I have a good (if slightly warped) sense of humor. I am very good at reading other people and situations. I'm pretty creative, and once I finally get myself motivated, I am like a steamroller...getting stuff done without letting anything get in my way (although that last part may actually be a weakness, because I can be a little too single-minded sometimes).

[BrigidMoon]

1. Why yoga? or What drew you to this practice?

I have a VERY hard time relaxing on a regular basis. It's peaceful and I have the stregnth and endurance to do a good job.

2. What do you hope to get out of this practice?

Inner understanding, physical understanding as far as what I am able to do.

3. What are some of your personal weaknesses?

Overweight, upper body strength is not what it should be, always have been very inflexible/not limber at all......Sometimes I feel I need to be heard (when emotionally provoked) and I want to be able to find that calm, inner strength and confidence and be able to communicate that as well.

4. What are some of your personal strengths?

I am proactive, I achieve my goals, I work hard, I am kind and thoughtful, I am strong and smart. I am dependable, reasonable and logical, and thankfully a good leader when I need to be.

[Raven Reed]

Why yoga? or What drew you to this practice?

I am very interested in something that will provide me with gentle stretching and help my get myself into the mindset to take care of myself physically.

What do you hope to get out of this practice?
More flexibility and more enthusiasm towards other forms of exercise.


What are some of your personal weaknesses?
I am overweight and have the attention span of a two year old.:falloffch

What are some of your personal strengths?

I am fairly flexible in certain areas of my body, at least I was not too long ago.

[DonovanJoseph]

Why yoga? or What drew you to this practice?
Lately i have been really stressed on developing a relationship with Christ (im christian but extremely open to others beliefs :smile: and im also wanting to grow spiritually, and not just in the religious sense, i dont really know how to explain it but my spirituality is a little different than my christian practices and yoga seems like a great way to grow spiritually. Im also looking for a stress reliever when homework gets to be frustrating, lol. sophmore in highschool, things can get pretty stressful!


What do you hope to get out of this practice?
Develop the ability to wake up and start the day with a yoga session regulary

What are some of your personal weaknesses?
Im really hot headed and get very agressive very fast, so hopefully yoga can help me relax! haha


What are some of your personal strengths?
Im extremely creative, and am strong both physically and mentally. Im also a varsity swimmer, breastroke, and got second at district this year:smile: Im hoping to get a scholarship for swimming and go to the olympics. I also have a good relationship with my family which helps me out alot in life.[/QUOTE]