Question

What is the meaning and importance of Yoga?

Answer 1

Yoga, originated in Ancient India, has become a worldwide phenomenon now. This form of exercise, postures, and meditations has immense physical and mental health benefits.

The main goal of yoga is the attainment of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Expansion and raising of consciousness in order to bring co-existence with everything and everyone.

Yoga means union, join, yoke, bind, attach or connect. It also means the unification of physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual aspects of human being. 

The following definitions can be beneficial to understand the meaning of yoga: 

“Checking the impulses of mind is Yoga.”

• Patanjali.

“Yoga is attaining the pose.”

• Mahrishi Ved Vyas.

“Yoga is spiritual Kamdhenu.”

• Swami Sampurnanand.

Importance of Yoga : 

Yoga is useful for promoting health and vitality and treating many diseases. It not only brings fitness and vigour to the physical body, but also harnesses our will and emotions to improve our power of analysis, insight and vision. 

The following points clearly show the importance of Yoga :

(i) Physical purity : Internal organs of our body can be cleaned by various yogic exercises. Basically there are three substances in our body i.e., Vaat, Pitt and Kaph. There should be proper balance between these to remain healthy. Jal Neti, Dhoti Neti, Nauli, Kapaalbhati keep the internal organs of our body in a clean state.

(ii) Reduces mental tension : The modern age has disturbed a person’s peace and happiness because of stress and tension. Yogic exercises like Prathahar, Dharana, Dhyana play and important role in getting peace of mind. Shavasana,Padamasna, Vajrasana and Sidhasana etc., are beneficial for releasing stress and tension of mind and body.

(iii) Cure and prevention of diseases : Regular practice of Yoga can prevent many diseases like constipation, cold, cough, insomnia, asthma, high blood pressure, arthritis, acidity, heart attack, leprosy, menstrual disorder, back pain. It is highly effective to cure large number of disorders. Various Yogic exercises increase the immunity power of an individual.

(iv) Postural deformity : If you are not having proper posture you are not able to perform your work efficiently. We usually put more energy even for simple work. Yogic asanas help in correcting body deformities if we perform on regular basis. Dhanurasana is good for stimulating posture for back limbs, nerves, muscles. Sarvangasana, Vajrasana, Mayurasana, Bhujangasana etc., are best to remove postural deformity.

(v) Provides relaxation : To remove fatigue from the body rest and relaxation are essential. Anyone who involves herself/ himself in long duration of work gets tired.
Shavasana and Makarasana are beneficial for relaxation and also reduce mental fatigue.

(vi) Beautification of the body: Beautiful body is appreciated by everyone. Everybody wants to be slim, overweight people do not feel comfortable. Obesity is the most common problem nowadays. Obese people fall prey to various diseases. Obesity can be reduced by yogic exercises and Pranayama. Yoga brightens the face, adds glow to the face, removes wrinkles, and makes the body strong and flexible. Mayurasana is helpful for facial beauty.

(vii) Increases willpower and confidence : Regularity plays an important role as it takes time to develop this major quality. All these yogic asanas aim at purification, nervous control and co-ordination and attention increases which help in building up of confidence at work.

(viii) Improves health and reduces obesity : Everyday practice of yoga for about 30 minutes leads to perfect health and fruitful life. Only yoga can bring peace and happiness to life. Reducing weight is not a day’s work, it needs lot of effort and strong will. Yoga asanas and Pranayama if practiced regularly reduce obesity and make the person flexible and healthy.

(ix) Spiritual development : Through yoga efforts can be made to attain spiritual development. An individual constantly pays attention to God, he forgets about himself and has good control over mind. Padamasana and Sidhasana are best for spiritual development. Pranayama is also useful in spiritual development that brings peace in life.

Answer 2

Yoga is an ancient practice that builds strength and awareness and brings together the mind and body. It includes breathing exercises, meditation and asanas or poses that stretch and flex various muscle groups. These asanas are designed to encourage relaxation and reduce stress.

The importance of yoga cannot be stressed enough. There are different kinds of yoga practices. There are beginner classes in every style, and the modifications in every yoga pose make it possible for anyone to start. So whether you have a sedentary lifestyle or you’re a professional athlete, size and fitness levels do not matter.

There are many advantages of yoga. Practising yoga is said to come with many physical and psychological wellness benefits. Read on to know more about yoga and its benefits.

Physical Health Benefits​

The relaxation techniques used in yoga can reduce chronic pain, such as lower back pain, arthritis, headaches and carpal tunnel syndrome. Yoga also helps lower blood pressure and reduce insomnia. Other physical benefits of yoga include:

• Prevents Heart Diseases - Practising yoga may help improve your heart health and reduce several risk factors for various coronary heart diseases. Regular yoga practice can lower blood pressure, pulse rate, BMI, cholesterol levels, and circulatory strain. Yoga also improves vascular well-being by diminishing changes in the veins that add to coronary illness.
• Reduces Chronic Pain - Several researches and studies suggest that practising yoga can help reduce many types of chronic pain in conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome and osteoarthritis. Yoga is claimed to be better than exercise-based recuperation for lower back pains, as well.
• Improves Flexibility and Balance - Through the use of specific asanas or poses yoga can help increase the flexibility of your body. Regular yoga practice helps improve balance and mobility in older individuals.
• Increases muscle strength - Yoga is an excellent addition to your exercise routine for its strength-building benefits. There are specific poses or asanas in yoga that are designed to increase strength and build muscle. By practising yoga regularly, you can experience a significant increase in upper body strength and endurance. It also aids in weight loss and decreases body fat percentage.
• Improves respiration​ - Yogic breathing, also known as Pranayama, is a practice that focuses on controlling your breathing through various breathing exercises and techniques. It helps increase the vital capacity of the lungs and keeps asthma and other lung diseases at bay.

Mental Health Benefits​

Apart from physical benefits, the incorporation of meditation and breathing yoga practices can help improve your mental well-being. Practising yoga regularly can create mental clarity and calmness, increase awareness, relieve chronic stress, relax your mind and dramatically improve your concentration. Some of the other yoga benefits for your mental health are listed below:

• Reduces stress - If you are wondering how to reduce stress, yoga is the answer. It is a well-known fact that yoga promotes relaxation, and hence you can turn to yoga for stress relief. Once you start practising yoga regularly, you can find a significant decrease in the secretion of cortisol, the primary hormone responsible for stress. It leads to an improved quality of life and mental health.
• Relieves anxiety - Many people feel on edge every now and then. Yoga can help you cope with feelings of anxiety and fear. Yoga is also proven to help reduce anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
• Fights depression - Yoga is an effective treatment for depression. Several studies have found that it acts as an anti-depressant due to its ability to decrease levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.
• Promotes sleep quality - Incorporating yoga into your daily routine will enhance your sleep quality as it increases the secretion of melatonin, a hormone responsible for regulating sleep and wakefulness. As a result, you will fall asleep faster, sleep for longer and feel well-rested in the morning.
• Stimulates brain function - As per a few studies, regular yoga practice can improve your mind’s capacity and lift vitality levels. It also enhances the speed and precision of working memory, mental adaptability, task exchanging, and data review capabilities.

These benefits make us realise the importance of yoga. However, these are just some of the advantages of yoga. To truly realise its benefits, you must practice yoga religiously and regularly. You can take help of yoga teachers or look for help online. So what are you waiting for? Pick up your yoga mat and get going!