What is Yoga?

Yoga is a practice which includes the mind, body and soul. It evolved back in the Vedic age. Some of the people practice Yoga as a religion now.  But the fact is that Yoga is not a religion but is a practice that is adopted by many people across the globe to get peace and maintain harmony.

It involves meditation which has stayed as a part of the society since ages. Many people have different believes that Yoga is a part of the great religions- Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity, Islam or any other. But the fact here is that great people of all of these religions have obtained spiritual experiences through the practice of Yoga.

Yoga is not a Religion

Yoga is not a religion by itself, or a part of any religion. All religious teachers have expressed that the soul is immortal and it emerges from a source which is higher and greater than it. All religions believe that the soul belongs to the divine and the realization of this fact can bring eternal bliss and freedom. All the teachings of the religious teachers of different religions are similar, leading to one same Truth.

Yoga is universal, and a Yogi does not need to be bound by any particular religious faith to practice Yoga. It is true that India is the traditional home of Yoga, but this does not mean that it cannot be practiced by anyone else and is just the monopoly of Indians only. Anyone and everyone, no matter what the religion, race or country has the right to practice Yoga.

It does not bind a person to specific cultural beliefs leading to prejudices, but guides to independently and directly experience the Truth on a personal level. Yoga enables an individual to establish a relationship with the Divine as per his/her psychological tendency. The practice of Yoga today provides teachings to people of all religions and cultures across the globe which is a proof of its bound approach and universality.

Yoga is a Science

Science has proved that the whole universe revolves around one energy and on the other hand, Yoga means to get united. If you practice Yoga, then you are getting all of your energy together which will in return keep you healthy and fit. There are many tools, and machinery’s out there now that help to repair and maintain any damaged product. Similarly, Yoga does the same thing for you and is used to repair and maintain the body and soul.

The practice of Yoga will not give you any religion but a methodology to follow. It will help you to know your mind, body, emotions and actions better. Today, Yoga is used for medical purposes by many. It helps to cure asthma and other types of ailments. Many studies have also proved that Yoga reduces BMI (Body Mass Index), cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart attack.

By practicing Yoga, you will be able to save the huge sum of money that you spend on machines and equipment at a gym. It is beneficial for those people especially who do not like working out at the gym and also for those who find exercising at gym difficult. Yoga is a practice that will help you to rejuvenate and modify yourself continuously.

Yoga helps us to learn how to remove our physical and mental problems to improve our attitude towards life. It helps to improve the well being of a person if practiced with discipline and the right way. Thus, Yoga forms a solution for people to retain inner peace and anything which is beneficial for human beings on the Earth does not necessarily make it bound to be a religion. It is important to note that Yoga is science and not any imagination.

It is a science that is demonstrable. Whether yoga is science or religion, one has to follow a unified system of laws and guidelines to accomplish the desired result from it. Using the techniques of meditation and focusing on the mind are important aspects if you want to get rid of any wrong beliefs in your mind. Proper breathing, proper relaxation and proper thinking, all of these play a significant role in retaining the belief system in a person.