What is Yoga?
The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root "Yog," which means "to join" or "to unite." It is a spiritual discipline and complete way of living which seeks to give a path to attain spiritual, mental, and physical integrity.
As per Indian philosophy, its fundamental goal is to help one attain a state of connection of the soul with nature or global consciousness and liberation from all the suffering of the human condition.
Evolution of Yoga in history
Coming from India, Yoga is an ancient philosophy, and it has evolved a lot since its beginnings in 2700 BC. Many sage and Indian philosophers have participated in creating what is now known as Yoga.
One of the important sages in Yogic tradition is Maharshi Patanjali, who developed a version of Yoga accessible to anyone, starting from the basics. He describes his teachings in the Pantajali Yoga Sutras.
Yoga thus comprises many schools of thought, each of these putting emphasis on different practices and philosophies but always going towards the same goal of unity.
The health benefice of Yoga
In Indian culture, Yoga is known for having a variety of benefits for physical and mental health. It has been used for thousands of years in Asian countries to prevent health problems. It is also believed to cure or manage many conditions, going from basic stress to osteoarthritis or digestive system problems.
In modern times, the yogic traditions have reached the occidental world and got the interest of scientists who tried to explain the effects of Yoga in an evidence-based way. It has been confirmed through those researches that Yoga has various impacts on health.
~ Improves body's strength, flexibility, and balance.
~ Promotes heart health.
~ Helps relaxation and reduces stress and anxiety.
~ Promotes better sleep.
~ Provides more mental and physical energy and gives a better general mood.
Yoga's use in health management for various clientele
Yoga can serve multiple persons for health prevention, promotion, and health conditions treatments. Its secret is that it considers the person whole and addresses her with a multi-dimensional approach. It empowers the person in taking care of her health and habits, in collaboration with a professional or not.
A variety of clientele can benefit from Yoga:
~ Prevent the loss of physical and mental capacity in the senior population by keeping them active, repeating sequences, and maintaining their physical integrity.
~ Promote rehabilitation of patients with neurological conditions (such as strokes, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and others) by practicing mindfulness and acceptance and by training stability, respiration, and proper muscle recruitment.
~ Of use in woman's health (hormonal and menstrual cycle regulation and pre and post-natal periods) by promoting optimal recruitment of the perineal muscles and encouraging mindfulness.
~ Helps manage various chronic pain (back pain, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and others) by enforcing the body's strength, flexibility, and stability and encouraging mindfulness.
~ Effect on the well-being of oncology patients by promoting mindfulness, reducing stress, and maintaining physical integrity.
To remember about Yoga.
In conclusion, Yoga is a discipline coming from India thousands of years ago that seeks to unite the various dimensions of a human being to relieve him from suffering.
It has various proven effects on health and is widely accessible to multiple people. It promotes health in a complete life philosophy which one can adapt to its values and conditions.
At Japam, we offer general Yoga classes for beginners to advance participants and Yoga Therapy or Medical Therapeutic Yoga for more specific conditions.
Our teachers have experience with various health conditions such as knee osteoarthritis, lower back pain, pregnant women, and neurological disorders. We adapt our classes to your needs, so you feel comfortable in your practice.
Don't hesitate to contact us if you which to try a class.
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