Yoga - An Introduction

Yoga Means 'Union', union between mind, body & spirit. Many people think that Yoga is all about stretching. Its true Yoga involves stretching, but its really about creating a balance in the body through developing both strength and flexibility. Yoga helps us in developing our personality and also a sound and disciplined life. Yoga also inculcates in us a sense of discipline & we feel encouraged at every stage of life. Practice of Yoga keeps us far away from ailments and enhances our work efficiency.


The role of Yoga is very important as it makes us strong, healthy, happy, active and helps preserve energy. Some people resort to exercises such as walking, lifting weights, running etc but there is a great amount of difference in performing yoga as opposed to the activities mentioned above. For instance, while walking the blood circulation is faster in the lower part of the body due to greater activity of the feet and thus requisite quantity of the blood does not reach other parts of the body.


Please note that I am not encouraging people to leave walking or other exercises or I am not condemning walking or other exercises at all, so no offence!


Some Differences between Exercises & Yoga
Below are some brief differences between exercises and Yoga that I've personally experienced and learned over years.

1. Physical activities causes fatigue whereas yoga relieves you from fatigue and makes the body light and active.
2. Weak and old people are incapable of doing every kind of exercise whereas they can surely do Yoga in consultation with a specialist.
3. Sports and exercises cannot be possible in journey while Yoga can be performed while travelling.
4. While exercising outer muscles are exercised whereas Yoga ensures that both internal and external organs are influenced.
5. Exercises make body stiff while Yoga makes it elastic.

There are loads of other differences but for now I'll just stick to the above ones. 

My Inspiration

I got the inspiration to start Yoga from my mother who was struggling with her life as she was surrounded by all the physical problems one could ever 

have - Cholesterol, Back pain, Blood Pressure, weak eyesight, Thyroid, 

Asthma etc etc etc.... She was literally living on medicines. Her decision to join Yoga classes gave her a new life and NOW of all the people I know, she is the happiest person in this world. Yoga has transformed her life completely, both physically and mentally. Hence the name of the blog: Yoga For Life.

The aim of this little blog was to give you all only a brief introduction of Yoga along with some personal history and my inspiration. My subsequent blogs will have the Yoga schedule, different techniques (asans) and their benefits.

The next blog will talk about some pre-requisites that one needs to consider before starting Yoga. Click here to to access my next blog.