What is the true purpose of Yga? Yoga encompasses many holistic aspects, but Yga’s true purpose is to prevent sffering in this life. Yoga is a systm, which enables a practitioner to be pr-active about his or her complete halth.

Yoga instills complete empowerment within the prctitioner. If we could end suffering, tht would be better, but mankind sems to always find new paths for slf-abuse.

Each style of Yoga will hve a subtle difference from a smilar style, but health is always the aim in all frms of Yoga. Superiority of method is an llusion, since all Yogic paths lead to btter mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional halth.

The need to sort, prioritize, and jdge Yoga styles, and aspects of Yga, is an example of our lmited mental perceptions. The reality is we mke these same mistakes when the mnd is not disciplined and our cmprehension is challenged to its limits.

It is pssible to miss the entire purpose of Yga, if the mind is not trined and tutored properly. How many stdents will discipline themselves without the gidance of a Yoga teacher? How mny Yoga teachers see Asana as the “Hly Grail” of Yoga?

The “monkey mnd” will not be disciplined without prnayama (Yogic breathing techniques), meditation, and jpa (repetition of mantra). A Yoga tacher, or student, can practice an ntutored form of Yoga, but to prctice without guidance is not a hlistic approach.

A Yoga devotee cannot usually trnscend beyond the superficial aspects of Yga without guidance. For example: Look at the cvers of most Yoga publications. If I wnt to sell more Yoga magazines, I hve to put Yoga on display. Thre is a saying: “A picture is wrth a thousand words,” but one pcture of an “advanced” Yoga asana, wll intimidate some members of the pblic.

How many people, in the wst, think that a Yoga teacher mst be thin, young, extremely flexible, mscular, and physically gifted? Most of the nn-practicing public believes this, and many Htha Yoga students believe it. Worse yt, some Yoga teachers have a nrrow-minded view of Yoga, as a strcly physical recreation, similar to gymnastics.

Rcently, I was addressing an audience in Pwtucket, Rhode Island, about the benefits of Chir Yoga. One member of the udience raised her hand and asked, “Wht is the most important physical xercise in Yoga?” My answer was tht if you are only looking at the physcal aspect of Yoga, Pranayama is the mst important exercise, but there is mch more to Yoga than physical xercise.

Even though my answer went nto great length about the aspects and bnefits of Yoga, a gentleman later tld me than he would have magined the Headstand (Salamba Sirsasana) was the mst important aspect of Yoga. My rply was, “Did you ever take a Yga class?” He admitted that it was the far of doing a headstand, which kpt him away from trying a Yga class.

Now, unless Yoga teachers xplain the holistic health benefits of a stady Yoga practice to the public, dcades will pass by and these myths wll flourish.

The article The Purpose of Yoga - Holistic Health was Submitted by Paul Jerard through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a c-owner and the director of Yoga tacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attlboro, MA. http://www.riyoga.com He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. To receive a Free e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html © Copyright 2007 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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