Yoga: popular worldwideAlmost everyone knows someone who practices yoga. If you ask around these days, yoga is one of the most popular leisure activities. Women, in particular, don't want to miss out on the once-a-week workout. The more stressful everyday life becomes, the more likely people are to attend yoga classes, whether in a large studio or in a smaller group.
The route is the goal
Yoga exerts great fascination, and has done so for thousands of years. It originated in India. But the Western variant, which we associate primarily with physical exercises, the asanas, dates back to the 19th century. Incidentally, it is called THE Yoga, not the Yoga. The master is the yogi , the master the yogini . It is a long way to achieve complete body control. But with yoga in particular, the path is the destination. No true master would claim to have reached the end of the path. Various demands overlap: It is about the aforementioned asanas, but also about an inner attitude. And there is not just one path of yoga, but many. Anyone who delves deeper into yoga will discover that countless variations are spread all over the world. And sometimes it is not so much about physical mastery. There are paths of asceticism and breathing, or the gentle body movements of Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga is actually a fairly widespread form in the West.
Start gently
We Westerners focus primarily on physical flexibility, stretching muscles that can sometimes be completely tense, and flowing breath. And we enjoy the peace and quiet that comes with a good yoga class. The Western form of yoga shares only the basic framework with the ancient traditions, yet it does us indescribable good. Ultimately, it is up to each individual whether they wish to delve deeper into the yoga philosophy. Those who begin yoga should take their practice sessions seriously, but also have fun with it. For some, it might be right to do a short session at home every day. For others, it is the weekly group session. Everyone should practice as much as they like, whenever they like. Teachers who insist on an hour a day or similar demands should be viewed with caution. The true yogi allows each person to develop in a way that suits their body and character.
Yoga is universal
Yoga has the great advantage of being suitable for all ages and everyone – assuming, of course, that they are interested in it at all. So it is not surprising that there is yoga for pregnant women or overweight people , for seniors and children , for wheelchair users and people with other disabilities . Different types of exercises can be found for everyone. Often, astonishing results are achieved: depression is alleviated, anxiety is reduced, and physical limitations are improved. In addition to the asanas, breathing exercises and the small but subtle mudras play a particularly important role. Through all of this, we become more relaxed and calm. Some people discover their inner desires and become creative, others completely turn their lives around. The changes range from the choice of food to a change of job. But for most of us, yoga is simply a nice hobby, certainly also a sport, a welcome training session to cope with the demands of modern times. And all of these paths are perfectly fine. What role does yoga play in your life?
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