What is Yoga?

Asking the question,"What is Yoga?", begins a life long quest.

Simply stated, Yoga is a philosophy of living. It is a way to integrate our personality, transcend our personal limitations, and eventually understand our true nature.

If you're a history buff, this brief historical background will be helpful.
If you are keen to know - What is Ashtanga Yoga? - jump forward here.


If you are new to Yoga it will also be helpful to understand what
Yoga is NOT ...

Yoga is NOT simply a set of postures.

Physical postures or āsanas have definitely become a popular form of fitness all over the world.

However, these postures alone are only one small part of the Yoga philosophy.

The modern practice of Ashtanga Yoga helps us to access and purify the body, thereby creating health and discipline. They give us an initial object to focus our attention on in effort to make the mind one-pointed, and create unity within our body, mind and spirit. Postures are a tool on the path of Yoga, not the goal.

Yoga is NOT a religion.

Organized religion often asks us to believe, follow, and conform to certain ideologies or dogmas, and accept them without question. We might call this "blind faith".

This approach can be very narrow minded and filled with criticism and judgment towards anyone else not adhering to a similar belief system: this approach creates division, not union (yoga).

The practices of yoga are tools that can be used to enrich whatever religious faith we follow, and enhance whatever spiritual beliefs we hold. This is the beauty of yoga - anyone can practice and receive its benefits.

Yoga is NOT a system we blindly follow.

We must resolve our doubts, and develop a personal conviction, only then can our goal of happiness and contentment can be reached. In this philosophy questions are always encouraged! Yoga is an experiential path.

If this is all new to you, here is some very simple background: A brief Yoga History and specifically, the Ashtanga Yoga Philosophy and the 8 limbs of the sage Patanjali.

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