What is Yoga?
Every year the Yoga Heights Teacher Training is filled with brilliant yogis
who are excited to deepen their understanding of yoga. Some will teach yoga in typical classes; others weave yoga, both physically and philosophically, into their work, families, and lives. Throughout the eight months of training, all of these yogis answer and re-answer the question, "What is yoga?" Here are some of their recent thoughts on this question. As you will see, yoga takes on many meanings to people, and all of the different perspectives from our Teacher Trainees offer us all a chance to re-evaluate just what yoga means in our own lives.
Yoga is a practice and lifestyle aimed at united oneself with "God,” or the universe. It comes from the Sanskrit word meaning to "yoke" or to "unite.” With origins from Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, yoga encompasses many elements, including breath control, ethical practices, physical poses, and meditation, all intended at developing control over consciousness that will allow the practitioner to reach a state of enlightenment.
Yoga is about being connected to your body, about being aware and present, without fear, judgment, or ego. It's about taking the time to slow down and care for yourself to clear the space in your life and mind that you can use to give back to the world. - Maya
Yoga is a holistic life practice that weaves physical and mental health, guidance on how to live in harmony and balance with yourself, others, and the natural world, with a particular way of looking at the world. The origins of yoga are in India, but it has since spread across the globe. -Sara
Practicing strengthening the body and the mind. Being present and bringing awareness to yourself, and expanding your mobility and flexibility. Connecting breath to movement. - Sam
Yoga, derived from the Sanskrit root 'Yuj,’ meaning 'to join' or 'to yoke' or 'to unite.’ As we learned with Hawah, yoga, in its most simple definition, actively seeks to unite individual consciousness with universal consciousness. Or, as Jess spoke to us on our first weekend, Yoga is the possibility of deliverance from pain, suffering, and sorrow. - Jonathan
Yoga means to "yoke" or unite and is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices that originated in India and are focused on bringing harmony to or connecting the mind and the body. Many yoga styles employ various breathing techniques, meditation, and physical postures to work toward this harmony. - Jessica
Quote, I wrote down from the Sutras reading - "Yoga is the progressive settling of the mind into silence." I like this. I do find that it is nearly impossible for the mind to wander during a yoga class because you're entirely focused on your body’s movement. In these times, my mind is indeed silent (unless, of course, I'm internally screaming in a chair pose!).
In a more concrete sense, Yoga is the practice of the eight limbs, not just asana. It is a way of life (union of body, mind, soul, and spirit), with guidance for treating others, treating yourself, maintaining your health, and ultimately finding enlightenment (which may take many lifetimes). - Stephanie
Today, most people think of the asana-based practice, but yoga is traditionally an eight limb path encompassing spiritual and devotional practices. In the introduction to Light on Yoga, Iyengar notes that Patanjali describes yoga as "Chitta Vritti Nirodhah," which removes the fluctuations of the mind. Hawah also spoke about this when he came to our class. During his presentation, Hawah also said that yoga is a means to an end, but also an end in itself -- that "yog" has been known as a state of being, not just something you do, but a state of living and a state of liberation. The practices of yoga are to achieve enlightenment, but they are also a way of life and a way to be. - Rayna
The definition of “yoga” is “to yoke.” The objective is to unify the human soul with God. As a system of study, yoga is comprised of eight “limbs,” which Iyengar labeled as “stages.” Each limb/stage represents an aspect of life that a yoga aspirant can direct toward the final unity. The idea of stages might be easier for the Western mind to assimilate into our way of thinking. Still, it intimates an idea of linear progression, which is not exactly the truth in how the limbs interact and function. The first six limbs can be practiced simultaneously, but limb 7, Dhyana, is an extension of strong Dharana practice, and limb 8, Samadhi, is a level of existence that is reached through diving connection after mastering (or being graced with) Dhyana.
The limbs are: 1) Yama; 2) Niyama; 3) Asana; 4) Pranayama; 5) Pratyahara; 6) Dharana; 7) Dhyana; 8) Samadhi
The pursuit of yoga is a lifestyle and usually a life-long pursuit. The religious and spiritual conception drives the pursuit of the idea that all things in existence are all one-total existence that encapsulates and governs all things, spaces, experiences, time, etc. Somehow, as the universe began, parts of the collective soul were dispersed, and each soul journeys toward the full realization that it is divine existence, and the separation does not exist. Many lives might be needed (in theologies that support reincarnation) to reach this final enlightenment stage.
Asana is the most common element of yoga in the Western vernacular. It is the physical portion of the quest that lends itself well to fitness and “health.” It is the most tangible limb, with its physically identifiable results. For this reason, it is often the indented endeavor when someone in the US is interested in the practice, and it is the path of entry to bring the other elements of yoga into someone’s life. - Ammie
Yoga is a lifestyle. It is a practice of strengthening the mind, body, and spirit through physical and mental exercises. The practice of yoga involves adopting a moral and conscious lifestyle. Yoga is a path to enlightenment. - Aida
While Iyengar described yoga as 'another way for my spirit (jivatma) to commune with God (Paramatma), a way to be free, or secure liberation (moksa), a deliverance from pain and sorrow," to me, yoga is balance and a prescription to fall into myself such that this embodiment helps me to stay attuned to my purpose, spirit, body, and community.
- Jameta
