In modern times some Asian countries have incorporated Yoga (partially due to marketing stunts) so much so that there seems to be a Yoga remedy for every problem in life. If you have back pain do Yoga A. If you have hair fall do Yoga B. While some of them definitely work directly, others just keep you fit which in turn helps relieve your issue somewhat. There is no illusion to its effectiveness, as an exercise though. It’s been picked up by people from all around the globe in the recent times. So here we go with the 5 things that are going to keep Yoga running in our societies for ages to come.
1. How can an exercise go wrong?
Yoga claims to provide increased flexibility, increased muscle strength and tone, improved respiration, energy, vitality and plenty more. But that is true of any exercise. The good thing about this one though is it is surprisingly light (most of them anyway). Well, you definitely need some practice to do a cross-legged pose, if you are a Westerner or from Africa. But once you get the hang of it, you can knock 5 of them in 10 minutes and you are good for the day. It can give incredible strength to a human if practiced for a long period of time and is often linked to longevity.
2. There is a pinch of meditation and spirituality in it
The meditation/spirituality probably stems from the fact that the system was first developed by Hindu holy men or Yogis. And most of the utterance you make in doing a pose is a religious chant designed to provide that sense of, well, spirituality. And it does a good job of it too because of the constant evolution through practice. The thing is spirituality is within us. We just need some tool to help us meditate and get there. Yoga is an excellent aid for this.
3. You can do it anytime, anywhere
On the bed, on a yoga mat, on your office chair, walking, taking a shower and many other ways. There seems to be no place where you can’t strike a yoga routine. This is largely due to the simplicity of the thing. It is very easy to learn. There is an exercise where you rub the nails of your fingers of one hand against those of the other. This helps your hair growth and keeps it black (in India of course). Try it. It will stick after a few days.
4. Yoga is as old as the hills
Yoga originated around the fifth centuries BCE in India. And to other parts of the world in the late 19th and early 20th century, thanks to the clever guy called Swami Vivekananda. He visited these countries and demonstrated (with a fair bit of elocution) the usefulness of Yoga. The Hindu scriptures are full of them and so is the Buddhist. The fact that they have lasted thus far and growing speaks volumes about its effectiveness.
5. The ultimate goal of Yoga is Liberation or Moksha
Moksha is a nifty state where you are released from the cycle of rebirth dictated by the law of karma. You need zero wrong-doings in your accounts to get there or the other way would be to do Yoga. I think this looks fairly plausible because Yoga teaches us good karma. It calms us down. It is, in fact, a disciplined method for attaining a goal. It is a technique of controlling the body and the mind.