Origins Of Yoga

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Yoga is a very old spiritual practice that started in the Indus valley civilization(India). It is said to go back about six to seven thousand years! There is no specific date that yoga was started but the first writings or principles of yoga were found around this time. The intention of yoga back in the days was to teach morals, ethics, fitness, and philosophy. These things were taught by a guru. They were said to help you physically, mentally, and emotionally . There is not only one type of yoga. There is a lot of branches to the yoga family. Some of the most known ones are karma yoga, bkakti yoga, jnana yoga, and raja yoga. The goals of yoga depend on the religion that it is practiced in. For some religions it is used to get closer to god. In others it helps them get deeper with their wisdom, compassion ,and insight. Most of the time its either god-realization or self-realization. The ultimate goal of yoga is the attainment of liberation(Moksha) from worldly suffering and the cycle of birth and death(Samsara). Yoga entails mastery of the body, mind, emotional self, and transcendence of desire. It is said to lead gradually to knowledge of the true nature of reality. The word “Yoga” is most of the time translated to “ union of the individual atma(soul) with paramatma, the universal soul”. This can be translated into union with the divine by integration of body, mind, and spirit. Most yoga is performed with meditation and concentration. Concentration is performed when you breathe through your nostrils, this leads to a state meditation. When in meditation the inner faculties are able to expand and merge with something vast. People who meditate report a feeling of peace, joy, and oneness.It is starting to become more and more famous in the united states as a routine to release stress. There is places opening up just for this practice. Even schools are
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