Yoga and Health

Health is a fundamental goal for all of us, and everyone wants to live a healthy, long and high-quality life.

People in modern society are increasingly dependent on technology, cell phones, computers, television, cars, elevators and other communications, entertainment and transportation in daily life is increasing, which this affects our sleep, affecting our physical health. As a result, people need to engage in more effective physical activity and a healthy lifestyle in order to maintain the basic functions and health of the body.

Yoga is a treasure left behind by the ancient India. Ancient Indians discovered that animals in nature were born with self-adjusting methods of healing, relaxing, and staying awake or sleeping, and they observed animal postures, imitated them and experienced them personally, creating a series of exercise systems that benefited the body and mind, and began the practice of yoga. Yoga embodies the harmony and unity of spirit and body, thought and action, restraint and fulfillment, and humanity and nature, and is a comprehensive interpretation of health and happiness.

Many people think of yoga as a stretching exercise. As a matter of fact, yoga and traditional Chinese health care have similarities and differences. Yoga not only emphasizes the "mind, breath and body", but also contains a moral code and dietary regulation. The practice of yoga not only prevents diseases and plays the role of "curing the disease before it occurs", but also has the effect of rehabilitation for some common diseases. In addition, the practice of yoga helps to maintain physical shape, improve mental state and develop healthy habits. Yoga's view of health is comprehensive, covering both the physical level and the inner world. Yoga's approach to promoting health is three-dimensional and multi-channel.

Yoga's view of health is holistic, encompassing both the body, mind and emotions, as well as the adaptation of people to society and the natural environment. The concept pursued by yoga not only adjusts the body and mind to the best state, but also includes the harmony between human beings and the ecological environment such as animals and plants.

The earliest history of yoga can be traced back to before 3000 AD. A group of practitioners were meditating and retreating in the primitive forests of the foothills of the Himalayas in India, contemplating the root causes of human suffering and troubles. They believed that only by returning to their true selves could they achieve eternal peace. During the long process of meditation, they accidentally discovered that animals can naturally heal when they are sick, and thus imitated the postures of various animals to prevent and control diseases, which are the origins of various asanas of yoga. At the same time, they found that controlling the breath can quiet the nervous system and purify the body, so yoga breathing method also came into being.

The word "yoga" is derived from the Indian Sanskrit word "yug" or "yuj," which means "corresponding to" and "combining with. The word "yoga" is derived from the Indian Sanskrit word "yug" or "yuj", which means "correspondence", "union" or "connection". Yoga originally meant "yoke", a harness that was passed through the nose of an ox and attached to its body. Ancient Indians believed that human desires were unleashed like a horse that was difficult to control and had to be conquered with great skill. Therefore, the yoke originally used to harness the oxen and horses, is turned into a method of subduing desire. The yoke enables the stubborn oxen to plow the land and to obey, whereas the original motive of yoga practice is the "subduing of body and mind," i.e., through yoga we can soften our body and bring peace to our heart. The original Yoga means the mastery of the body and the honoring of the power of nature, but also means the human emotions, the regulation of the will and the balance of the spiritual world, so that a person not only live a long and healthy life, but also to live in harmony with nature.

In the Yoga Sutras, the earliest classic of the Yoga school of ancient Indian philosophy, Yoga is defined as "Yoga is the control of the fluctuations of consciousness of the mind."

The word "yoga" as used in modern times is a translation from Tang Xuanzang, which means "Union", meaning "union, connection, correspondence". Yoga is the vehicle that connects the body to the inner world, the channel through which the mind and body correspond.

The modern definition of yoga is:

Yoga=Personality (physical, emotional, mental, social) Integrate, Yoga=Union→Body+Mind+Sprite.

Yoga is the integration of the body, the mind, and the emotions, social environment and other aspects of integration, not only to adjust the body and mind to the optimal state, but also includes the harmony between human beings and the natural ecological environment, such as animals, plants and minerals.

Traditional Yoga in India is neither a sport nor a religion, but one of the six systems of traditional philosophy (Numerology, Yoga, Satsang, Rationalism, Mimamsa, and Vedanta, collectively referred to as the "six schools of orthodoxy" in ancient Indian philosophy).

Early yoga's meaning of "combine and connect" was to combine the spirit, wisdom, and body perfectly, so that inner peace and physical health are more harmonious and unified, thus combining life and nature to the most perfect state. The modern yoga fitness movement is a branch of weight loss and body sculpting, stress relief, and part of complementary alternative medicine.

Today's yoga exercise is a practice of human science summarized by the people of India over thousands of years, and is no longer limited to the practice of a few hermits. It is no longer a practice limited to a few hermits. It does not belong to the realm of philosophy and religion alone, but has a much wider meaning.

Since the 21st century, yoga has gradually become a trend in Europe and the United States. Yoga not only promotes physical health, but is also a system that helps human beings realize their full potential. Yoga has also been taken as a means of cultivating the body and supporting medical treatment.

Many people take yoga practice in their leisure time as a way to relax their body and mind, tranquilize their spirit and rejuvenate their energy, and indulge in it.

Yoga from the initial control of consciousness, gradually developed to enlightenment and liberation, and then shaping the body fitness and health promotion, is a process of continuous change with the development of society and the changing needs of mankind, reflecting the social adaptability and inclusiveness of yoga.

Yoga and health is to explore the role of yoga in health promotion under the guidance of yoga theory and practice, and to study the ways and means of yoga to nourish the body and mind, enhance physical fitness, prevent diseases, and prolong life, so as to achieve physical and mental health and longevity.