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11 Mind Blowing Yoga Facts That Every Yogi Should Know

Author: Yoga Vidya School
by Yoga Vidya School
Posted: Feb 25, 2020

Yoga has made its way from the ancient roots to the modern day while spreading the positivity of its wings to people across all age groups. The benefits of yoga are no longer hidden from the world as there has been a lot of talk about it lately. However, people still do not have their facts right about yoga.

The misconceptions about yoga often stop many people from applying for their long due yoga classes and forces them shift to another form of exercise. A yogi would know how to let go off all the negativities of life and just be. The benefits of yoga should be experienced by all and in order to do so, let us throw light on some amazing yoga facts that every yogi should know.

  1. Meaning of yoga

"Yoga is the journey from the self, through the self and to the self."

The true meaning of yoga lies in nature’s law and connecting with your inner self, living in the moment and letting go of the past, experiencing both pain and pleasure in life and connecting yourself with the universal energy. It also means to perform your dharma with sincerity as taught in the Vedas.

  1. No 100% flexibility criteria

A lot of people do not take up the ancient practice as they are not flexible enough. Well, we are about to bust your myth here and let you know that everyone is flexible enough to practice yoga.

Some people do the backwards bends smoothly whereas others can perform the forward bends with great ease. Even if you are not able to achieve either of them, do not worry, you will get there with regular practice.

  1. You may not love yoga instantly

Yoga seems boring to many people at first and you may do it just because your friends and family forced you into it or purely as a form of physical exercise. If you do not feel your breath, it will become difficult for you to love yoga.

You need to feel your breath and link it with your body and mind in order to experience the true meaning of yoga which may take time.

Who knows one day you may fall in love with yoga and take up yoga teacher training in India. in the future and leave everyone amazed.

  1. You will not be the best everyday

You may be appreciated by your yoga trainer one day and may not be able to perform well the other day which is okay. Your body and mind works in perfect sync which enables you to perform well and sometimes it may not work the way you want it to work due to any physical or mental reason which makes you fall. You need to be fine with your body and mind and grow with time.

  1. Yoga is different

You would ask that the physical benefits can be derived from any other form of exercises as well then why only yoga? Well, the benefits of yoga are different than other forms of exercises and what makes it different is that it nurtures the mind also.

Meditation, pranayama and yoga go hand in hand and it is this combination which works immensely on your body, mind and soul while interconnecting all of them.

  1. Savasana is one of the most important poses

Savasana may seem like nothing as a yoga asana but it is a very important one and yet a challenging one which should not be skipped. Savasana is practiced at the end of the yoga class and sometimes in between advanced asanas.

It is an ultimate relaxing pose when your body and mind need to calm down by putting a stop to all the unnecessary thoughts. Also, your body takes this time to absorb and process all the benefits of yoga practice.

  1. Yoga extends beyond the mat

Yoga is not only about practicing poses on a colorful mat wearing yoga clothes. It is much more than that. The benefits of yoga go out of the mat and penetrate in your life. Also, people say that how you act on your yoga mat is how you act in your real life.

If you handle the difficult poses in the yoga class with ease and do not give up, the same attitude is taken forward when your life throws challenges at you. If you are always in discomfort and take the shortcut to perform the asanas, you will not derive the necessary benefits and the same discomfort will be reflected in your real life.

  1. Be present in the moment

Sometimes the yoga practice gets so hard that you feel like running from the class and the thoughts of sleeping crosses your mind. Well, you are not alone in this. But the learning should be like no matter what comes up, you have to be present in the moment to feel the benefits of yoga. There might be many stories raging in your mind which should be stopped while taking the challenging poses in your stride.

  1. Yoga makes you younger

Breathing is an important part of yoga which helps in increasing the oxygen flow in the blood. When your body has a good level of oxygenated blood it reflects on your face. Apart from many other benefits of yoga, it also helps to increase the glow on your face, keeps at bay many diseases and helps in slowing the ageing process.

  1. Eight limbs of yoga

Yoga has 8 limbs as taught in Goraksha-Samhita which are

  • Yama (self restraint)

  • Niyama (self discipline)

  • Asana (sitting posture)

  • Pranayama (breath based exercises)

  • Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses)

  • Dharna (concentration)

  • Dhyana (meditation)

  • Samadhi (salvation)

Yoga is incomplete if all these limbs are not followed. Closing the eyes and stretching your body into different poses do not make you a yogi. All these limbs are to be followed diligently in order to become a true yogi.

    1. Chanting ‘OM’ has a purpose

  • Om’ or ‘Aum’ is a Sanskrit word and is central to most yoga practices. It is chanted in the beginning and end of class and has physical and mental effects as it calms the mind and nervous system. Chanting ‘Om’ or ‘Aum’ together in the class magnifies the energies and thereby leaves a long lasting effect on your body and mind.

Hopefully you’ve now got a better insight into the ancient practice of yoga with these useful facts. The timeless practice is a big boon for the mind, body and soul and serves as the perfect tool to harmonize the self with the natural world.

About the Author

Manmohan Singh is a passionate Yogi and a Yoga Teacher. He provides yoga teacher training in India.

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Author: Yoga Vidya School

Yoga Vidya School

Member since: Jan 10, 2018
Published articles: 10

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