Yoga 101 “What is Yoga?”
Shad Darshana
In India, there are 6 classical philosophical systems called Shad Darshana. Shad means six and Darshana means Philosophy. Yoga is one of the philosophical systems and has been formulated by the founder, Patanjali.
Other philosophies include:
ーNYAYA / VAISHESHIKA
ーSAMKYA / YOGA
ーMIMMAMSA / VEDANTA
(These words were originally written in Sanskrit, thus the spelling may differ depending on the interpreter.)
Yoga Sutra
One of the scriptures of yoga is Yoga Sutra. It was compiled prior to 400CE by Patanjali.
The word Sutra translates to “thread” and each section of the sutra is tersely formulated. There are 4 chapters (or Padas) and 195 aphorisms (or Sutras). Each chapter has a theme and each aphorism is written in line with the various themes that gives us life hints, goals, realizations, precautions in a very simplified yet precise manner. The original texts were written in Sanskrit and have been translated into languages from all over the world. It is an essential guide book for those studying yoga.
In our Yoga101 Workshop, we are going to introduce a famous Sutra from the book.
Yoga is a Reminder
When I started practicing yoga, I thought I wanted to be better, I wanted to change, but in a vague manner. I didn’t know where to start. Neither did I have a specific plan. I ended up not doing much.
Once I started practicing yoga, and what I mean by this is not just the physical movements, but studying the philosophy, my view towards yoga completely changed.
It no longer became a hobby or an after-work lesson. It became a lifestyle. The way I perceived my thoughts, actions, and all aspects of my life started to change.
For example, why do we eat?
Is it to make us full? Or to satisfy our taste buds?
I realized that through my yoga studies, we eat because it directly becomes our energy source.
It sounds very simple and obvious, but bringing me back to the basics was what yoga taught me.
“How do we view the world?” is a big theme in the Darshanas I mentioned earlier.
This means to have a healthy mind and body, to be humane, and to enjoy life.
Why Yoga 101?
Through our Yoga 101 workshop, we want everyone to have and value their own practice. We want everyone to realize that moving the body is just one subject of the big picture. That there’s more to yoga. That is why we decided to share this workshop with everyone.
In the present-day society, we always seek for answers. It’s so easy to search about the yoga philosophies on google. However, reading it doesn’t become knowledge.
Do you remember the first time you rode a bike? Your parent or family or friend probably explained to you the steps and tips. Then boom! You were able to ride it! It probably wasn’t that easy. You rode it multiple times, falling over, and getting up again and again and again. You brushed up your skills over time through practice.
Yoga is just like riding a bike.
You learn the concept, and you put it into practice.
You probably read or heard all the benefits of yoga. However, the biggest benefit is to practice it yourself and feel it for yourself. Only then, you will be able to call it yours.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still in the middle of my journey.
Whether it be self-care, lifestyle, or wellness, there’s different angles you can try to tackle yoga.
Dec 8, 2010 from 14:30-16:00
Excited to meet you all on the mat for the Yoga101 Workshop!