A juicy class project
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The first thought of Yoga brings to mind an image of an Eastern saint clad in white or saffron clothes, sitting with folded arms and legs with an austere expression on his face. His mind and body are in perfect harmony with each other. This combo of mind and body one may learn from yoga. A combination of two words ‘Yo’ and ‘Ga’, it means “joining together”, says Pushpa Dhar, Yoga instructor, at SJSU sports club. She explains it is coalescing of the physical and spiritual aspects, which helps to channel or regulate our energies. Yoga germinated in India. It was one of the six school of Hindu philosophy. The ultimate goal of Yoga is attainment of liberation of worldly suffering and cycle of birth and death. The Yogi reaches the enlightened stat (moksha) where there is cessation of thought and the yogi experiences a blissful union with the soul. Over the years it traveled from East to West, where people disillusioned with materialism looked for natural and simple ways to tackle routine pressure. As Christine Le, an SJSU child development major says, “It helps to let go stress as US culture is all about working, one finds little time to set aside for oneself.” However, in the West it is more associated with asana or postures that lay emphasis on physical fitness instead of spirituality. So Pushpa Dhar feels she has only touched the “tip of the iceberg” in her classes, which she begins with pranayama (breathing exercises) and ends with Shav asana (lying down still like a corpse). The whole idea is to relax and rejuvenate people’s spirit through meditation and breathing. The proponents of yoga see daily practice as beneficial and say it leads to improved health, emotional well being, mental clarity and joy of living. Vanessa Peasa, an occupational therapy student shares this viewpoint as she says, “It relaxes, energizes, helps in focusing and gives a good feeling”. But why is this Eastern tradition once considered a hippie thing, becoming so hot in the West? The secret lies in its merit as well as its roots. Just as many Eastern ideas like vegetarianism have gripped the West, yoga has also lured westerners because it appears mystical. As a psychology student, Erin Dunham says, “it is something different and releases tension so people are attracted towards it.” Moreover, “anything healthy is trendy” as Jennifer Palomo puts it; so people hook up to yoga. Not only does it release’s pressure, but it also sheds those few extra pounds making one trim and flat. Briana Brown acknowledges this fact as she says, “our culture lays emphasis on physical appearance, slimming and toning, and therefore yoga has been accepted in form of an exercise.” So yoga can be a good idea for a healthy lifestyle both mentally and physically. Analogical to Yoga is an “art of living” program that appeals to people because it’s a package of soul and body. The magic here also lies in meditation and a breathing exercise called Sudarshan Kriya. It is a rhythmic breathing process that awakens every cell of the body and tranquilizes one’s spirit. So Purvi Gajjar, a Mass Communication student says, “I have been flying spiritually and my bronchitis and asthma has been healed completely”. Srinivasan Dasasathyan, an art of living instructor, who is allergic to bronchitis, pollen and vehicle pollution, feels, while his ailment has been cured to a large extent, emotionally and spiritually he has become more matured. Raghavan Srinivasan, a computer-engineering student shares his feelings. As he says, “I have become more socially active, conscientious and spiritual meaning of life has deepened for me.” Thus, Yoga and art of living basically preach identical theories. They educate people to unwind and comprehend the riddle called life. These are healthy stress busters unlike drugs or alcohol. Though in west the fitness aspect appeals, nonetheless people recognize spiritual facet also. Thus many people feel allured to these philosophies as they can release stress, thereby, making them calm mentally and optimistic to life. Background information on Yoga has been taken from Wikipedia encyclopedia. Related Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga
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