The Philosophy Behind Yoga

Yoga is a holistic therapy which attempts to redirect our stress, and negative energy, and also helps to diffuse it.

This is to avoid it leading to a buildup of stress, which can then go on to cause sickness in the body.

This is the goal of most holistic approaches, to stop health problems before they start. In this way they are an effective form of preventative medicine, that has been shown to produce amazing results.

The yogis (or yoga practitioners) believe that as human beings, what we seek most is joy and happiness, and that most people settle for less than they deserve in terms of happiness.

The yogis believe most people settle for a brief and temporary life pleasures, but feel that at some point in most people's lives they long for more, and thus begin a search for happiness and bliss that is not fleeting. Yoga came out of the Buddhist tradition and originated in China where it has been practiced effectively for thousands of years.

The yogis believe that people need to live by certain laws of nature and that these laws are not stationary but must evolve and change throughout the ages. One of the main things nature uses to encourage a person to move on to the next stage of life is pain. In fact pain is an early stage motivator.

Many people search for happiness through their personal relationships, their work, through money or through drugs and alcohol. For a certain length of time these things may work, but eventually the person will long for more than these things can provide.

Most people reach a stage in their lives where they feel that their life is lacking in happiness, and a sense of purpose, so they begin to look for more meaning by looking inward. This is where yoga can come in. Until you have reached this point, yoga just sits back quietly, and waits to be ready to be used in a person's life.

As the spirit evolves a person finds a greater sense of tranquility and peace within themselves. As the spirit develops it moves to a higher level, and pain no longer has to be a motivator. Each new level that the spirit moves into brings more joy, and happiness, along with peace, and a greater sense of well-being.  As this happens, pain stops become a motivating factor, and the reward of the richness of the spirit becomes what moves a person to greater levels of growth. 

When looked at as a concrete practice as opposed to an abstract concept, yoga is an "applied science of the mind and body." Practicing yoga on a regular basis helps to keep the body in the natural order of balance, and it helps keep a person's level of health at its best.  

It is important to note that practicing yoga does not create a state of perfect health, but it does help set up an environment for good health to grow and develop. Yoga teaches that a diet of natural foods, and exercise, along with plenty of fresh air, and a mind that is calm and serene can help to keep a person in line with the spirit of God.