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It is true that yoga has now become the buzzword in the health and fitness industry. But, it is highly unfortunate that the approach to yoga has become very derivative. While it is a fact that regular yoga practice will keep a person healthy and fit, these are not the main or the only aims of yoga. Unfortunately, most people only learn yoga to either lose weight or to stay fit and miss out on the many other benefits that yoga can provide. Yoga is not just a fitness regime; it is a holistic way of life.

You may be aware that Yoga originated over 5000 years ago in the Indus Valley Civilization. The main aim of yoga at that time was spiritual oneness with the universe. The term Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit ‘yuj’ which means ‘to unite’ or ‘to yoke’. The philosophy of Yoga was to unite the body, mind and spirit in the spiritual contemplation of the universe as a whole. In fact, at that time, there were no yoga poses or asanas. There was only one yoga asana- the Padmasana, or the Lotus pose- which allowed yogis to meditate.

Yoga adapted according to the times and the needs of the people practicing it. Soon, the ideology behind the spiritual quest of Yoga changed. People became mindful of the fact that the body was in fact, a vessel of the spirit, and should be tended to with equal care. That is when the various Yoga poses originated from. Yoga poses enable a body to be healthy and fit, so that it does not distract the mind when it is contemplating universal oneness.

Similarly, it is important for the mind to be controlled. If the mind is not controlled, it wanders off with the slightest distraction and begins to worry or fantasize or day dream. To prevent the mind from wandering off, numerous yoga techniques were evolved to teach a person how to control one’s mind and keep it bent on spiritual contemplation.

Finally, when one is actually able to contemplate the spiritual oneness of the universe, one finds that one is not very different from other creatures of the universe, and that every living thing is connected to all other living things. This insight transforms a person’s outlook towards life. A person who is enlightened is able to look at life from a more holistic point of view and his behavior towards the world is also bound to change. But, the most important thing is that a person who is enlightened becomes peaceful and content. He also becomes positive and vibrant in his outlook towards life. He is able to lead a much more contented and happy life than others.

Hence, there is a lot to be gained from yoga beyond just physical fitness and mental stability. Those who pursue yoga practice for just these means are missing out on the larger picture and are severely restricted what they can hope to achieve from practicing yoga regularly.