Yoga is practiced by millions of people worldwide. It is thousands of years old, and has both spiritual and philosophical origins. Many Americans who practice yoga do so to receive its physical benefits. However, there are also powerful mental health benefits to the practice.
Contemporary media and various advertisements may have you believing that yoga is nothing more than physical poses; however, that is far from the truth.
Yoga includes many self-disciplinary aspects, such as:
Meditation
Chanting
Mantra
Prayer
Breath work
Ritual
Selfless action
The term yoga comes from the word “yuj”, translating to “to bind.” While many people may analyze this term differently, there is one major theme amongst the interpretations- connection.