Planet Yoga By Master Kamal

Yoga originated in India and is one of the world's oldest classical Indian Science, Philosophy, and Art that is over 5000 years old.

The Yoga philosophy was systematized about 2000 years ago by a SAGE named PATANJALI who unified a single text known as the YOGA SUTRAS (YOGA DARSHANA). This work is still acknowledged by Yoga practitioners today and is the authoritative text on Yoga.

The Sanskrit definition of Yoga is 'yuj' to 'join', a 'union' of your individual self with your Universal self. On a more practical level, Yoga is a means of balancing and harmonizing the body, mind and emotions. Yoga is far from simply being physical exercises, rather, it is an aid to establishing a new way of life which embraces both inner and outer realities. With Yoga, you train all the five sheaths:

physical, mental, vital, intellectual, and spiritual which eventually becomes an integrated part of your whole being. From the physical body, yoga moves on to the mental and emotional levels. It is an integration and harmony between thought, word and action.

Yoga is NOT something that you can 'just' read about or understand intellectually. Yoga must be experienced personally through living knowledge and practice- this is how you learn Yoga--by doing.

We most often turn to Yoga because we feel we are losing our physical and mental 'agility and 'flexibility', because we need more peace in our lives, our health is imbalanced, we have lost our purpose or sense of direction, there is too much stress, worry and strain in our lives. Through practicing Yoga, we can remove the obstacles that block our path, restore and revitalize our mental, physical, emotional, sexual, creative and spiritual energies.

Yoga has been a successful form of therapy, curing many diseases such as diabetes, asthma, heart problems, digestive, excretory and reproductive disorders. According to medical scientists, Yoga therapy is successful because of the balance created in the nervous and endocrine systems which directly influences all the other systems and organs of the body.

Through Yoga, we learn to strengthen the body, relax and activate the nervous system, bring peace, balance and one-pointed concentration to the mind. This leads to the highest goal of life: the direct realization of our 'TRUE NATURE'.

Thus, Yoga is a joyful and deeply rewarding experience of self-discovery, self-healing, and self transformation.

Yoga is comprised of EIGHT limbs called ASHTANGA YOGA by Sage Patanjali. They are:

Universal ethical principles, the "don'ts" (Yama) Rules of personal conduct, the "do's" (Niyama) The practice of postures (Asana) The practice of Yoga breathing techniques (Pranayama) The practice of training the senses (Indriyas) (Pratyahara) Concentration of the mind (Dharana) Meditation (Dhyana) Self-Realization (Samadhi)

There are many branches of Yoga: Raja, Hatha, Jnana, Karma, Bhakti, Mantra, Japa, Kundalini, to name a few. Each individual needs to find those Yoga's most suited to their particular personality and needs- at PLANET YOGA you have ALL of these choices.