Yoga For Healthy Life

The 9th International Yoga Day was marked with enthusiasm across the world, including in Nepal, on June 21. The fact that yoga has spread across the world is a matter of pride for us, for its origin is linked with the region inhabited by us. To see millions of people, especially Westerners, in yoga gear rolling out their yoga mat to perform yoga posture is nothing short of an unadulterated pride. Yoga today has transcended every national boundary and faith, benefitting countless people regardless of who they identify with. 

The ancient practice is arguably the biggest cultural export of the East. Its incredible power to connect people is evident when people who speak different languages, practice different faiths, live in different geographies but practice the same yoga postures to alleviate their sufferings or to stay physically and mentally fit. Today it is also a giant industry worth as high as $130 billion worldwide and on track to hit $215 billion mark in 2025, according to internet sources.  But with its tremendous commercial success, it has become fashionable to equate yoga with a mere physical pose. So much so that someone hanging from a tree in a bizarre way claims to be doing yoga these days, for example. Not only is this a trivialisation of the practice, it also risks harming the supposed practitioner. 

Yoga, which translates to “integration,” at its core, is the integration of the mind and body. In a human life, the origin of suffering is attributed to the separation of the mind and body. When the pair is not aligned to serve their common interest, it leads to misery. Yoga is as much as, if not more, building inner strength as much as it is about rock-solid body. According to yoga experts, every yoga practice begins with a profound meditation as a preparation for the practice. And meditation is so central to it that it simply cannot be decoupled from it.

It is critical to understand why mediation is given such prominent place in yoga: what we have inside of us, more often than not, manifests outside. Good character, morality, clarity, abiding peace, love and concentration, among other human qualities, are the by-products of prolonged and deep inner exercise. In a digital era, dominated by all-powerful smartphone, getting distracted and losing focus is easier than ever. But without focus, nothing significant is achieved. Ability to block all distractions and devote one’s time for higher purpose has become paramount. And this is where yoga comes to rescue.

Many of our physical diseases have their origin in a dysfunctional mind. To have a healthy body functioning at its peak, having a healthy mind is equally important. And it is yoga that helps to strike this delicate balance. We are living in an age of massive urbanisation where sedentary life-style coupled with a range of processed food has invaded our life. Compounding the problem is the growing mental problems stemming from the deepening inner void. We are battling crises brought about by the modernity. It has become increasingly evident that yoga has a great potential to change our perception about the world, bring clarity to build resilient relationships. Most importanly, it can help fill our inner void to lead a meaningful life.