Yoga goes much further than working on the body

Yoga goes much further 

than working on the body.

I'd like to clarify...

'Yoga' is not just about in the sense of physical postures, exercises, fitness, looking good, or a quick 'feel-good' fix.
The aim is to help us tap our potential to cultivate peace.
How?

Through better understanding the nature of the mind ('self-knowledge'), and through simple, relaxing and energising techniques that are related to meditation and consciously working with our breath and with the flow of life-force in our bodies.
The physical postures (asanas) are a central part of this energy-work in Hatha Yoga, but are not the only important aspect, and nowadays are often over-emphasised.

I believe you can benefit from the it even if you have no interest in practising yoga postures.
If you are interested in gaining deeper awareness and autonomy regarding how you manage your 'energy' (including your mind, beliefs and your emotions), and how this energy-management affects your physical health and your ability to live your potential, then you can certainly benefit from the information here.

Yoga, as presented broadly here, is about how we can break free from our limiting patterns - limited beliefs, habitually-constricted physical movements, and limited life-habits in general.

So yes, if you didn't know already...
Yoga goes much further than working on the body.

The Yoga tradition is a philosophy of total inner freedom.
However, like all traditions it can have its own unique language that is difficult for the 'uninitiated' (and even for Yoga teachers!) to understand.
Also like all traditions it can become full of dogmas, mystifications, over-simplifications and misrepresentations.
And it can become overrun by politics and commercialisation.

Some of the texts may be a bit 'technical', using Sanskrit terms that are traditionally used to describe elements of yogic practice or yogic philosophy.
Some of the texts are specifically dedicated to demystifying these terms.
For experienced yogis some of the texts will be quite basic.

I hope that you will either find something that brings you greater clarity and inspiration.



Peter Littlejohn Cook