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IdentityThe term Yoga originates from the Sanskrit root word ‘yuj’, which means to join. It refers to the yogic aim to unite the atman (soul) of the individual with the Paramatman (Supreme soul), which is at the base of every yogic ritual and practice.
Contrary to popular western belief, Yoga’s primary purpose is to achieve a healthy spiritual life, as opposed to the maintenance of the physical body. In fact, its various physical benefits are simply side-effects to the nourished spiritual life that yoga offers its practitioners.
While the physical benefits of yoga include everything from the relief from stress, to the treatment of heart disease and asthma, the spiritual benefits involve the root causes of the disease and ailment in the first place. It revitalizes and rejuvenates the practitioner on such as intimate level, that the person feels renewed – body, mind and spirit.
